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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Family attempts to sell eyes and kidneys to save home and farm
After signing as a guarantor for a lifelong friend’s tractor purchase who defaulted, a man and his family in Ubon Ratchathani are trying to sell their eyes and kidneys to save his home and farm. The man, along with his wife and 2 sons, is currently walking 100 kilometres in the rain from their home to the provincial capital where…
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Man blames 50 million baht of withdrawals on adopted daughter
A 77 year old businessman in Phitsanulok discovered that 50 million baht was missing from his bank account and has accused his adopted daughter of stealing it. The money is claimed to have disappeared from 6 bank accounts without the man’s knowledge and he has now asked the bank for detailed statements to identify when and how the money was…
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Tham Luang, site of dramatic 2018 rescue, re-opens to tourists on Friday
A Thai cave complex, which came to the world’s attention during a dramatic rescue in 2018, will re-open to visitors from Friday. The Tham Luang cave, in the northern province of Chiang Rai, hit the media spotlight when 12 young footballers and their coach became trapped by floodwaters 3 years ago. The Bangkok Post reports that the cave complex, in…
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Family of man killed by Swiss man claims 300,000 baht missing
After a Swiss man beat an intruding Thai man to death claiming self-defence, the family of the deceased claimed it was not a robbery but rather a confrontation involving an affair with the Swiss man’s wife. Now the mother of the man who was beaten to death claims that nearly 300,000 baht went missing during the incident at the Swiss…
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Police volunteer arrested for assault, abduction of estranged wife
Last night police in Muang district of Buri Ram arrested a police volunteer accused of assault and abduction of his estranged wife after threatening her, handcuffing her and dragging her away from her relatives. While the woman was later set free, she suffered serious bruising on her body. The police volunteer is nicknamed Elephant and police picked him up at…
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Police raid Korat restaurant after curfew with live music, booze
In the northern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, 39 people were arrested as police raided a restaurant breaking several Covid-19 rules and restrictions. The raid took place last night in Muang district at around 10:30 pm. Health and administrative officials accompanied the police to the Lamer Restaurant & Karaoke on Sirinakhon Road where they found 28 customers inside and 11 staff…
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Family of Thai murder victim alleges affair with Swiss man’s wife
The family of the Thai man who was beaten to death in Udon Thani, allegedly by a Swiss man, has spoken up, saying they believe the killing was over a romantic affair. In previous reports, the Swiss national allegedly told police that he acted in self-defence after the Thai man had entered his home wielding a gun and demanded money. …
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Former cop accused of torture and murder was involved in seizure of over 400 luxury cars
A man accused of murder and fired from his role as police chief in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan was involved in the confiscation of over 400 luxury cars. According to deputy national police chief, Suchart Thiraswasdi, disgraced former cop Thitisan Utthanaphol was involved in the seizure of 410 high-end vehicles that had been smuggled into Thailand from Malaysia…
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Police say American man confesses to rape and assaults, blames drug use
The 37 year old American man now identified by police as Robert Andrew Gordon has allegedly confessed to police to committing rape and sexual assault. Police say Gordon told officers that his use of the illegal drug speed was the cause of his behaviour. According to the Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Police, the man said he took the…
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American man arrested over alleged rape of massuese, attack of young girl
A 37 year old man was taken into custody, accused of brutally beating and raping a masseuse as well as assaulting and attempting to rape a 12 year old girl in an attack shortly after. The man, who was originally suspected to be Australian, has now been identified only as an American named ‘Robert’. He was arrested today on Soi…
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Police search for foreigner for rape of Khon Kaen masseuse
A manhunt is on for a foreigner accused of the assault and rape of a masseuse in a massage parlour in the Muang District of Khon Kaen. The man was described as wearing trousers and a pink T-shirt and driving a red motocross bike without license plates. He is suspected to be the same person who was aggressive and profane…
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Assistant village chief busted with 3.8 million meth pills
An assistant village chief has been arrested in Mae Chan district of Chiang Rai for alleged drug trafficking after Chiang Rai police seized 3.8 million meth pills and 1 kilogramme of ketamine. The commander of the Chiang Rai Provincial Police announced the drug bust yesterday. The 45 year old assistant Ban Pha Bue village chief in Mae Fa Luang district…
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More than 3,000 houses affected by severe flooding in Chaiyaphum
Over 3,000 houses across 23 villages in the northeastern Thai province of Chaiyaphum have been affected by what is considered the most severe flooding in a century. Kittipong Thamsoparat, the Tambon Ban Phet Municipality mayor, says a massive volume of water has surged into the Bamnet Narong district by way of the nearby Thep Sathit district in Chaiyaphum, as well…
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Flooded hospital in Chaiyaphum had to evacuates 40 patients
Around Thailand, heavy rains and flooding have ravaged the country. Earlier this morning, 40 patients were emergency evacuated from Bamnet Narong Hospital in Chaiyaphum by rescue workers as the facility flooded. The hospital suffered severe damage as floodwaters caused the urgent evacuation as one of the buildings on the hospital campus was flooded up to 80 centimetres. An X-ray room…
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Extremely rare earthstar mushrooms found in Phetchabun
In Phetchabun, a local villager was clearing a forest area when he discovered what is believed to be earthstar mushrooms, one of the rarest species of fungi in the world. The extremely scarce mushroom is rumoured to cause a sensation of intoxication similar to being drunk if someone were to consume it despite technically being classified as inedible. The mushrooms,…
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Stolen 72 year old elephant returned to owner after 18 years
An elephant that was stolen 18 years ago was just reunited with her original owner after a Supreme Court ruling. The now 72 year old pachyderm was stolen from its Surin home in January of 2003 before being sold off to an elephant kraal – an enclosure that collects wild elephants to tame them, used for hundreds of years. The…
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Government believes more suspects involved in theft from budget meant for the disabled
An investigation into the embezzlement of 13 million baht allocated for the disabled is looking to uncover just how many officials were involved in the graft. The Social Development and Human Security Ministry plans to investigate the matter further and Permanent secretary Patcharee Arayakul says the investigation is already in motion. The investigation comes on the heels of a C-6…
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Korat Police allegedly use police van for trip to beach
Police in the northeastern Thai province of Nakhon Ratchasima are investigating the matter of a police van being allegedly used to take a group of police officers to the beach in Phetchaburi, a central Thai province. Footage of the officers getting out of the van and enjoying a meal on the beach circulated on the internet on Friday Panurat Lakboon,…
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Kalasin man allegedly robs convenience store and then a gold shop the next day before being arrested
A man in the northeastern Thai province of Kalasin allegedly went on a short-lived crime spree over the weekend. On Friday, the man allegedly robbed a convenience store and got 30,000 baht for his troubles. Then, on Saturday, the man allegedly robbed a gold shop. Police arrested the man yesterday as he exited the gold shop, but they found only…
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Woman shot by stray gunfire during motorcycle shooting
A 58 year old woman in Nakhon Ratchasima was shot by stray gunfire while eating in front of her house as a motorbike shootout occurred in front of her. Her son-in-law in his pickup truck was being pursued by the two armed motorcyclists when she got caught in the crossfire during the incident that occurred on Thursday night in the…
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Korat closes noodle shop and a Tesco following Covid outbreak
The northeastern Thai province Nakhon Ratchasima, also known by its shorter form, Korat, continues to see Covid issues. The province has announced that it has 2 new Covid clusters located in the Bua Yai district. One of the outbreaks is at a noodle shop and the other is at a Tesco Lotus. 14 people have tested positive for Covid. The…
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Market closes for 4 days in Nakhon Ratchasima following discovery of Covid cluster
Talad Suranaree, a market that specialises in agricultural fare in the northeastern Thai province of Nakhon Ratchasima, is closed from today until next Wednesday after nearly 80 traders tested positive for Covid. The provincial communicable disease committee announced the closure, today. 1,444 traders from the market were tested on Friday and the results came out yesterday, which showed 79 people…
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Kitchen in Phitsanulok home plunges into river trapping homeowner
An elderly man and his kitchen tumbled into a river this morning when a riverbank the house was built over collapsed. Rescue workers rushed to the Ban Wang Ped village in northern Thailand’s Phitsanulok province to help rescue the man who was struggling to stay above water. The wreckage of the kitchen made it difficult for the man to extract…
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Landslide in Chaiyaphum partially destroys temple isolation centre while patients are away
10 people who were isolating at a temple in the northeastern Thai province of Chaiyaphum returned from getting Covid tests yesterday to discover the temple they had been isolating in had been struck by a landslide while they were out. Rocks, dirt and other debris had propelled down the hillside and partially destroyed the monastery that was being used as…
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British man Barry found 3 days after getting lost in forest
Barry Weller enjoys nature and taking his motorbike to cruise through the local scenery in Khon Kaen. He would regularly go out for afternoon rides to explore the rice paddies and forest in the area, but would always return before dark. But on Tuesday afternoon the British man told his Thai wife that he was off for a ride through…
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4.6 million methamphetamine pills found on som tam vendor turned smuggler
If you like your spicy papaya salad with a little extra kick, a som tam vendor in Nakhon Phanom was arrested today with 4.6 million speed pills. The woman was apprehended when border patrol police in Tambon Saenphan searched her pickup truck and discovered 10 big fertiliser bags holding 4,622,000 speed pills. The woman told police she earned her money…
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Gold shop robbed by officer from investigating police station
A policeman’s swagger was the downfall that led to the identification and subsequent arrest of a gold jewellery shop robber today in the Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima. A man dressed in a food delivery outfit robbed a gold shop and shot the shop owner on Wednesday and was later identified as a local police officer. The robber entered…
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Police search 2 rooms Thitisan and subordinated used; unknown powder and drugs allegedly found
Police investigating the now-infamous case of the man who died in police custody in Nakhon Sawan, a northern Thai province, have searched a condominium room used by former police station chief, Thitisan Utthanaphon, and a subordinate’s apartment, today. The search was conducted by local police and investigators from the Crime Suppression Division. The investigators say they found a suspicious powdered…
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Khon Kaen pleads for more blood donations as demand surpasses supply
Khon Kaen, a northeastern Thai province, is in desperate need of blood donations as demand for blood transfusions is surpassing the blood supply, says the Thai Red Cross Society. The TRCS requested more blood donations at the society’s 6th regional national blood service that spans Kohn Kaen, Udon Thani, Nong Khai, Nong Bua Lamphu, Bung Kan, Sakhon Nakhon, Loei, Kalasin,…
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Thitisan Utthanaphon denies all accusations against him
Thitisan Utthanaphon is denying all accusations against him concerning his role in the alleged torture/murder of a drug suspect in police custody in northern Thailand’s Nakhon Sawan’s main city police station, according to his lawyer. Thitisan’s lawyer, Chokechai Angkaew, says Thitisan denied the accusations while he was being questioned. Chokechai adds that Thitisan, aka. “Jo Ferrari” has vowed to fight…
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