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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  • Sex offender confesses to murdering Thai-British teenager, girlfriend still missing

    Sex offender confesses to murdering Thai-British teenager, girlfriend still missing

    A man formerly imprisoned for sex crimes has confessed to murdering the Thai-British teenager who was found dead in the woods of Lampang province, northern Thailand, on Sunday. The police are still searching for the deceased’s missing girlfriend. Police arrested a 44 year old Thai man named Chaiwat Boonkarin under suspicion of murder and concealing a corpse on Monday. Initially,…

  • Thai villagers complain to Election Commission over alleged vote-buying

    Thai villagers complain to Election Commission over alleged vote-buying

    Thai Villagers from Non Reuang, in the district of Ban Kho in the northeast Khon Kaen province, stormed the Election Commission (EC) office with their lawyer and village headman, accusing a well-known political party’s candidate of engaging in vote-buying activities. The villagers presented video clips and witness statements to the investigative team, along with an official complaint against the alleged…

  • Thai villagers plan lottery numbers based on unusual ‘fog-coloured’ calf

    Thai villagers plan lottery numbers based on unusual ‘fog-coloured’ calf

    Thai villagers flocked to see an unusual “fog-coloured” calf after a cow gave birth to the beautiful grey and unique-looking offspring. Locals believe the calf brings good fortune and are eager to find auspicious lottery numbers for the upcoming draw on May 16. Yesterday, Sanook reporters were informed by the residents of Kud Thong, in the northeast Surin Province, that…

  • Pickup truck crashes into house in northeast Thailand, injuring elderly man

    Pickup truck crashes into house in northeast Thailand, injuring elderly man

    A dramatic incident occurred when a speeding pickup truck crashed into a house in the Nang Rong district of northeast Thailand’s Buriram province, leaving an elderly man injured and causing serious damage. The homeowner, 75 year old Sompon Wisetsri, was watching television when the truck smashed through the walls of his house. At around 7pm last night, deputy investigator Vivat…

  • Thai rescue volunteer mourns his 4-day old son’s burial

    Thai rescue volunteer mourns his 4-day old son’s burial

    A 20 year old Thai rescue volunteer, Witwattanachan Chanthasri, faced a heartbreaking tragedy when he had to perform the burial of his four-day old son recently. Witwattanachan, who works as a rescue volunteer for the Buriram Provincial Highway Police, is known for his dedication to helping others in need. He often transports patients and deals with a variety of emergencies.…

  • Hotel warns of pretty woman who dodges room fees, leaves mess and bloodstains

    Hotel warns of pretty woman who dodges room fees, leaves mess and bloodstains

    A hotel owner in Udon Thani province has posted a warning for other hotel operators about a pretty 25 year old woman who has not only avoided paying her hotel bill but also left her room in a miserable state. The owner claims that upon inspection, the room was found to be unclean and damaged to such an extent that…

  • Cobra spits venom into Disaster Prevention officer’s eyes in northeast Thailand (clip)

    Cobra spits venom into Disaster Prevention officer’s eyes in northeast Thailand (clip)

    A Siamese spitting cobra spat venom into the eyes of a Disaster Prevention officer in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeast Thailand yesterday. Rescue officers responded quickly and managed to save his life and eyesight. At 7.40pm, the Hook 31 Rescue Unit was informed that someone was spat at by a cobra at Ban Tanot Village, Moo 2, Ban Pho subdistrict,…

  • Spirit or doll’s house? Foreign woman goes viral for Barbie doll photoshoot in northern Thailand

    Spirit or doll’s house? Foreign woman goes viral for Barbie doll photoshoot in northern Thailand

    Thai netizens were amused by a viral clip of a foreign woman snapping a pic of her Barbie doll inside a spirit house outside the White Temple in Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand on Monday. Spirit houses – which look like miniature temples – are found in abundance all over the kingdom and are intended to appease ghosts by…

  • Suspected murderer of car saleswoman in Thailand charged with 7 serious offences

    Suspected murderer of car saleswoman in Thailand charged with 7 serious offences

    UPDATE Police pressed seven serious charges against the man who yesterday confessed to raping and murdering a young car saleswoman in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, on Saturday. Police say it is likely he will be punished with the maximum penalty. Initially, officers at Doi Saket Police Station charged 40 year old Nathapol “Ainat” Panpadungsap with three counts of rape using…

  • Drunk cop abandons car blocking traffic in northeast Thailand

    Drunk cop abandons car blocking traffic in northeast Thailand

    Yesterday, a drunk police officer parked his car in the middle of the road in Udon Thani province in northeast Thailand when he needed to pee. Upon his return, his wheel had been clamped. He attempted to drive the clamped vehicle before fleeing. Officers at Mueang Udon Thani Police Station were informed that someone with a police officer’s uniform was…

  • Car saleswoman brutally raped and murdered in Thailand, family demands death penalty

    Car saleswoman brutally raped and murdered in Thailand, family demands death penalty

    The family of a young used car saleswoman who was brutally raped and murdered in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, on Saturday is calling for the serial rapist responsible to be punished with the death penalty. Police arrested a 40 year old suspect, Nathapol Panpadungsap, in Mueang district at 3.30pm on Sunday. He has a long criminal history and was most…

  • Elephant moves fallen tree blocking road in Thailand (video)

    Elephant moves fallen tree blocking road in Thailand (video)

    An elephant moved a fallen tree blocking the Lampang – Phrae Road in northern Thailand during a storm on Monday, allowing traffic to resume as normal. The moment was captured on Facebook Live. The owner of the elephant, Weerawat Triyot, said that he was on his way back to Chaiyaphum province after taking his 16 year old elephant Dan Siam…

  • Tour bus driver flees scene after crash in Thailand, 1 dead, 40 injured

    Tour bus driver flees scene after crash in Thailand, 1 dead, 40 injured

    A tour bus driver fled the scene after losing control and crashing in Maha Sahakham province in northeast Thailand this morning. One person was killed in the crash and 40 more people were injured. At 12.05am, officers at Rat Charoen Police Station were informed that a Thai Sriram Company’s tour bus from Ubon Ratchathani to Bangkok lost control and crashed…

  • Pregnant elephant tramples mahout to death in northeast Thailand

    Pregnant elephant tramples mahout to death in northeast Thailand

    A pregnant elephant trampled its 60 year old mahout to death in Buriram province in northeast Thailand yesterday. The deceased’s wife said the elephant was moody because of the extremely hot weather. Officers at Satuek Police Station were called to Ban Nong Kaen village in Sanam Chai district after receiving a report that an elephant killed its owner. Police found the…

  • Summer storm wreaks havoc on 2 districts of northeast Thailand province

    Summer storm wreaks havoc on 2 districts of northeast Thailand province

    A summer storm wreaked havoc on two districts of Thailand’s northeast Nakhon Phanom province. Around 70 houses in That Phanom and Renu Nakhon districts were damaged yesterday afternoon, according to authorities. In That Phanom district, both Moo 3 and Moo 8 villages of Tambon Phon Phaeng faced heavy showers, strong gusts of wind, and thunderstorms for approximately an hour. As…

  • Owner of mansion in Thailand angered at rumours it’s haunted

    Owner of mansion in Thailand angered at rumours it’s haunted

    The owner of a grand, allegedly haunted mansion in northeast Thailand‘s Nakhon Phanom province came out to dispel rumours surrounding the house. The dilapidated building, belonging to the descendants of local nobility, garnered attention after it was reported to be worth millions. The owner has confirmed that the house has never been haunted and has never served as a repository…

  • Thai cake shop goes viral for flea, toad, and gecko cakes

    Thai cake shop goes viral for flea, toad, and gecko cakes

    A Thai cake shop in the Isaan province of Sakon Nakhon called Vet Mon (magic) gained immense popularity on Thai social media due to its unique desserts: flea, toad, and Tokay gecko cakes. The owner of the cake shop, Charit Kunlasaree, shared a picture of the dog flea cake on the official Facebook page of Vet Mon on April 15.…

  • YouTuber finds human skull on banks of Mekong River in Thailand

    YouTuber finds human skull on banks of Mekong River in Thailand

    A YouTuber found a human skull while filming content on the banks of the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom province in northeast Thailand yesterday. At 6pm, Chanathip Chapuban – aka Mukdahan Moss – was riding a motorbike and filming content for his YouTube channel when he noticed something by the water on Sai Thong Kot Boon Beach (Si Khotrabun Golden…

  • Thai man hunting honey in forest dies from bee stings

    Thai man hunting honey in forest dies from bee stings

    A Thai man died from bee stings yesterday after he and his friends hunted for honey in the Phu Phan National Park in the Isaan province of Kalasin. The deceased was identified as 51 year old Thongphan Jitchomphu. His body was found hanging from a vine 10 metres above the ground in the forest. A rescue team and locals helped…

  • Mor Lam stage collapses during strong winds in northeast Thailand

    Mor Lam stage collapses during strong winds in northeast Thailand

    A newly installed Mor Lam stage collapsed during strong winds in Bueng Kan province in northeast Thailand yesterday shortly before a concert was set to begin, sending performers and attendees fleeing in all directions. Strong winds brewed as Mor Lam fans piled in to watch the Rabiab Watasin Mor Lam Group perform a free concert on a huge stage at…

  • Police step in to rescue 9 year old walking 18km home after fleeing abuse

    Police step in to rescue 9 year old walking 18km home after fleeing abuse

    Police in the Isaan province of Udon Thani came to the aid of a vagrant nine year old boy attempting to walk 18 kilometres back home. The boy fled his home due to an allegedly abusive father and was living alone in an abandoned house. On Tuesday, April 18, a 31 year old officer from Chai Wan Police Station, Anusorn…

  • Chiang Rai crash kills 2, injures 13

    Chiang Rai crash kills 2, injures 13

    A crash in northern Thailand’s Chiang Rai province killed two people and injured 13. The accident occurred on No. 1020 (Chiang Rai Terng) Road in the Baan Pong Chang in Chieng Kean sub-district on Tuesday night at around 7.20pm. Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find several damaged minivans and pickup trucks. The responders found a 14 year old…

  • Thailand’s beloved giant panda at Chiang Mai Zoo dies at 21 years old

    Thailand’s beloved giant panda at Chiang Mai Zoo dies at 21 years old

    Famous female giant panda Lin Hui passed away at Chiang Mai Zoo in northern Thailand this morning at the age of 21 years old. The beloved panda brought joy to the Thai nation for over two decades. The panda’s cause of death is awaiting confirmation from Chiang Mai Zoo. Reports say that Lin Hui fell ill and displayed “abnormal symptoms”…

  • Thief uses 99 baht fake gun to attempt bank robbery in Thailand

    Thief uses 99 baht fake gun to attempt bank robbery in Thailand

    A gas station cashier used a fake gun he bought online for 99 baht in an attempted robbery of a Kasikorn Bank brank in Kalasin province in northeast Thailand on Monday. Upon arrest, he told police that he was trying to win back the 300,000 baht which he stole from his workplace and gambled all away. At 4.30pm, officers at…

  • Thai man dies in paramotor accident on the Mekong River in Isaan

    Thai man dies in paramotor accident on the Mekong River in Isaan

    A 39 year old Thai man died in a paramotor accident on the Mekong River in the Isaan province of Bueng Kan yesterday. The cause of the accident is under investigation. The deceased was identified as Watcharapong Khanteetao. He was a member of a paramotor club in the northeastern provinces. The accident occurred after Watcharapong flew the paramotor over the…

  • Doi Pui mountain’s TV Tower in Chiang Rai rescued from forest fires

    Doi Pui mountain’s TV Tower in Chiang Rai rescued from forest fires

    The Channel 9 TV transmitter tower atop Doi Pui mountain in Thailand’s northern province of Chiang Rai had a close shave with destruction as forest fires inched dangerously close last night. Thanks to the relentless efforts of the firefighting volunteers who rushed to save the day! A motley crew of officials from Mae Puem National Park and local volunteers joined…

  • Mad Buddhist monks brawl at funeral in northeast Thailand

    Mad Buddhist monks brawl at funeral in northeast Thailand

    Tensions were high at a funeral in Surin province in northeast Thailand on Friday when a brawl broke out between two saffron-robed Buddhist monks, allegedly over a plastic chair. Yesterday, the acting abbot of Wat Pho Sri Sawang Arom, Phra Toi Kan, told reporters what happened at the temple on Friday. In Thailand, Buddhist funeral rites include a distinctive ritual…

  • Summer storms cause chaos in coastal regions as boats overturn

    Summer storms cause chaos in coastal regions as boats overturn

    A severe summer storm has struck the south and northeast of Thailand, resulting in one fatality and causing the sinking of numerous fishing boats, according to reports. A mini-tornado briefly formed during the peak of the storm, with strong winds generating large waves along the coastlines of Pak Phanang, Muang, and Tha Sala districts of Nakhon Si Thammarat around 8am…

  • Reunited mother and daughter share tears of joy after 32 years apart in northeast Thailand (video)

    Reunited mother and daughter share tears of joy after 32 years apart in northeast Thailand (video)

    Tears of joy flowed when a mother and daughter in northeastern Thailand reunited after 32 years thanks to the power of social media. The heart-rendering story was reported from Ban Si Liam, Khao Khok sub-district, Prakhon Chai district, Buriram province, only three days ago, on April 11. Emotions were high and tears flowed as the mother and daughter hugged each other…

  • Scaly thief steals 100 chickens and ducks from farm in northeast Thailand

    Scaly thief steals 100 chickens and ducks from farm in northeast Thailand

    A four-metre-long python was caught red-handed stealing poultry from a farm in Udon Thani province in northeast Thailand yesterday. The fat snake devoured nearly 100 chickens and ducks in total, causing significant damage to the farmer. The farmer, 58 year old Chaiwichit Sarito, was dumbstruck when chickens and ducks kept going missing from his farm day in and day out.…