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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Khao Yai hotel threatening 3 million baht lawsuit for bad review named
More details have emerged as the hotel in Khao Yai in Nakhon Ratchasima has held tight in their vow to sue a woman who left a slightly negative review for 3 million baht. The names of the resort and the woman involved were made more public as a lawyer representing the woman gave details about the incident. Sittra Biebangkerd said…
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Khao Yai hotel threatens 3 million baht lawsuit over negative review
It wouldn’t be the first time, but a Thai hotel is threatening to sue a customer over a negative review they left after their stay. The hotel, located in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima around the popular tourist destination of Khao Yai National Park, is threatening a 3 million baht lawsuit over a review where the past guest rated…
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North-east province closes schools, theatres and fitness facilities
Ubon Ratchathani’s Governor Pongrat Phiromrat has ordered all schools, cinemas, fitness clubs, gyms, sports stadiums and sports grounds to be closed until at least January 17. Ubon Ratchathani is in north east Thailand. For restaurants, only air conditioned venues will be allowed to provide take away food, unless there is ‘natural ventilation’. 329 new Covid infections have been reported in…
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Officials blame Kalasin bar for Omicron spread, poor disease prevention measures
The Department of Disease Control says the Kalasin couple who inadvertently sparked a cluster of Omicron infections visited 3 restaurant/bars unaware they were infected. Of those, “Bar K” has come in for some harsh criticism from DDC boss, Dr Opas Karnkawinpong. The Bangkok Post reports that the cluster has now spread to 248 patients across 12 provinces in the north…
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First Test & Go land entry will remain closed due to Omicron
Just a few days after confirming plans to open the land border between Thailand and Laos in Nong Khai tomorrow, the reopening was tabled indefinitely for fears of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. The cheerily-named Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge that links the 2 countries will remain closed for the time being to prevent the spread of Covid-19, having been planned as…
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Provincial governor confirms 2 cases of Omicron variant in Khon Kaen
The north-eastern province of Khon Kaen has reported its first 2 cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. According to a Thai PBS World report, governor Somsak Jungtrakul confirmed the infections in a press statement yesterday. The governor has urged residents not to panic over the development, assuring them that strict disease control measures were in place. Addressing a media conference,…
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Soldier dies, another seriously injured, after plunging off cliff in northern Thailand
A soldier has died after falling from a cliff in the northern province of Tak yesterday, while on duty patrolling for drug traffickers. Another soldier has been seriously injured in the incident at the mountain of Doi Montha, in the district of Mae Sot. The Bangkok Post reports that army spokesman Sirichan Ngathong says military personnel from the Naresuan Force…
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Nong Khai land border opening to Test & Go scheme December 24
While Thailand has flung open the doors on its airports to international travellers since November 1, land border checkpoints are not nearly as widely open. Now, authorities prepare security for a popular border between Thailand and Laos at Nong Khai in time for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Starting December 24, the Nong Khai border checkpoint will be opened…
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Man arrested for allegedly stealing 50,000 baht in railway property
A 51 year old man in northern Thailand’s Phrae province was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly stealing rail track screws and plates valued at around 50,000 baht. The man was detained by the Railway Police Division in Den Chai district and was charged with theft of official property. Railway authorities had been curious if someone was constantly stealing the screws…
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Methamphetamine, cannabis seized near Mekong River
Narcotics rangers seized smuggling convey of 104,000 methamphetamine tablets and 50 kilograms of what the Bangkok Post says was “premium-grade” dried cannabis (street name “brick weed”) from Laos across the Mekong River into Thailand’s Ban Phaeng area in Nakhon Phanom last Saturday night. The Ranger Company 2108 patrolling squads were on duty when the drugs were seized on Highway 212…
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Chaiyaphum rebuilding after grandson burns down family’s house
An 86 year old woman, along with her daughter and 3 girls will be receiving a new house courtesy of the Chaiyaphum provincial authorities after her druggie grandson burned down the family home. Last Friday, the old woman’s grandson, who is said to be a drug addict, threatened the lives of his mother and grandmother and then set fire to…
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200 funeral attendees quarantined after deceased diagnosed with Covid-19
Attendees to a large funeral in Phetchabun province have now been isolated after it was discovered that the person who died was infected with Covid-19. The funeral took place in the Nong Phai district of the northern province and was attended by over 200 people who then had to be quarantined. The Nong Phai District Hospital said that they were…
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Weeklong wandering tiger returned safely to wildlife sanctuary
The hunt for a tiger that wandered from his wildlife sanctuary in Uthai Thani is finally over. After a week of meandering the surrounding areas – and attracting public attention on news and social media sites – Vichit the tiger has been located and has returned safely to its natural habitat in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. Vichit is wearing…
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Police deny detaining or threatening woman who told PM to “retire quickly”
Police in the north-eastern province have denied an allegation that they detained a woman who told the Thai PM to, “retire quickly”. Following the incident, which occurred in the Udon Thani district of Ban Dung while the PM was visiting the forest temple of Wat Kham Cha Not, reports emerged that the woman had been taken to a police station…
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Penis park in Khon Kaen is urging visitors to hug a member
The Isan city of Khon Kaen is welcoming visitors to a unique tourist attraction: a park of giant penises. Traitep Dream Forest contains an area of the park called Thung Karjiew which translates roughly to Penis Paddock. The phallic park has been getting a lot of attention on social media and in Thai media, and some fear it may elicit…
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Tiger in Kamphaeng Phet on the loose for a fifth day
Of all the lost things someone could possibly be searching for, a tiger may be amongst the most unnerving. But today officials report that the search for Vichit, a 4 year old Bengal tiger continues for the fifth day. The cat wandered out of its habitat in the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary five days ago. The chief of the…
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Police capture man suspected of Khon Kaen gold store robbery
A suspect has been arrested in the case of an armed gold store robbery in Khon Kaen with CCTV footage that had gone viral. The robbery took place on Saturday evening, and the police announced a suspect taken into custody earlier today. The robbery of the gold store on the second floor of the Central Plaza Department Store in Khon…
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Six alleged drug traffickers killed in gunfight with Chiang Rai police
Six suspected drug traffickers shot and killed in a clash with army border patrol officers in Chiang Rai’s Mae Fa Luang district. Officers say the alleged smugglers were “fully armed” and were carrying more than 1.8 million methamphetamine pills. At around 4am yesterday, officers monitoring the border crossing by Myanmar’s Tachileik encountered 10 to 15 men. According to the deputy…
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Gold store robber in Khon Kaen wanted, 50,000 baht reward
A daring armed robbery of a gold store in Khon Kaen has resulted in a manhunt with authorities now offering a 50,000 baht reward for any information that leads to the capture of the thief. The robbery took place at a gold shop within a department store yesterday evening and was captured by a security camera. The footage shows a…
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Schools closed in north-east as shared transport blamed for Covid-19 outbreak
A Covid-19 outbreak has closed 2 schools in the north-eastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, with students and teachers quarantined. According to a Thai PBS World report, provincial health officials are blaming shared school vans for the spread of the virus. 24 students have tested positive and 295 other students and their teachers have been quarantined for observation. It’s understood a…
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Van full of marijuana leads police on chase in Nakhon Phanom
Police in tambon Tha Uthen in the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom signalled a van to pull over at a checkpoint at Ban Na Nua village after noticing it had Bangkok licence plates and wanting to search it. But officers were surprised when the van instead sped away, as they quickly raced after the car in hot pursuit. After a…
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National park visits rising as tourists brave the cold weather
As Thailand reopens and tourism, both international and domestic, begins to grow, many tourists are turning away from chasing warm sunny beaches. An influx of tourists has been seen heading to some of Thailand’s chilliest national park destinations and attractions. In the northern province of Loei, the Phu Ruea National Park viewpoint, renowned for its beautiful sunrises, has seen many…
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Thailand now generating electricity at world’s biggest hydro-solar farm
As part of Thailand’s push to become a carbon-neutral country by 2050, the world’s largest hydro-solar hybrid energy farm has officially gone online and is now generating electricity. The solar farm floats atop the Sirindhorn Dam in Ubon Ratchathani and is as big as 70 football fields. The massive installation floats on Sirindhorn Reservoir along Lam Dom Noi River, about…
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UPDATED: 40 Covid-19 infections prompt closure of Mukdahan school
UPDATE: After earlier reports of an outbreak of 40 Covid-19 infections at Khamsoipitthayasan School in Mukdahan, the Communicable Disease Committee in the province quarantined and tested all 1,202 students and 72 staff and teachers. They took RT-PCR tests at 7 am and all 1,274 tests came back negative, with no confirmed Covid-19 infections. The whole school had been quarantined at Wat Phu…
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Police arrest woman for posting and selling porn on Twitter
A woman in Chaiyaphum known online as Nan was arrested for the second time for posting porn photos and videos on her Twitter account. The 23 year old woman was arrested in tambon Watabaek of Thep Sathit district yesterday after the Chaiyaphum Provincial Court issued a warrant for her home to be searched. Police investigating in her house seized her…
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Police arrest 3 vans in Korat with 1.82 tonnes of marijuana
In Korat, the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, police found 4 men in possession of more than 1.8 tonnes of dried marijuana and arrested them. The arrest took place this morning according to the Provincial Police Region 3 commissioner. Police had ramped up patrols of the Mitrapap highway after receiving a tip that a large shipment of compressed marijuana would…
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Van packed with 39 illegal burmese workers stopped in Phichit
A tip-off led to police uncovering a van packed full of 39 illegal Burmese immigrants in the lower Northern province of Phichit. The van was stuffed tightly with 17 Burmese men and 22 Burmese women with one admitting that they had crossed the border illegally and were heading to Nakon Sawan to work at construction sites. The police in Phichit…
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Covid-19 clusters prompt lockdown in 3 Korat villages
In Nakhon Ratchasima, aka Korat, 3 villages in the Non Sung and Bua Yai districts are experiencing Covid-19 outbreaks causing a lockdown until early November. Ban Don Faek Moo 8 and Ban Faek Pattana Moo 15 in tambon Phon Songkhram and Khuem Muang village Moo 13 in Bua Yai district were ordered into lockdown. The lockdown was put in place…
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Korat’s largest hospital now flooded
The northeastern province of Korat is seeing its largest hospital flooded today after the Lam Takhon canal overflowed. Marahat Nakhon Ratchasima, was invaded by water at around 4:30am. The water in the front and back of the hospital measured at 50-60 cms deep by mid-morning, making it impossible for small vehicles to enter or leave the property. The intersection in…
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PM Prayut visits Ubon Ratchathani province to see floods, dam
Continuing his tour of the provinces of Thailand affected by heavy rains and flooding, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is visiting the Northeastern province on Ubon Ratchathani today to survey the water and flood management situation. The prime minister is visiting along with several other ministers including Minister of Energy Supattanapong Punmeechaow, Minister of Interior Anupong Paochinda, and Minister of Digital Economy…
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