Chiang Mai News
Chiang Mai news, politics, business, culture, and tourism—stay updated with breaking stories, local events, and expat insights from Thailand’s northern hub. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Chiang Mai news source.
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Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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Chiang Mai rattled by quake as Myanmar tremors hit
A mild earthquake measuring 1.4 on the Richter scale struck Chiang Mai’s Phrao district at 4.33am today, April 11, according to the Thai Meteorological Department’s Earthquake Observation Division. The tremor’s epicentre was pinpointed in San Sai subdistrict, located at coordinates 19.529°N and 99.222°E, with a shallow depth of just 1 kilometre. While the quake was minor and caused no immediate…
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Chiang Mai aims for fingernail dance world record
In celebration of tradition and unity, Chiang Mai is preparing to break a Guinness World Record next Friday, April 19, with over 20,000 traditional fingernail dancers performing together at the historic Three Kings Monument. The event marks the ancient northern city’s 729th anniversary and promises to be one of the most spectacular cultural displays ever staged in Thailand. Organisers say…
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Teen found dead in Chiang Mai after swallowing ping pong bomb
A tragic incident occurred today at a residence in Mae Chaem district, Chiang Mai province, when a 17 year old boy was found dead after swallowing a ping pong bomb. The victim, who suffered from depression and was known for spending long hours in his room, was discovered following a reported explosion at 3.19am today, April 9. Police Lieutenant Sumerng…
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Teens detained in Chiang Mai for Cambodian call centre scam
Three teenagers were detained in Chiang Mai for allegedly operating an office to recruit people for work in a Cambodian call centre scam. They enticed people with promises of lucrative grey-area jobs, free accommodation, and natural border crossing. Yesterday, April 8, Police Lieutenant General Kritthapol Yisakhon, the commander of the Provincial Police Region 5, revealed a collaborative operation involving several…
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Stream fright: Chiang Mai tot gets unwelcome leech up her nose
A hospital in Chiang Mai issued a warning to the public to exercise caution when using water from natural sources after a three year old girl was found to have a leech in her nose because she washed her face in a stream. The case was shared by a doctor from Nakhonping Hospital in Mueang District, Chiang Mai, via the…
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Foreign motorcyclist seriously injured after race in Chiang Mai
A foreign motorcyclist sustained serious injuries after allegedly racing with his friend and crashing into a police booth in Chiang Mai in the early hours of yesterday, April 7. CCTV footage of the accident, shared on Channel 8, showed the foreigner’s motorcycle overturning near the footpath at Sanpakoi Intersection in the Mueang district of Chiang Mai. Another motorcyclist, who was reported…
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Fat-shaming Thai restaurant grilled over skinny discount (video)
A Thai restaurant is under fire for discriminating against fat people by offering skinny folk a discount for being thin. One disgruntled US tourist fumed “the restaurant would be sued if it was in America!” Chiang Mai Breakfast World is offering customers a controversial skinny discount to diners, provided they can squeeze through a set of narrowing metal bars before…
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Man drowned in Chiang Mai river in suspected suicide
Police in Mueang Chiang Mai district were alerted to a man who had fallen into a river and drowned near Mengrai Bridge. Emergency services, including local rescue teams and divers, yesterday morning, April 6, supported the search efforts. Personal belongings were found at the scene, including clothing, a bag with an ID card, a phone, and a tablet. Divers searched…
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Chiang Mai struggles with severe air pollution from wildfires
Chiang Mai is currently grappling with severe air pollution due to ongoing wildfires across various districts, with over 150 hotspots identified. Yesterday, April 1, wildfires persisted in mountainous regions of the northern province, with 150 active hotspots reported in 15 districts. The most affected areas include Hot with 34 hotspots, Chiang Dao with 26, and Phrao with 23. Thick smoke…
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Chiang Mai condo closed after cracks appear post-Myanmar quake
Yesterday, the Chiang Mai municipality ordered the closure of a luxury condominium complex due to visible cracks on the building’s structure, following a significant earthquake. Residents have been barred from entering the premises to ensure their safety. According to the Meteorological Department (TMD), the earthquake occurred at 1.20pm yesterday, March 28, with its epicentre in Myanmar, registering a magnitude of…
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Chiang Mai declared disaster zone due to ongoing wildfires
Wildfires in Chiang Dao and Omkoi districts of Chiang Mai have been raging for two weeks, prompting the declaration of disaster zones as local efforts intensify to manage the situation. Chiang Mai governor Nirat Phongsittithaworn yesterday, March 24, announced that five subdistricts within these districts are now designated as disaster areas. This decision enables the implementation of emergency relief and…
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Toxic haze: Chiang Mai at No. 5 globally for poor air quality
Chiang Mai has been ranked as the world’s fifth-worst city for air quality, with PM2.5 levels exceeding safe limits across the province. Hod district experienced the highest levels, with PM2.5 reaching 144 microgrammes per cubic metre today, March 22. The weakening of a cold air mass has caused reduced air ventilation, contributing to the accumulation of dust particles. At 9am,…
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Chinese dating scammer arrested for targeting foreign men in Chiang Mai
Police yesterday arrested a Chinese man at Chiang Mai International Airport for operating scams using a dating app to approach foreign men in the province. Two victims filed complaints with officers at Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station on Sunday, March 16 and March 19, stating that a Chinese man they had met on a dating application stole their valuables and…
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Phantom fail: Ghostly Chiang Mai gold heist ends in ghastly gaffe
In an audacious plot fit for a Halloween flick, a bungling gold thief’s disguise as a horror movie ghost backfired spectacularly when he found himself trapped in a shopping mall, leading to his swift arrest. The wannabe thief, Etsara, dreamed up a daring heist at a renowned Chiang Mai shopping mall, planning to loot a gold shop by posing as…
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Rescue diver’s body found in Ping River after fishing accident
The body of a 34 year old rescue diver, has been discovered in the Ping River after he went missing while fishing. His body was found yesterday, March 16 at a whirlpool, following an extensive overnight search by a rescue team in Chiang Mai province. On March 15, Tonkla or Ditsakorn was fishing near a sand pier in Hod district,…
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Chiang Mai air quality ranks worst globally due to regional fires
Burning activities in Myanmar and Laos have significantly contributed to the poor air quality in Chiang Mai, which has been ranked as having the worst air quality in the world. Today, March 16, 17 provinces in Thailand reported PM2.5 levels exceeding safety standards. Associate Professor Doctor Wisanu Arthawanich from the Faculty of Economics at Kasetsart University highlighted the situation on…
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Chiang Mai police capture six Tai Yai gang members after stabbing
Police in Chiang Mai have apprehended six members of the Tai Yai gang, known as 575, following the fatal stabbing of an 18 year old Thai male. Two suspects remain at large. The incident stemmed from a confrontation over eye contact. Yesterday, March 4, at 2pm, investigative officers at Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station detained six members of the 575…
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Thai military seizes 400,000 meth pills near Myanmar border
Soldiers from the Pha Mueang Task Force intercepted a drug trafficking operation, seizing 400,000 methamphetamine pills in Fang district, Chiang Mai province. The encounter, which took place at 12.30am yesterday, March 4, resulted in no injuries or fatalities. Captain Sawatsakon Onkaew, commanding officer of the 3rd Cavalry Company, under the Chaianuphap Special Task Force, directed two military patrol teams to…
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Chiang Mai monk faces charges for exam impersonation scandal
Prime Minister’s Office minister Chusak Sirinil has called for criminal charges against a senior monk from Chiang Mai. This monk allegedly employed another monk to impersonate him during a level-five Pali examination in Bangkok. The Chiang Mai ecclesiastical office has since ordered the dismissal of the unnamed senior monk from his role as abbot of a prominent temple in the province.…
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Chiang Mai e-cigarette seller arrested with 1,269 items seized
An online electronic cigarette seller in Chiang Mai, operating through Facebook and LINE groups, was apprehended with an estimated daily revenue of 10,000 baht, averaging over 100,000 baht monthly. The suspect led police to his home, where a substantial amount of goods was seized. Police from Special Operations Division 5 conducted a sting operation at approximately 1pm yesterday, February 26,…
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Visa la Vida: British man busted in Chiang Mai after 25-year overstay
In a stunning immigration crackdown, Chiang Mai Immigration arrested a British man who had overstayed his visa by an astonishing 9,135 days – more than 25 years. The man, whose name has not been released, managed to evade authorities for over two decades, making this one of the longest visa overstays ever recorded in Thailand. The dramatic arrest took place…
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Moroccan man arrested in Turkey for Chiang Mai murder
Interpol arrested a Moroccan national in Turkey for allegedly murdering his Thai LGBTQ lover, a beauty surgeon, in Chiang Mai last December. Bilal Chenfinu fled Thailand immediately after the crime, prompting an international manhunt and extradition proceedings to bring him back to face charges. Mueang Chiang Mai Police Chief Police Colonel Pratchaya Thisala confirmed that 30 year old Chenfinu was…
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Car-truck collision in Chiang Mai injures 16 longan workers
A collision between a car and a truck transporting longan harvest workers in Chiang Mai left 16 people injured, with two in serious condition. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation. Yesterday, February 9 at 8.35pm, investigators from San Pa Tong district in Chiang Mai received reports of a significant traffic accident on the San Pa Tong-Hang Dong…
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Drug traffickers killed in Chiang Mai shootout, meth haul seized
Four members of a drug trafficking ring were killed in a shootout in a Chiang Mai forest, resulting in the seizure of over 100 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine and one million methamphetamine pills. The incident occurred on Saturday, February 8, near Ban Pang Nok, Moo 1, Malika subdistrict, Mae Ai district, when personnel from the 3206th Ranger Company, under the…
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Mummified infant bodies found in chilling Chiang Mai delivery
A routine package check at a Sa Kaeo logistics shop turned into a horrifying discovery when staff found two dried infant bodies inside a parcel bound for Chiang Mai. Police are now investigating a self-proclaimed medium, who allegedly bought the bodies for 10,000 baht and planned to resell them to Chinese tourists. Sa Kaeo police were alerted this afternoon, February…
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Village headman shot by friend who mistook him for a chicken
A tragic incident unfolded in the forested area behind a village in the Mueang district of Chiang Mai province, where a 40 year old village headman, Somsak (surname withheld), was shot dead by a friend. The friend, 35 year old Wiraphon (surname withheld), mistook him for a wild chicken and fired a shotgun, hitting him in the head. The police…
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Chiang Mai teen arrested for arranging underage prostitution
A 16 year old girl in Chiang Mai has been arrested for allegedly acting as a pimp, arranging sexual services for a 14 year old girl with a fee of 3,500 baht. The arrest, made by police following a sting operation, occurred at a hotel. The suspect admitted to earning a commission of 500 baht per client. Yesterday, February 3,…
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Chiang Mai Night Safari welcomes adorable young hyenas (video)
Chiang Mai Night Safari has introduced two young striped hyenas, a male and a female, following in the footsteps of the much-loved tiger Eva. The hyenas’ debut occurred yesterday, February 3, attracting many visitors charmed by the new arrivals. The young hyenas, born to parents Sonic and Sanya on December 13 last year, represent a significant success in breeding rare…
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Fire fight: Minister braves flames to back Chiang Mai wildfire battle
The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Doctor Chalermchai Sri-on, yesterday made a daring visit to the smoky frontlines of Thailand’s forest fire battle in a show of support. Accompanied by Jatuporn Buruspat, the ministry’s permanent secretary, Chalermchai rallied the troops at Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai, bolstering the morale of fire-fighting personnel and community networks dedicated to…
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Chiang Mai to join UNESCO’s World Heritage list
Chiang Mai, the jewel of northern Thailand and the former capital of the ancient Lanna Kingdom, is inching closer to becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Officials from the Culture Ministry, the Fine Arts Department, and Chiang Mai Province are finalising a nomination dossier to submit to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in Paris—a move that could cement the city’s…
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