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.
-
Sponsored Limited-time deal: Save 20% on Cigna's expat health plans forever
Starting a new life abroad is exciting—new culture, new lifestyle, and new chances to grow. But living far from home also means taking steps to protect your health in unfamiliar surroundings. Without the right coverage, even small health issues can...
-
Myanmar labourers killed in Tak road crash: Illegal worker transportation suspected
A severe road accident in the northern Tak province claimed the lives of five labourers from Myanmar and left 12 others wounded. The crash took place at Tak main city junction on Phahonyothin Road today at 4am. The collision was between a six-wheeled Isuzu truck, registration 74-4144 Samut Prakan, and a Toyota pickup truck with the registration plate บล4295 Kamphaeng…
-
Elderly Thai woman tragically succumbs to blood loss amid unnoticed cries for help
A tragic event unfolded yesterday when an ailing elderly Thai woman died due to prolonged unattended blood loss. Neighbours discovered the 73 year old in the early hours of the morning in a state of distress, having attempted to seek assistance. She was residing with her sick younger brother and had multiple pre-existing health conditions. Family members didn’t question the…
-
Dazed son found in Uthai Thani after bizarre dragon fruit incident
Reports yesterday emerged of a bewildering vanishment and an unforeseen rescue from Uthai Thani province. A 58 year old man made contact with local rescue authorities to inform them that his 29 year old son had gone missing in their village in Thong Luang, Huay Khot district, Uthai Thani. The missing man’s father, Boonthum, relayed what transpired before Vichit’s sudden…
-
Thai welder’s good fortune presage triggers trend of attracting harmless bees
In an intriguing incident in Phayao province, a welder managed to attract a swarm of bees without being stung. It is a folk belief that such an event can presage fortune and good luck for the individual involved. The incident sparked a trend among locals, eager to tempt their fate, as they marvel at these harmless bee swarms. The welder…
-
Harbour hubbub: Nakhon Phanom office sinks in sand scandal, draining Thai govt’s revenue
In one of its latest controversies, the Harbour Office at Nakhon Phanom is allegedly involved in illicit aid towards sand dredging business owners, causing significant revenue loss to the Thai government. A leaked conversation reportedly revealed that the Harbour director purportedly leveraged legal loopholes to aid the said business owners by contravening sand dredging regulations in the Mekong River. Reporters…
-
Chiang Rai crackdown reveals human trafficking and drug abuse in lounges
An operation by the Department of Provincial Administration led to a crackdown on two infamous lounges in the heart of Chiang Rai‘s Mae Sai district believed to be involved in human trafficking, drug dealing, and exploitation of underage workers. This was following a tip-off by international human rights organisations. Officers discovered nine individuals who tested positive for drugs and apprehended underage…
-
Thailand hit by 5.0 magnitude Myanmar quake, tremors felt in north
Last night saw an earthquake of 5.0 magnitude in Myanmar, causing areas in Thailand to experience the tremors. The districts affected, as revealed by the Meteorological Department, were in Chiang Rai and some of its neighbouring areas. The information about the event was brought to light by the Earthquake Observation Division of the department. They made public today that the…
-
Divine inferno: Temple fire causes 10 million baht damage, monk injured
Tragedy struck in the early hours of this morning as a fire ripped through Khlong Wat Rai temple, a religious edifice located in Bang Rakam district, Phitsanulok province. The vicious blaze, which sparked at around 3am, reduced the primary sermon building and ten adjacent accommodations reserved for monks to cinders. The abbot of the temple, Pairote Sunthornkit monk, reported the…
-
Residents relive late-night tremors as earthquake strikes Phitsanulok and Phichit (video)
Early this morning, an earthquake of magnitude 4.5 sent shudders through the provinces of Phitsanulok and Phichit. The Thai Meteorological Department reported the seismic event occurred at 12.17am, with Phitsanulok’s Bang Krathum district identified as the quake’s epicentre. The quake was detected 5 kilometres beneath the Earth’s surface. Residents from several areas within the provinces experienced the tremor. Quick to…
-
Mysterious death in jungle hut prompts investigation in Lampang province
In the early hours of yesterday morning, a tragic discovery was made in the district of Wang Nuea, Lampang province. A 48 year old man’s body was found lifeless in a hut in a dense jungle near the village. His death was mysterious, sparking an urgent response from local rescue workers, police from Wang Nuea station, and on-call physicians from Wang…
-
Motorcyclist survives 40 metre fall near Doi Khun Tan
A motorcyclist survived a 40 metre fall near Doi Khun Tan National Park. He recounted the terrifying experience of plunging in the early hours of this morning due to stopping by the roadside. At around 2am today, police and rescue teams from Hang Chat sub-district received a report of a man injured in a deep ravine beside a road near…
-
Dengue outbreak hits Thai village with over 100 cases, ranking second nationwide
A severe dengue outbreak has hit Thailand’s northern Nan province, with over 100 cases reported in a single village. Ranking second in Thailand for the highest number of dengue patients, health officials are stepping up efforts to control the spread of the disease. Dr. Warin Teppitaksak, the provincial public health officer, revealed that the dengue outbreak situation in Nan province…
-
School defends haircuts policy after social media uproar in Thailand (video)
A Thai school has explained a controversial video showing teachers giving male students haircuts during a boy scout uniform inspection. The school in the northern Phayao province detailed the measures taken and defended the hair-cutting policy following fierce online criticism. The video clip from a school in Phayao stirred up controversy on social media as it portrayed teachers cutting male…
-
Thai school conducts mass drug testing: Is it a violation of student rights?
A Thai school recently conducted a mass urine drug testing initiative for its entire student body, causing online debate as netizens clashed over whether this practice constituted a violation of the students’ rights. The school, local authorities, and health officials collaborated on the project to ensure a drug-free environment. The school is located in the town of Tha Rong in…
-
Drunk as a monk: Intoxicated Thai monks defrocked after selling temple items
In northeast Thailand’s Nong Bua Lamphu province, two intoxicated monks were defrocked after testing positive for high levels of alcohol consumption. The monks were also accused of selling temple-owned items without permission. Concerned locals alerted the Mueang Nong Bua Lamphu Police about the monks’ behaviour on a recent Tuesday. The police, accompanied by around 20 frustrated residents, visited the temple…
-
Chiang Rai tackles severe PM 2.5 with China-Thai collaboration on air pollution
In response to the severe PM 2.5 air pollution and forest fire smog issues affecting Chiang Rai, Thai and Chinese experts have collaborated to provide sustainable solutions. They are working to tackle this complex problem, which has been difficult to predict due to fluctuating weather conditions. Representatives from Chiang Rai’s Natural Resources and Environment Office collaborated with Gansheng Shi, an…
-
Deadly intersection sparks ghostly fears, Thai villagers hold exorcism ceremony
The deadly intersection known as the ‘100-corpse intersection’ in Thailand‘s northern Phayao province has locals on edge, with frequent accidents and fatalities causing ongoing fear. Residents in the Wat Pa Lan Kam community have sought the help of monks to perform an exorcism ceremony in an attempt to ward off evil spirits associated with the so-called ‘spirit of the deceased.’…
-
Retired Thai teacher found safe after 3 days lost in forest searching for mushrooms
Relatives rejoiced as authorities found Jamlong Kheyakan, a 63 year old retired Thai teacher who had been lost in the forest for three days after searching for wild mushrooms. Authorities from various agencies, including Mae Wa National Park officers, soldiers from the 32nd Army Unit Lamphun, and local residents joined forces in search efforts, attempting to locate the last known…
-
Thai police foil bribery attempt to free Chinese suspects, fake officer arrested
Thai police arrested four individuals, including a man impersonating a high-ranking officer, who attempted to bribe law enforcement to release detained Chinese suspects. Today, it was reported that the authorities successfully apprehended the four culprits in a sting operation in Chiang Rai. Late in the night, officers from the Chiang Saen Immigration Checkpoint and Chiang Saen Police Station, led by…
-
Bangkok Airways to revive flights to Mae Hong Son, northern Thailand
Mae Hong Son Airport in northern Thailand became a ghost town after Nok Air scrapped the only remaining commercial route to the airport last month. But much to the delight of local tourism operators, Bangkok Airways is planning to revive flights to the province. Bangkok Airways is looking to start flying between Bangkok and Mae Hong Son via Lampang thrice…
-
Heavy rain and Cyclone Mocha warning for north and northeast Thailand
The meteorological department warns that heavy rain is expected in north and northeast Thailand, with Cyclone Mocha contributing to the wet weather conditions today, May 14, and tomorrow, May 15. Continuous rain and heavy downpours in some areas of the northern and upper northeastern regions have prompted the public to be cautious of flooding, flash floods, and forest runoffs. Farmers have…
-
Body of missing teen found buried in northern Thailand forest
UPDATE #2 The body of 16 year old “Ping Pong” was found buried in the forest in Lampang province, northern Thailand, this morning after a week-long search. Ping Pong went missing on Saturday, May 6, after she did not return from a motorbike ride with 17 year old Woramet “Ben” Taota, a dual Thai-British national, whose body was found in the…
-
Two arrested for human trafficking in karaoke bar raid in northeast Thailand
Two individuals were arrested and charged with human trafficking following a raid on a karaoke bar in Warin Chamrap district of the northeast Ubon Ratchathani province last night. A police team from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) apprehended the 63 year old owner of the karaoke bar on Pathumtheppakdi Road, named Somporn. They also arrested the bar manager, 45…
-
Marine Department official allegedly smuggled Chinese nationals into Thailand
A Marine Department official allegedly smuggled eight Chinese nationals into Thailand. Police arrested the official in Chiang Rai last night. A joint patrol led by the Deputy Chief of Chiang Saen Police Station, Kittiphum Kanjini, and Sub-Lt Vathit Thampradit of the navy’s Mekong Riverine Unit, discovered a suspicious vehicle near the Ban Sob Kok community in Chiang Rai’s Chiang Saen…
-
Suspected murderer of Thai-British teen attacked during re-enactment
UPDATE A relative of the 17 year old Thai-British teenager Woramet “Ben” Taota – who was murdered in Lampang in northern Thailand on Saturday – attacked the suspected murderer with a wooden stick during a re-enactment of the crime this morning. At 11am, officers from Mae Tha Police Station and Lampang Provincial Police escorted the accused, 44 year old Chaiwat…
-
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 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 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…
-
Vietnamese man allegedly impersonated Thai citizen and forged land documents
A Vietnamese man impersonating a Thai citizen was arrested for allegedly forging land documents before attempting to sell them on the market. Numerous villagers throughout the northeastern provinces have reportedly suffered losses as a result of his fraudulent activities. Police, along with a special task force, apprehended the 55 year old suspect known as Kittinan, who was wanted by an…
-
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.…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.