Northern Thailand News
Stay updated with the latest Northern Thailand news at The Thaiger, your ultimate source for regional information. Keep informed on local events, business developments, and lifestyle stories in popular locations like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Pai.
Our in-depth coverage includes famous monuments such as the White Temple and Doi Suthep. Whether you’re a resident or a visitor, The Thaiger’s Northern Thailand news page is your essential guide to exploring this culturally rich region. Delve into the vibrant community and diverse culture with our expertly curated content, designed to keep you connected and well-informed.
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Sponsored Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort puts sustainability at its heart
The term sustainability is often thrown around as a buzzword in the hospitality industry, but at Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort, it’s genuinely part of their mission. Located in Makham Bay, just south of Phuket Town, the beautiful resort puts...
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Half a tonne of marijuana seized…
.. and no one has come to claim it yet. Khon Kaen police have seized 500 kilograms of marijuana after a pickup truck overturned in Khon Kaen’s Ban Phai district early today. But no arrests have been made as yet. The Nation reports that Pol Lt Gen Surachai Khuantejakup, commissioner of the Provincial Police Bureau 4, told a press conference…
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Police intercept 5 million methamphetamine pills in Chiang Rai
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times “An estimated 5 million meth pills were found in 13 boxes.” Two suspected drug mules have been arrested in Chiang Rai while allegedly trying to smuggle 5 million methamphetamine pills from a border village. The arrests were made last night (Wednesday) at 9.30pm in the border Mae Saruay district. The arrest were made after police and…
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The new visa-fee waiver working in the north
According to the National News Bureau of Thailand, the new visa-fee waiver is working. Well, in the northern provinces anyway. The northern provinces are reporting an increase in the number of foreign visitors, thanks to the government’s free visa on arrival campaign. Wiwat Piyawiroj , Executive Vice President of Commercial at Thai Airways, says the free visa on arrival scheme for…
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Chiang Rai shaken but not stirred
Three minor earthquakes hit the Chiang Rai area this morning according to the Meteorological Department’s Seismological Bureau. The first quake was just before 9am with a magnitude of 3.3 with an epicentre 3.3 kilometres underground at latitude 19.70 and longitude 99.72. People say they felt the tremor but there were no injuries or damage to be reported. A 2.0-magnitude tremor followed…
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Buri Ram teacher probed after boy’s beating
A Buri Ram school has set up a committee to investigate a parent’s allegation that one of its teachers made a Prathom 6 pupil do 50 jumping jacks in the hot sun and then whipped him 10 times with a wooden stick wrapped in duct tape. The 12 year old’s mother revealed Friday’s incident and says her son had merely…
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Thai soldier accused of raping 75 boys
A 43 year old former Thai soldier has been arrested for raping 75 boys, many of whom were aged under 15 at the time of the alleged crimes. It is claimed he lured his victims by using the photo of a handsome younger man as his own profile picture in a gay chat application and then Facebook. Authorities are now…
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900,000 meth pills and 3 kilos of ‘ice’ seized after brief shoot-out
Two suspected drug smugglers have been arrested at a Chiang Rai hotel following a short shootout with police. Police also seized 900,000 methamphetamine pills and three kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. Acting on a tip-off, a team of narcotics suppression police staked out at a border point in Ban Tham Phatong in Tambon Tha Sud in Chiang Rai’s Muang district. They…
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Drought declared in five Khon Kaen districts
Whilst parts of Thailand suffered floods and overflowing dams during August and September, other parts of the country are now facing drought conditions as we head into the dry season. Khon Kaen Governor Somsak Jungtrakul has declared five districts drought disaster zones. Somsak said on Friday there had been no rain for months in Pol, Nong Song Hong, Ban Had, Waeng…
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When the family goes for a walk
The Khao Yai National Park is always a great place for elephant-spotting but spotting this thundering herd coming towards you, we’d recommend an early retreat. This herd went for a stroll this morning. The Khao Yai National Park is in the inner north-east, about three hours drive from Bangkok. Officials say the local elephants have become used to using the main road as…
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One killed and 29 injured as bus overturns in Khon Kaen
A bus overturned in Khon Kaen province yesterday morning (Sunday), resulting in one death and injuring 29 others. The 51 year old bus driver, identified only as Sarawut, has sustained injuries to his ears and face from the crash. “It was raining heavily at the time the accident occurred,” he said He told police that the bus overturned as soon…
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Ceremony held in Chiang Rai marking 100 days since the death of Saman Kunan
PHOTO: Thai PBS A religious ceremony has been held at a temple and near the entrance to the Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai to mark the 100th day of the death of Saman Kunan, a former Thai Navy SEAL member, who died trying to help save the trapped Mu Pa football team. The religious ceremony was organised by the Mae…
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Mu Pa – The Movie. The frenzy for rights.
“The Wall Street Journal reported that Universal had offered $1.5 million (49 million baht) to be split among the boys and Ekkaphol.” Stampede for the cave drama scoopnational October 20, 2018 01:00 By The Nation Weekend Producers of movies, games, and books are queuing to see who gets a share in the Tham Luang story After Hollywood studio Universal Pictures…
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Mu Pa make their American TV debut and get a surprise visitor
In their first in-studio interview since their harrowing time in the Tham Luang caves in June/July, the coach and 12 members of the Mu Pa soccer team sat down with American chat show queen, Ellen Degeneres to talk about their experience and how they stayed hopeful for 10 days trapped in the cave. Plus, the boys’ soccer idol, Zlatan Ibrahimovic,…
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Chiang Rai’s Suwit Jaipom unveils charcoal portrait of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej
PHOTOS: localnews2010.com A Chiang Rai Artists, Suwit Jaipom, has unveiled a portrait of the late HM King Rama IX, that he has recently created to mark the second anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s passing. At his studio in Ban Pang Lao in the capital district of Chiang Rai, Suwit Jaipom, the president of ArtBridge Chiang Rai and local artist, has created…
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‘Ailing’ monk hangs himself from a tree in Uttradit
by Boonpim Baiya A monk appears to have committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree behind his temple in Uttaradit, a northern province. Police were contacted at 7am this morning by a fellow monk in the compound of Wat Wang Kapee. Police, a medical examiner and rescue workers headed to the temple to find the body of 58 year old…
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Mu Pa – from Mae Sai to Ellen Degeneres Show in LA
by The Nation/Asian News Network US daytime talk-show queen, Ellen Degeneres, posted on her Facebook page that the Mu Pa soccer team will be appearing on her program tomorrow (US time). “There was no story more captivating this summer than the Thai soccer team trapped in a cave.” She also posted a picture of herself with all the 13 Mu…
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First Thai MotoGP earns profits and widespread praise
by Lerpong Amsa-ngiam “The attendance is the highest for any of the 15 MotoGP races so far this year.” The Minister of Tourism and Sports Weerasak Kowsurat has claimed the inaugural Thailand MotoGP “successful beyond expectations” after it was attended by an estimated 220,000 fans and generated revenue of 3 billion baht. The three day event, another victory for four-time…
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Mu Pa 13 get a warm welcome at Youth Games in Argentina
PHOTO: Mu Pa, who were rescued from Tham Luang cave in Thailand, stand during the Opening Ceremony of The Youth Olympic Games, in Buenos Aires, Argentina – EPA “When they arrived at the Buenos Aires international airport, liaisons of international athletes waiting for their teams at the airport also greeted them warmly.” The 13 members of the Mu Pa football…
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MotoGP Day Two – Marc Marquez grabs pole position
Johann Zarco (5) of France and Monster Yamaha Tech 3 in Turn 3 during FP3 at the MotoGP PTT Thailand Grand Prix 2018, Chang International Circuit, Thailand on October 06, 2018. PHOTO: Naratip Golf Srisupab/SEALs Sports Images MotoGP championship leader Marc Marquez grabbed pole position in the inaugural Thailand Grand Prix Saturday, just ahead of Italian great Valentino Rossi. The…
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Thailand MotoGP starts today in Buri Ram
PHOTO: Jorge Lorenzo (99) of Spain and Ducati Team in Turn 7 during FP2 at the MotoGP PTT Thailand Grand Prix 2018, Chang International Circuit, Thailand on October 05, 2018. Naratip Golf, Srisupab/SEALs Sports Images The ‘PTT Thailand Grand Prix 2018’ MotoGP is being held from today until Sunday, October 7, at the Chang International Circuit in Buri Ram, north-east Thailand.…
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Chiang Rai hit with mild earthquake
A minor 3.4-magnitude earthquake hit Chiang Rai’s Phan district this morning. The confirmation from the Seismological Bureau of the Meteorological Department. The bureau said the earthquake had an epicentre situated about 15 kilometres underground at latitude 19.45 degrees and longitude 99.60 degrees. The epicentre was in the Doi Luang National Park. The quake was felt by residents of Phan and nearby…
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Loei mothers file complaint about local abbot sexually abusing their sons
Four Loei mothers have filed a complaint with police today accusing the local abbot of a monastic centre of sexually abusing their sons. They told Khok Ngam police that the abbot in Tambon Phone Sung, Dan Sai district, had molested their sons while they were novices there. One woman (name withheld by police) says her 17 year old son was…
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Four others rescued in Tham Luang before the Mu Pa 13
PHOTO: British cavers, Rick Stanton and John Volanthe Dramatic new stories out of a “Hidden Earth” cave-community event where it’s been revealed that the, now famous, Mu Pa 13 weren’t the only people trapped inside the caves in Chiang Rai. Two of the British divers who were part of the Tham Luang rescue effort, extracting the Mu Pa football team from…
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12 million meth pills, half tonne of ‘ice’ seized in Chiang Rai
Been a busy day in northern Thailand as police grapple with the transporting of drugs across the borders. First, this morning there was a motorcyclist with a backpack full of meth pills. Now a much larger shipment has been intercepted. The Nation reports that Chiang Rai police have foiled an attempt to smuggle 12 million methamphetamine pills and 521 kilograms…
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Australian expat and Thai wife go missing
PHOTO: Sanook – Alan Hawk and his wife Nott Suddaen A man has been released on bail as police continue their investigation into the mysterious disappearance of an Australian man and his Thai wife in northern Thailand. Alan Hawk (name transliterated from Thai) and his wife Nott Suddaen, both 61, were reported missing on Thursday by a concerned friend. The friend…
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Unsworth sues Musk over ‘pedo’ slur
The British cave expert who was part of the international rescue team helping to bring the 13 Mu Pa footballers out of the Tham Luang caves in July, has sued Tesla founder Elon Musk for calling him a “pedo guy” and a “child rapist”, amongst other insults in a series of Tweets.” The defamation suit has been filed in LA…
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Chiang Rai Governor Prajon hosts seminar to develop SEZs in northern Thailand
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times Chiang Rai Governor Prajon Prachsakul presided over the opening of the Special Economic Zone Policy Committee seminar held at the Teak Garden Resort. The seminar was designed to mobilise the development of special economic zones and promote public participation in the northern province project. According to the Chiang Rai Times, Governor Prajon told attendees that the…
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Order a 37K brand name bag online – a 100 baht plastic bottle arrives in the mail
INN are reporting that a 25 year old Khon Kaen woman has made a complaint to police saying that she had ordered a 37,000 baht second-hand brand name bag online but all she received was a plastic bottle. The woman says that hen she opened the package all she found was a plastic bottle with a Kung Fu Panda logo…
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Cave film starts shooting in November
A Thai film telling the story of the Tham Luang cave rescue is due to begin rolling cameras in November. It’s working title is ‘Nang Non’ in Thai (The Cave in English) Tom Waller, an Irish/Thai filmmaker, gave a presentation about the project at the Toronto International Film Festival. ‘Nang Non’ is the working title of the film, also the…
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Royal Gala Dinner ‘like a big family reunion’
PHOTO/VIDEOS: Thai PBS Thai PBS spoke to a number of the attendees at last Thursday night’s Royal Gala Dinner to commemorate and thank international and Thai volunteers who contributed to the amazing rescue of the 13 young football players from the Tham Luang caves in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai early July. Nothing would overwhelm Maj Hodges from the United States…
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