Chiang Mai
- Environment News
Smoke from plantation fires continues to choke central and northern Thailand
Smoke from fires, mostly deliberately lit, continue to choke sections of central and northern Thailand today. Light winds are not blowing away the smog and haze produced by the smoke, particularly in the north where Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai have readings today from ‘unhealthy’ too ‘very unhealthy’ – in a range from 170 up to 240 (particles of PM2.5…
- Crime News
Rogue policeman turned burglar recaptured in Chiang Mai
A former policeman who escaped a Chiang Mai hospital after being arrested for burglary has been re-arrested. The ex-cop, identified only as “Pawaret,” was assaulted by homeowners after he attempted to burglarise a home last weekend, which led to rescue workers taking him to hospital. He subsequently escaped the in the early hours of the morning. His escape caused panic…
- Tourism News
Once bustling, Chiang Mai tourist areas are now deserted
Thai news agency MCOT has become the latest media outlet to bemoan the devastating effect of the coronavirus (Covid-19) on Thai tourism, after their reporters went to the once thriving area of Nimmanhaemin. Online blurbs about the area still describe it as having “buzzing dining and nightlife, hip cafes, fashion boutiques and a weekend craft market.” But a month after…
- Songkran News
Top 10 dos and don’ts for the 2020 Songkran festival
Heading to Thailand for the 2020 Songkran festival? Want to know the dates, where to go and the dos and don’ts for this amazing water festival in Thailand? Songkran is a single name given to a series of concurrent events – an astrological ‘new year’, a Buddhist festival, the ‘change’ from dry season to wet season and a humongous water…
- Environment News
Fires continue devouring Thailand’s North
Despite prohibitions on agricultural burning, wildfires continued ravaging forests across Thailand yesterday, especially in the North. Satellite images charting the progress of large fires yesterday morning showed the number of hotspots in the north had risen from 823 on Friday to 1,334. A total of 3,238 forest fires were recorded nationwide. Mae Hong Son province had the highest number of…
- Crime News
Man claims he was attacked and robbed by “foreigners”
A student in Chiang Mai says he was mugged by “foreigners from Europe.” Twenty-four year old Theerapat Saen-in posted his alleged ordeal on Thai social media earlier this week. According to his post he was taking photographs at a view point on Doi Suthep when he was approached by “farangs.” He says they bashed him on the head with a…
- Tourism News
“Tourist arrivals to plunge 50% in first half of 2020” – Thai Tourism Minister
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has painted a gloomy outlook for Thailand’s previously-robust tourism industry. He says he expects tourist arrivals to plunge by 50% in the first half of 2020 because of the coronavirus outbreak. His predictions are born out by sluggish arrival numbers at the country’s main airports, hotel forward bookings and ‘landing slots’ cancelled by international…
- Tourism News
Chiang Mai a “ghost town” as tourists stay away in droves
The coronavirus outbreak has turned Chiang Mai into a ghost town. The city’s Thansettakij newspaper today reported the results of its survey on tourist attractions since February 8, Makha Puja Day and the start of a three day holiday. It showed a massive decline in tourists, especially from China. “Chiang Mai used to be very popular among Chinese tourists, but…
- Chiang Mai News
44th Chiang Mai Flower Festival in full bloom
The Chiang Mai Flower Festival kicked off at the city’s Suan Buak Had park yesterday. Mayor Tassanai Buranupakorn officially opened the festival which he hopes will bring much-needed tourists to the city. Tassanai said Suan Buak Had was Chiang Mai’s first public park and has always been the location of the annual Flower Festival, now in its 44th year. This…
- Environment News
Thai government scraps Mekong blasting project
The government has officially abandoned a controversial plan to blast rapids on the Mekong river in Chiang Mai province. The Chinese-led dredging and blasting plan, initiated in 2001, met with fierce opposition from locals and environmental groups, and the Cabinet agreed to scrap it at a weekly meeting on Tuesday. The plan was to enable ships to carry goods from…
- Chiang Mai News
73 year old Swede found dead in Chiang Mai condotel
Chiang Mai health authorities have reported the death of a 73 year old Swedish man in the northern province. He was found dead in a his condotel in Chang Phueak district on Monday. The body was discovered by staff, who immediately called police and health officials over fears of the Novel Coronavirus. The body was identified as that of Gunnar…
- Chiang Mai News
Army officer wounded in Chiang Mai firefight with drug runners
A firefight with drug smugglers in Chiang Mai province’s Chiang Dao district has left an army officer wounded and in hospital. A patrol was dispatched to a border village in Chiang Dao on Sunday, after a tip-off. The informant said drugs would be brought across the border through the Nong Kalang pass. Early yesterday a group was spotted coming from…
- Phuket News
Phuket, Bangkok and Chiang Mai hard hit over ‘palpable’ tourism drop
The 2019-nCoV coronavirus, the official name for the Wuhan or Novel Corononavirus, is resulting in dozens of high-season flights to Thai southern beach resorts being cancelled. The virus is already deemed an international public health emergency by the World Health Organisation. “While Patong survived and thrived after SARS, the tsunami and a few army coups, this virus is stripping our…
- Chiang Mai News
Chinese tourist in Chiang Mai dead after whiskey binge
Police in Chiang Mai Province were notified Wednesday of a Chinese tourist who had passed away from unknown causes at a resort in Mae Rim. Fearing the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus which has gripped Asia, officials went to retrieve the body wearing precautionary medical protective suits. Dr Chatuchai Maneerat of the Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office reported later…
- Road deaths
South Korean cycling prospect killed in Chiang Mai crash
A cyclist from the Korea Cycling Federation has died after being struck by a pickup truck during a training exercise in Chiang Mai. 18 year old Eom Se-beom was pronounced dead in an ambulance on his way to a hospital. It’s believed the truck crossed the centre line and crashed into Eom as he headed down a slope. Eom was…
- Chiang Mai News
Chinese tourist found dead in Chiang Mai, body sent for autopsy
A Chinese woman on holiday at an unnamed resort in Mae Rim, just north of Chiang Mai city, was found dead in her room yesterday morning. The cause was not apparent and authorities, fearing the spread of Wuhan Coronavirus, took all possible precautions in removing her body and belongings, according to the local police. According to her four fellow travellers…
- Hot News
Solar eclipse today across Thailand. Here’s how to watch it.
CAUTION: Looking at the sun directly and without proper equipment is dangerous and can cause blindness. Read more, along with some guidelines for viewing the solar eclipse, HERE. How it will look in your area below… The skies will darken across Thailand around midday today. The further south you are, the darker it will get as the moon moves over…
- Northern Thailand News
Driver of gas tanker falls asleep, ploughs into building in Chiang Rai
A driver of a gas tanker carrying nearly 50,000 litres of fuel had a lucky escape after he managed to plough the vehicle into a three-storey building in Chiang Rai province. The story, reported by Thai news outlet 77kaoded and shared by ThaiVisa, says the man fell asleep at the wheel of the tanker before crashing into Mekong View Plaza,…
- News
Unconscious 4 year old rescued from locked car
Pattaya police got a report that a child was stuck in a car in front of a shopping mall. When they rushed to the scene a volunteer rescue team, they found a crowd surrounding a car, trying to wake up a sleeping four year old boy. The boy’s mother was there and was in fact the one to call for…
- Việt Nam
Thái Lan: Hành khách táy máy tháo rời cửa thoát hiểm máy bay
ẢNH: Sanook.com Một chuyến bay từ Chiang Mai tới Bangkok (Thái Lan) đã phải hoãn lại khi một người đàn ông mở cửa thoát hiểm sau khi máy bay đã cất cánh. Vào 3h40′ ngày 8/11, chuyến bay mang số hiệu WE169 chở 86 hành khách của hãng Thai Smile chuẩn bị cất cánh trong hành trình từ Chiang Mai…
- Chiang Mai News
39 year old being sought by police over gruesome Chiang Mai millionaire murder
PHOTO: Missing millionaire 58 year old Wannee Jiracharoenying found in a refrigerator – The Times The Provincial Court in southern Chiang Mai province has issued an arrest warrant for a key suspect in the murder of 58 year old Wannee Jiracharoenying. Thai police have broken the case of the murder of the estate developer Wannee, whose body was found stuffed into…
- Northern Thailand News
Thai Met Office reports dropping temperatures from tomorrow until Friday in North and North East
Temperatures in the north and north-east of Thailand are set to drop 2-4°C from Tuesday to Friday this week due to a cold front moving eastward and south through southern China, according to the Thai Meteorological Department. The Meteorological Department reports that the intense high-pressure cell from China is moving south to cover the northern parts of Thailand as well…
- Tourism News
Chiang Mai hotel has big plans for Loy Kratong
137 Pillars House in Chiang Mai has made elaborate arrangements for next month’s Loy Krathong festival, better known as Yi Peng in the North. The full moon on November 11 will see celebrants floating lotus-shaped krathong with flowers, candles and incense on rivers and canals to pay respect to the water spirits and carry away the sadness and setbacks of…
- Crime News
Police foil attempt to smuggle one million yaba pills from north to south of Thailand
Thai Residents reports that acting on intelligence reports, Border Patrol Police (BPP) in Chiang Mai have busted a drug smuggling operation that was attempting to transport a million yaba pills from the north of the country to the south. The operation began on October 22, with the gang planning to transport the pills from Chiang Dao district through the forest…
- Northern Thailand News
Earthquake could hit Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai
A magnitude 4.1 tremor shook seven districts of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai on Friday night, prompting the Department of Mineral Resources to warn that the two northern provinces could face a magnitude 5 earthquake within ten years. The prediction is based on analysis of movements in the Mae Tha fault lines, including the 5.1 ML quake in December 2006,…
- Thai Life
Helsinki to Singapore, by bike
PHOTO: Aurelie and Marco, now heading south through Thailand Aurelie and Marco are 36 years old, married, and passionate about cycling. She’s French and he’s half English/half İtalian. Together they have decided to live their lifelong dream; to cycle across the globe. Their chosen path is taking them from Helsinki to Singapore. The pair arrived in Chiang Mai yesterday and…
- Chiang Mai News
Dental assistant turns ‘pro’ selling fake retainers and braces
PHOTO: WorkPoint News The Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office has arrested an unqualified or registered dental retainer seller that used to work as a dentist assistant. She has been selling the fake retainers to customers online via Facebook. Nattawut Prasertsiripong, from the Department of Health Service Support was contacted to take legal action against the woman making fake retainers…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya leopard is legal, media go and check it out
PHOTOS: 77khaosod There’s a family who own a leopard in their home? We’ll have to go and check that out. So reporters from 77kaoded headed to the house in Na Jomtien in Pattaya where a Thai woman and her foreign husband have been keeping a leopard. Yes, a leopard. A very large cat with spots. This week the couple have…
- Northern Thailand News
‘Podul’ batters Phrae as it weakens across northern Thailand
by Kanyasorn Thintip, Nisanart Kangwanwong – The Nation As former tropical storm “Podul” continued to weaken yesterday as it plodded westward across north -central Thailand, the Sun Men district in the northern province of Phrae was battered yesterday morning, with toppled trees and power poles, and roofs blown off houses. Provincial governor Pongrat Piromrat called an urgent meeting of all district…
- Chiang Mai News
Canadian man found dead, with throat cut, in northern Thailand
A 60 year old Canadian man has been found with his throat slashed at a Chiang Mai guesthouse. The man’s body was discovered by the housekeeper, who alerted the police. The man, who has been named as Kevin Thomas, had been staying at the property in Suthep district for several months. It’s not yet known if the cut to his…
