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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    Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained

    Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...

  • Loei’s PEA moves transformers underground to boost Chiang Khan tourism

    Loei’s PEA moves transformers underground to boost Chiang Khan tourism

    The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) in Loei has embarked on a mission to relocate electric transformers underground in the tourist-heavy Chiang Khan district. The initiative aims to prevent fire hazards in the district, which is known for its century-old wooden houses. Komkrit Siriyutthaseanyakorn, who heads the local office of the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning, stated that…

  • Prominent loan shark murdered in northern Thailand, sparks business feud suspicions

    Prominent loan shark murdered in northern Thailand, sparks business feud suspicions

    A prominent loan shark was murdered following a brutal attack in the Lampang province of northern Thailand. His wife discovered the gruesome scene, which led to the suspicion that the culprits were well-acquainted with her deceased husband and that the motive for the murder could be due to a business dispute. Deputy Chief of the Khelang Nakhon Police Station, Worachet Sakitkan,…

  • Teenager critically injured in shocking acid attack in Buriram

    Teenager critically injured in shocking acid attack in Buriram

    A shocking acid attack has left an 18 year old girl critically injured in Buriram. The incident occurred while the victim, Natthikarn Khairum, known as Aum, was dining with her family members at a local eatery in Nang Rong district. The caustic acid resulted in skin burns for both her aunt, Wiwat Chaketram, and grandmother, Ta Bawornram, albeit less severe.…

  • Gun-grab getaway: Daring Thai man captured after snatching police officer’s gun

    Gun-grab getaway: Daring Thai man captured after snatching police officer’s gun

    Provincial Police Region 6 officers finally arrested a Thai man yesterday after he snatched a gun from a police officer in the northern province of Uttaradit and escaped on a stolen motorcycle. Traffic police officer Chitipun Kunnarmang was on duty Friday, August 25 on the Boroma-as Road when he spotted a Thai man, later identified as 40 year old Pitsanupanya…

  • Falling tamarind tree kills driver, severely injures wife in Khon Kaen

    Falling tamarind tree kills driver, severely injures wife in Khon Kaen

    A 62 year old man cutting a tamarind tree, located just 5 metres from the road, caused it to topple over and crush a passing pickup truck. The male driver was killed instantly, while his wife was severely injured. Subsequently, the man was charged with manslaughter. This incident occurred yesterday, as reported by Deputy Superintendent of Investigation Nitchapon Natkittisupacha from…

  • Criminal steals police gun and man’s motorcycle to flee

    Criminal steals police gun and man’s motorcycle to flee

    A criminal in the city centre of Uttaradit, Thailand, sparked a manhunt when he snatched a police officer’s gun and commandeered a local resident’s motorcycle. The incident prompted a swift response from law enforcement, who quickly mobilised forces to apprehend the suspect. The incident took place at the Ban Ko Red Light Intersection in Uttaradit City in the northern province…

  • Domestic violence: Northern Thai man shoots brother-in-law amid jealous rage

    Domestic violence: Northern Thai man shoots brother-in-law amid jealous rage

    A brutal violent act of jealousy unfolded in Nong Khai’s Tha Bo district today when a 28 year old man invaded his estranged wife’s home and shot her 56 year old brother, six times. The man, Palm, tracked his 40 year old wife, Bee (pseudonym), to the residence of her brother Wirat and shot him with a .22 calibre gun,…

  • Phayao government official under investigation for accident involving state vehicle

    Phayao government official under investigation for accident involving state vehicle

    The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) ordered an investigation into a government official in Phayao province. The woman in question was caught using a state vehicle for personal use. The government official may have escaped with the abuse of state property for personal use, except that, while driving the car, she crashed the vehicle. The incident happened today…

  • Teenage couple arrested for canal-side murder in Chiang Mai

    Teenage couple arrested for canal-side murder in Chiang Mai

    Police arrested a teenage couple after they murdered a Thai man on a road along an irrigation canal in the northern province of Chiang Mai. On August 21, the lifeless body of a 45 year old Thai man near a roadside forest along the road in the San Sai district of Chaing Mai. The body, which bore several traces of…

  • Toddler yanks steering wheel causing pickup to damage noodle shop

    Toddler yanks steering wheel causing pickup to damage noodle shop

    A road collision in Nakhon Ratchasima caused significant damage when a pickup truck, driven by a woman accompanied by her three year old daughter, crashed into a noodle shop. The incident, which was shared on TikTok by user @jindarat254327, also resulted in damage to three parked vehicles, including two cars owned by Kan, who was dining in the noodle shop at…

  • Animal cruelty: Udon Thani cow and calf brutally beheaded

    Animal cruelty: Udon Thani cow and calf brutally beheaded

    In an alarming act of animal cruelty, a cow and her month-old calf were brutally killed and beheaded in a forest in Ban Dung district, Udon Thani. The attackers then left the decapitated heads hanging from a tree. No clear motive for the gruesome act has been identified yet. The remains of the cow were discovered in a plastic container…

  • ‘Quite an adventure’ says Scottish pensioner of his snake-infested Indiana Jones river rescue in Thailand (video)

    ‘Quite an adventure’ says Scottish pensioner of his snake-infested Indiana Jones river rescue in Thailand (video)

    A Scottish pensioner declared it was “quite an adventure” as he was plucked from a snake-infested river in Thailand after embarking on an Indiana Jones-type Boy’s Own escapade. The 77 year old Scot found himself marooned in his inflatable dinghy for nearly seven hours in the treacherous waters of Udon Thani province. Initially setting out for a leisurely kayak cruise…

  • Splash clash: Food delivery rider’s water incident leads to physical assault in Chaing Rai (video)

    Splash clash: Food delivery rider’s water incident leads to physical assault in Chaing Rai (video)

    A food delivery rider physically assaulted a Thai woman on a road in the northern province of Chaing Rai after she reportedly complained he splashed her with water. A video of when the Grab food delivery rider physically attacked the 40 year old Thai woman, Chanadda Sae-ue, went viral after being shared on Facebook on Friday, August 18. The rider…

  • Student lunch budget allocated for Nakhon Ratchasima’s Kulno School

    Student lunch budget allocated for Nakhon Ratchasima’s Kulno School

    Students at Kulno School in Nakhon Ratchasima province no longer need to bring packed lunches from home. This follows a speedy allocation of school lunch funding by the Phimai Sub-district Municipality, which was confirmed in a letter to parents yesterday. Previously, a delay in allocating this budget led the school to ask parents to provide food for their children from…

  • Phetchabun karaoke bar raided for suspected child exploitation, owner arrested

    Phetchabun karaoke bar raided for suspected child exploitation, owner arrested

    Police conducted a raid on a karaoke bar in Phetchabun, arresting a 39 years old woman, for allegedly running a service offering underage girls catering to customers’ pleasures. The bar, advertised under the Facebook account E ลำยองโอ้ลั้นล้า, allegedly allowed teenagers under 18 years old to engage with customers in a salacious manner. The bar raid was conducted as part of…

  • Nearly extinct Eastern Sarus Crane eggs discovered in rice field

    Nearly extinct Eastern Sarus Crane eggs discovered in rice field

    In a significant win for wildlife conservation, eggs of the Eastern Sarus Crane – also known as Thai Cranes – were found in a rice field adjacent to the Huai Talat Reservoir Non-Hunting Area in the Mueang district of Buriram, according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). The cranes were believed to be mostly extinct…

  • InterContinental attends funeral for hotel employee’s mum after denying leave request

    InterContinental attends funeral for hotel employee’s mum after denying leave request

    The InterContinental Khao Yai Resort in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district expressed its condolences and empathy towards a former staff member whose mother died. But after they denied her leave – a move that went viral – the hotel management attended the funeral of the employee’s mother. Is it a change of heart, or a desperate bid to look caring…

  • 82 year old man dies after being stung by swarm of wasps

    82 year old man dies after being stung by swarm of wasps

    An 82 year old Thai man tragically died after he was stung by a swarm of wasps in an abandoned house in the Isaan province of Maha Sarakham. ThaiRath reported that the old man, Sai Romyen, requested to use the bathroom at a local grocery shop nearby his house on the incident day. Unfortunately, all the bathrooms were occupied by…

  • British TikToker praises Thai gas man’s effort to master the English language

    British TikToker praises Thai gas man’s effort to master the English language

    A British Tiktoker shared a video of a Thai gas attendant and applauded his dedication to improving his English communication skills. The British teacher, Dan Thomas, took to TikTok under the handle scootinthailand last Sunday, August 13, to share a video of the gas station attendant with a caption in Thai saying… “Greatly appreciated! I would like to encourage everyone…

  • Major drug dealer killed in Thai police operation: 233 meth pills found on body

    Major drug dealer killed in Thai police operation: 233 meth pills found on body

    A notorious drug dealer yesterday met a violent end at his abode in the Mae Tha district of Lamphun province. Police closed in on the house hoping to execute an arrest warrant only to encounter gunfire from the suspect who tried to make a daring escape. At approximately 4.30pm, Police Lieutenant Colonal Sampran Janmangkang, chief of Tha Khat Police Station,…

  • Missing man’s skeletal remains found in submerged pickup truck in Buriram pond

    Missing man’s skeletal remains found in submerged pickup truck in Buriram pond

    Villagers in Buriram irrigating their paddy fields were shocked when they came across the tail end of a pickup truck submerged in a large pond. Skeletal human remains were found inside the vehicle, now identified as a missing 47 year old man who disappeared almost a year and a half earlier. Yesterday, reports emerged about a startling discovery in the…

  • Mysterious giant footprint stirs curiosity at ancient Thai house

    Mysterious giant footprint stirs curiosity at ancient Thai house

    In an incident causing quite a stir among locals, an unusual, large footprint, significantly bigger than a dog’s, inexplicably appears at an ancient house. The intrigued homeowner reveals the footprint to be the latest mystery at the widely known archaeological site where ancient human bones were previously discovered. A social media post from a local recently shared a video showcasing…

  • Two young boys severely injured by menacing hanging wire trap

    Two young boys severely injured by menacing hanging wire trap

    A 14 year old boy and his eight year old cousin sustained severe injuries after getting tangled in a hanging wire on their way home. One boy’s 35 year old mother Namjai Sa Lee detailed the horrific incident, which occurred in Mahapho, Kao Liao district, Nakhon Sawan on July 29. The two boys were knocked off a motorcycle by the…

  • Heartbreaking child abuse: Thai parents’ cruelty leaves 5 year old unable to walk or learn

    Heartbreaking child abuse: Thai parents’ cruelty leaves 5 year old unable to walk or learn

    A distressing case of child abuse has come to light, involving a five year old boy victimised by his parents. The severity of the abuse has left the boy with incapacitating injuries, preventing him from both walking and attending school. The boy’s grandfather has assumed the responsibility of bringing his school assignments to their home in Ban Nongai Phatthana, Udon…

  • Wild elephant herd caught on camera in Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary

    Wild elephant herd caught on camera in Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary

    The northeastern province of Buriram recently witnessed the majestic sight of a herd of 12 wild elephants within the lush confines of the Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary. The herd was captured on video through state-of-the-art automated cameras strategically positioned by local wildlife officials, meant to record and safeguard the diverse range of flora and fauna thriving within the sanctuary. Somsuan…

  • Umphang Hospital grapples with 40 million baht deficit due to Myanmar crisis

    Umphang Hospital grapples with 40 million baht deficit due to Myanmar crisis

    The Thai-Burmese frontier healthcare services face a financial crisis as a result of the current political turmoil in Myanmar. It has been reported that Umphang Hospital, situated in Thailand’s Tak province, has been hit by a considerable deficit of 40 million baht. The hospital has been forced to turn to the Ministry of Public Health for assistance. Umphang Hospital has…

  • RTN officer shoots woman, sexually harasses another at Chiang Rai grocery store

    RTN officer shoots woman, sexually harasses another at Chiang Rai grocery store

    Police arrested a former Royal Thai Navy (RTN) officer who shot one woman and sexually harassed another woman at a local grocery in the northern province of Chiang Rai. The suspect shocked the community after saying he could kill anybody because he was a former RTN officer. Chaing Khong Police officers rushed to the incident scene at the grocery store in…

  • Rolled dice: Police shuffled as casino thrives under their watch in Chiang Mai

    Rolled dice: Police shuffled as casino thrives under their watch in Chiang Mai

    Five police officers were transferred for recklessness after allowing gambling dens to operate under their noses following a Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) raid at the 89 CLUB Casino, in Chiang Mai province. The raid was conducted following a complaint filed by the Ministry of Interior. A resident urged the ministry to investigate a casino in Chiang Mai where over…

  • Sisaket Hospital probes alleged sabotage of patient data to sell backup software for 3 million baht

    Sisaket Hospital probes alleged sabotage of patient data to sell backup software for 3 million baht

    The Director of the Sisaket Hospital has ordered the formation of a committee to investigate claims that patient data was deleted, causing the entire Hospital Information System (HIS) to crash in northeastern Thailand. Allegedly, this sabotage was part of a reckless attempt to sell backup software for 3 million baht (US$87,387). If proven true, it signifies alarming corruption within the…

  • Flash flood scare at Bueng Kan’s Phuwua Sanctuary prompts quick evacuation of tourists

    Flash flood scare at Bueng Kan’s Phuwua Sanctuary prompts quick evacuation of tourists

    The renowned tourist attraction of Phuwua Wildlife Sanctuary was the recent setting of a narrow escape for visitors in Bueng Kan, northeast Thailand. Sudden heavy rainfall resulted in water flooding down from the Phuwua mountains, leading tourists, who were enjoying a day at the Tham Phra Waterfall, to flee for higher ground. As reported at 4pm yesterday, amidst a vibrant atmosphere,…