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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    The 5 most common travel emergencies in Thailand and how to be prepared

    Thailand is a popular destination known for its dynamic culture, stunning beaches, and bustling cities however, travellers can face unexpected travel emergencies that include medical issues, road accidents, petty theft, and natural disasters. To ensure a safe and enjoyable trip,...

  • E. coli contamination found at popular waterfall in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand

    E. coli contamination found at popular waterfall in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand

    A popular waterfall on Doi Suthep mountain in the northern province of Chiang Mai is brimming with E. coli bacteria from human feces, warns Dr Rungsrit Kanjanavanit, a Green Globe award-winning conservationist and professor of cardiology at Chiang Mai University. The doctor warns against drinking or washing your face in the waterfall… “While driving up Doi Suthep mountain, there is…

  • 48 year old Thai man gets first ID card after a lifetime of trying

    48 year old Thai man gets first ID card after a lifetime of trying

    A 48 year old Thai man finally got his first ID card after a lifetime of trying, thanks to a little help from the Thai media. The man, Sena Sriphet, is from the Koh Chan district in Chon Buri province, but he moved to live with his wife in the Nong Bua sub-district, Pa Kam district, in the Isaan province…

  • Flooding from overflowing rivers soaks Chiang Rai and the border

    Flooding from overflowing rivers soaks Chiang Rai and the border

    Along the northern borders of Thailand, rains have swelled rivers beyond capacity and caused widespread flooding. The Sai River along the Burmese border started rising on Friday and by Saturday morning the riverbanks burst and flooded a border town in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai, according to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department. Over 2,000 houses were flooded…

  • Tropical storm ‘Mulan’ makes a splash in the north of Thailand

    Tropical storm ‘Mulan’ makes a splash in the north of Thailand

    The tropical storm ‘Mulan’ that meteorologists warned would hit Thailand has now poured down on the country’s north and northeast regions. The regions dealt with flash floods yesterday (Friday), due to heavy rain caused by the depression from the storm. In the northern province of Phayao, villagers in Nam Bong forest were forced to evacuate when flash floods swallowed their…

  • 2018 Thai cave rescue inspires new attraction in Chiang Rai

    2018 Thai cave rescue inspires new attraction in Chiang Rai

    Taking inspiration from the 2018 cave rescue in the northern province of Chiang Rai, one billion baht will be invested in a new attraction and exhibition called The Caventure. A soft opening is expected in October next year. The 17-day rescue in 2018, or the Tham Luang cave rescue, at Tham Luang Nang Non Cave in Chiang Rai, was an…

  • Patiphan explains to police: It was my twin brother Patiphat!

    Patiphan explains to police: It was my twin brother Patiphat!

    In what seems like a scene from a movie with a lazy plot, a man in Nakhon Ratchasima says his upstanding life has been ruined by his criminal twin brother. Patiphan and Patiphat Kaeowaem were split up when they were babies and their lives took radically different directions. Born to a poor family, when they were just two months old,…

  • Tourists can see rare orchids in bloom at northern Thailand waterfall this month

    Tourists can see rare orchids in bloom at northern Thailand waterfall this month

    Tis’ the season for a rare orchid species to bloom in northern Thailand. The orchid species habenaria janellehayneiana is in full bloom at the Man Daeng Waterfall in the Hin Rong Kla National Park. The park is located in Thailand’s northern province of Phitsanulok. The flowers grow on the rocks around the waterfall, creating a colorful scenery. The unique orchid…

  • UPDATE: Sexy Thai model fined 5,000 baht for dancing topless in club

    UPDATE: Sexy Thai model fined 5,000 baht for dancing topless in club

    UPDATE: Thai model and DJ “Oil Kissyface” has been slapped with another 5,000 baht for more sexy antics. Oil was previously fined 5,000 baht under the Public Obscenity Act after a video of her dancing topless at a nightclub in Khon Kaen last week went viral on social media. After news of her fine caught the nation’s attention today, another…

  • Sexy Thai model fined at 5,000 baht for dancing topless in club

    Sexy Thai model fined at 5,000 baht for dancing topless in club

    A sexy Thai model has been fined 5,000 baht for a public obscenity act after a video of her went viral dancing topless at a nightclub in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen. The nightclub was also fined for operating without a license. Paphavee “Oil” Chaimongkol, aka Oil Roi Joob, which means Oil Kissyface, was working as a DJ at…

  • Famous northern Thai dish declared world’s best soup

    Famous northern Thai dish declared world’s best soup

    A famous northern Thai dish has been declared the world’s best soup by the foodie platform TasteAtlas.com. This was part of its list of “50 Best Soups in the World” published on July 25. The dish, called Khao Soi, includes red curry soup and meat, usually chicken, and egg noodles. It is then topped with crunchy noodles, fresh lime, pickled cabbage,…

  • Dead bodies in northeast Thailand belong to Nigerian & Vietnamese nationals

    Dead bodies in northeast Thailand belong to Nigerian & Vietnamese nationals

    The bodies of a man and a woman found buried in a forest in northeast Thailand on July 28 have been identified as a Nigerian man and a Vietnamese woman. The man was 38 years old, and the woman was 33 years old. Police believe the couple had been dead for two to four weeks when they were found, making…

  • 2 dead & 5 injured in gunfight between teens in Northern Thailand

    2 dead & 5 injured in gunfight between teens in Northern Thailand

    Two teenagers were reportedly killed and five injured when a gunfight broke out in the car park of an entertainment venue in the Isaan province of Ubon Ratchathani. Eyewitnesses revealed that about a dozen teenagers clashed in the car park of Talat Nikon Thani on Chayangkun Road in the Nai Mueng District of Ubon Ratchathani, and about 70 to 100…

  • Thai police face challenges with identifying bodies in Northeast

    Thai police face challenges with identifying bodies in Northeast

    Police are facing some challenges in investigating the death of a couple in northeast Thailand. The bodies of a man and a woman were found in a forest in Nakhon Ratchasima province on July 28. Police believe the couple had been dead for two to four weeks when they were found, making it harder to identify the bodies. The Deputy…

  • Bodies of a couple found buried in Isaan province remain unknown

    Bodies of a couple found buried in Isaan province remain unknown

    The naked corpses of a Thai woman and a foreign man discovered buried in a forest near Baan Tung Arun Community in Chok Chai district, Nakhon Ratchasima, or Korat, Isaan province, remain unidentified. Police reported yesterday that the investigation to find out who they were continues after revealing enquiries had been made to a number of hospitals specializing in silicone…

  • Lightning strike kills seven cows in Nakhon Ratchasima

    Lightning strike kills seven cows in Nakhon Ratchasima

    Deadly lightning struck a forest during a rain storm in the Bua Yai district of Nakhon Ratchasima, killing seven cows instantly. The unusual occurrence happened yesterday and was reported by the Hook 31 Rescue Unit. That unit was called to investigate in the northeastern province in response to the incident that took place at around 12.10pm. The unit hurried to…

  • Meth bust in northeast Thailand, pills worth about 20 million baht

    Meth bust in northeast Thailand, pills worth about 20 million baht

    There was another meth bust in northeast Thailand last night, this time in Nakhon Phanom province. Rangers had been patrolling the Mekong River when they noticed a group of men on a long-tail boat. The men took a sack out of the boat and left it on the riverbank before they sped off in their boat. In the sack, the…

  • UPDATE: Police find clues in likely murder case in northeast Thailand

    UPDATE: Police find clues in likely murder case in northeast Thailand

    UPDATE Police have found clues in a likely murder case in northeast Thailand. This news comes after villagers the bodies of a man and a woman in a forest in Chok Chai district in Nakhon Ratchasima province on Thursday night. Now, police have found microchips in the woman’s silicon breast implants. She also had unique tattoos. These include a tattoo…

  • A debt-ridden Thai woman seeks help after spiky durian assault

    A debt-ridden Thai woman seeks help after spiky durian assault

    A Thai woman in the northern province of Lamphun has asked for media help after she was assaulted with some durian fruit because of a loan shark debt. The woman, Duangduen, revealed she borrowed about 20,000 baht from a money lender to open a shop with a friend last year. But things spiraled out of control and the interest repayment…

  • Northeast woman dies chasing biker thief who nabbed her gold chain

    Northeast woman dies chasing biker thief who nabbed her gold chain

    A woman in northeast Thailand died this week while chasing down another biker who nabbed her gold chain. The woman, 47 year old Somchit, had been driving her motorcycle home after going to the bank when another biker started to move closer to her. The biker then snatched her chain. The incident happened in the main city district of Sisaket…

  • Elderly northeast woman charged with theft after picking plants for curry

    Elderly northeast woman charged with theft after picking plants for curry

    An elderly woman in northeast Thailand just wanted some fresh produce for her curry but ended up being charged with theft. The woman, 70 year old Chaweewan, had headed out on June 11 to pick a handful of galangal sprouts from her village in Phang Khon district of Sakhon Nakhon province. Chaweewan says the area is public land, but one…

  • New religious cult leader encourages followers to get drunk

    New religious cult leader encourages followers to get drunk

    Thai media visited the temple of a new religious cult in the Isaan province of Maha Sarakham to interview its leader after a viral TikTok video revealed he encouraged followers to get drunk at the cult ceremony. A female TikTok user posted a video joining a ceremony with the cult in Maha Sarrakham. The video revealed participants wearing an all-white…

  • Thai tutor arrested for making child porn with boys

    Thai tutor arrested for making child porn with boys

    An alleged pedophile wanted by the US and Thai Cyber police has finally been tracked down and arrested thanks to a local boxing gym owner. If found guilty the 20 year old part time teacher faces between three and 10 years imprisonment and a fine between 60,000 baht and 100,000 baht. The tutor, named Mai, sexually assaulted children between the…

  • Hold the stink: New Korat durian fruit strain doesn’t smell bad

    Hold the stink: New Korat durian fruit strain doesn’t smell bad

    They call it the “king of fruit” but not everyone is a loyal subject to the durian, known for its distinctly stinky smell. But now there may be a way around that terrible smell as a new strain of durian developed in Korat is being hailed as a non-smelly version of the famous large fruit. The northeastern province of Nakhon…

  • Girl in northeast Thailand rides elephant to save fuel costs, goes viral

    Girl in northeast Thailand rides elephant to save fuel costs, goes viral

    Elephant crossing! An 11 year old girl in northeast Thailand’s Buriram province has become a TikTok sensation from riding an elephant to school to help her family save cash on fuel. The girl’s father, Wisanchol, told reporters that he works with elephants and that his family owns four of the gentle giants. The elephant that his daughter, Pupae, was filmed…

  • ‘It’s God’s Will’ says Thai gunman after Chiang Rai mass shooting

    ‘It’s God’s Will’ says Thai gunman after Chiang Rai mass shooting

    A drug-crazed killer gunned down three locals, including a 4 year old girl, and injured two in a mass shooting in the Baan Pa Kia Community in the northern province of Chiang Rai yesterday. Several cats and dogs were also killed in the crossfire. The drunken gunman told the police, “It’s God’s will.” The murderer, reportedly called Anucha Jabo, high…

  • Mother & daughter rescued from drowning at Khon Kaen Airport

    Mother & daughter rescued from drowning at Khon Kaen Airport

    A mother and daughter were rescued after accidentally driving a car into a flooded underground car park at Khon Kaen Airport in Isaan province of Thailand. A Facebook page, พระจันทร์ ลายกระต่าย V2 (The Rabbit on the Moon V2) posted pictures of a white sedan dripping in water with the caption, “Khon Kaen Airport.” The page didn’t explain the details of…

  • Soggy pizza and long hours of waiting – 4 years since the Tham Luang cave rescue

    Soggy pizza and long hours of waiting – 4 years since the Tham Luang cave rescue

    “There were times when kilometres underground standing in waist-deep water, we’d be eating a piece of soft pizza in a break… two guys from different countries, different cultures.” Four years ago, yesterday, the last group of four football players from the Chiang Rai Mu Pa (Wild Boar) team were brought out of the Tham Luang Caves. It took three days,…

  • Petrified tree in Tak certified as Guinness World Record largest

    Petrified tree in Tak certified as Guinness World Record largest

    Ah, Thailand: famous for its tropical beaches, delicious food, wild nightlife, and… giant wood? Thailand recently gained a Guinness World Record after unearthing the longest petrified tree trunk log ever found anywhere in the world. The world record was verified on Friday in Tak, a Northern province of Thailand lying on the Burmese border. The gigantic fossilised log was measured…

  • Fight leads to fatal shooting in Northeast Thailand

    Fight leads to fatal shooting in Northeast Thailand

    A fight at a liquor store in Northeast Thailand led to a fatal shooting this morning. Two gang members of an illegal money lending gang had gotten into a feud with some young locals in Nakhon Phanom province. The spat occurred in the That Phanom district town. The fight left gang member 33 year old Pittaya with head injuries, among…

  • Chiang Rai police arrested for taking huge bribe from Chinese porn gang

    Chiang Rai police arrested for taking huge bribe from Chinese porn gang

    Another day, another story involving Thai police taking bribes, this time in Chiang Rai. According to deputy police commissioner Surachate Hakpan, a.k.a ‘Big Joke,’ 4 officers in the northern province took a 1 million baht bribe from a Chinese gang filming live pornography at 2 resorts. One of the officers had searched the gang’s filming spot on March 31. He…