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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    5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)

    Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...

  • DASTA backs Phu Kradueng cable car feasibility study

    DASTA backs Phu Kradueng cable car feasibility study

    The Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) has expressed support for the government’s proposal to conduct a feasibility study on a cable car project within Phu Kradueng National Park in Loei province. DASTA director Thitipong Khiawpaisan stated that Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong instructed the agency to undertake the study of this contentious project. The study will encompass…

  • Fatal fall: Loei hole takes motorcyclist’s life after tumble

    Fatal fall: Loei hole takes motorcyclist’s life after tumble

    A 41 year old motorcyclist died after falling into a 2-metre deep hole on a construction site in Mueang district, Loei province. The accident occurred last night, February 12, when the victim, Adisak, fell into a pit dug for sewer installation near a petrol station. Witnesses immediately contacted rescue volunteers from the Ruamjai Rescuers Association in Loei, who arrived at…

  • Tak immigration chief reassigned amid trafficking concerns

    Tak immigration chief reassigned amid trafficking concerns

    The Immigration Bureau has transferred the superintendent of Tak Immigration to a different post following reports of foreign nationals disappearing after being deceived into entering Thailand. The incident is suspected to be linked to human trafficking activities in Tak province. Police Major General Prashaya Prasansuk, the Acting Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, signed an order (No. 24/2025, dated February 12)…

  • Elderly man killed by grandson in Udon Thani sword attack

    Elderly man killed by grandson in Udon Thani sword attack

    An 88 year old man was killed at his home in Mueang district, Udon Thani province yesterday. A 29 year old suspect fled the scene with a long sword and remains at large. The incident occurred around 5pm, yesterday, February 12, with local police, including Police Colonel Pattanawong Chanpol and emergency services, responding to the scene. Phon sustained multiple injuries…

  • Thailand launches global task force to combat human trafficking

    Thailand launches global task force to combat human trafficking

    Thailand is stepping up its fight against human trafficking and scam call centres by establishing an international coordination centre to rescue victims trapped in Myanmar, Police Inspector-General Police General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot announced. Speaking from Tak province yesterday, February 10, Thatchai confirmed that the centre will work with international law enforcement to track down and free people, regardless of nationality, who…

  • Roi Et Airport to expand runway amid passenger growth

    Roi Et Airport to expand runway amid passenger growth

    The Transport Ministry has instructed the Department of Airports (DoA) to redevelop Roi Et Airport following a rise in annual passenger numbers. Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri approved the upgrade after inspecting the airport in the northeastern province yesterday, February 10. During the inspection, security measures and equipment at the airport were assessed to ensure compliance with International Civil Aviation…

  • Thai man goes on mall rampage over forgotten phone password

    Thai man goes on mall rampage over forgotten phone password

    A mentally ill Thai man went on a rampage at a shopping mall in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen after a worker at an iCare store was unable to repair his phone because he could not remember his Apple ID password. A video of the incident was shared by several media outlets, showing his violent behaviour at the iCare…

  • 85 year old Buriram woman revives 40 minutes after death

    85 year old Buriram woman revives 40 minutes after death

    Residents of Nang Rong district, Buriram province, were astounded by the miraculous revival of an 85 year old woman, who came back to life 40 minutes after being pronounced dead. The elderly woman, identified as Phua Sriphadung, surprised her family as she sat up during preparations for her body to be moved to a nearby temple for religious ceremonies. She…

  • Chiang Rai bans oil refueling into containers to combat crime

    Chiang Rai bans oil refueling into containers to combat crime

    Chiang Rai provincial officials issued an urgent directive prohibiting the refuelling of oil into containers such as jerry cans, with violators facing legal action. This measure aligns with the Thai government’s policy to combat call centre gangs. Yesterday, February 8, Deputy Governor Norasak Suksomboon, acting on behalf of the Chiang Rai governor, announced the directive dated February 7, stating that…

  • Thai military foils Harley-Davidson smuggling across Mekong River

    Thai military foils Harley-Davidson smuggling across Mekong River

    Thai military rangers intercepted an attempt to smuggle a Harley-Davidson motorcycle across the Mekong River to a neighbouring country. The operation, which occurred at night, resulted in the arrest of a 24 year old Laotian man and the seizure of the motorcycle. Colonel Intrawut Thongkham, commander of the 21st Ranger Task Force, reported yesterday that intelligence was received on Thursday,…

  • Man caught with 800k meth pills in fake rescue car in Udon Thani

    Man caught with 800k meth pills in fake rescue car in Udon Thani

    A 33 year old man was arrested after police discovered nearly 800,000 methamphetamine (meth) pills in a car adorned with rescue foundation stickers, leading them to initially believe he was assisting in a routine checkpoint in Udon Thani province. The arrest was made on February 4 outside Wat Sawang Samakkhi in Mueang district. Police Major General Suwan Chiaowanintawat, acting commander…

  • Thai MP with history of sexual assaults accused of raping Taiwanese woman

    Thai MP with history of sexual assaults accused of raping Taiwanese woman

    Police issued an arrest warrant for a Thai Progress Party MP for allegedly raping a Taiwanese woman at a hotel in Chiang Mai province on January 9. The Taiwanese woman filed a complaint against MP Chaiyamphawan “Puaut” Munpianjit at Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station following the incident, which took place at 2am on January 9. The alleged assault occurred at…

  • NBTC orders dismantling of antenna towers near Tak border

    NBTC orders dismantling of antenna towers near Tak border

    The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has mandated mobile networks to dismantle 24 antenna towers located within 50 metres of the Tak province border by February 24. Antennas within 200 metres must reduce transmission power and height to a maximum of 15 metres. On February 6, the Facebook page of Sorayuth Suthassanachinda, a well-known news presenter, reported these measures.…

  • Chinese man arrested for spray-painting pharmacy in Chiang Mai

    Chinese man arrested for spray-painting pharmacy in Chiang Mai

    Police yesterday arrested a Chinese man for spray-painting on the roller shutter doors of two pharmacies in the northern province of Chiang Mai. The pharmacist, who owns a shop on Bamrung Buri Road in Chiang Mai, caught the 33 year old Chinese man, He Ma, red-handed yesterday, February 6, while he was spray-painting the store’s roller shutter door. The pharmacist…

  • 4 Israeli men arrested and deported after chaos at Pai Hospital

    4 Israeli men arrested and deported after chaos at Pai Hospital

    Immigration Bureau officers arrested and deported four Israeli men who caused chaos at Pai Hospital and within the community in the northern province of Mae Hong Son. The disruption at the hospital and in Pai district came to light after a medical team shared details of the incident on the Facebook page AggressiveDoctor. A doctor reported feeling exhausted and unsafe,…

  • Anti-corruption body probes Khao Kradong land dispute

    Anti-corruption body probes Khao Kradong land dispute

    The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has reported ongoing progress in its investigation into the land dispute between the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and the Department of Lands (DoL) involving approximately 5,000 rai in Buriram. However, the completion date for the investigation remains uncertain. Mongkol Srisawang, director of investigations for environment and natural resource-related cases at the NACC, stated that…

  • Bus crash in Tak leaves driver, attendant dead, 35 tourists hurt

    Bus crash in Tak leaves driver, attendant dead, 35 tourists hurt

    A bus driver and attendant died when a bus collided with a tree in the Wang Chao district of Tak province. The incident also left 35 foreign tourists injured. Police Colonel Wasan Sirikanjakom, head of Wang Chao Police Station, today, February 5, at 1.20am received a report from the Tak Provincial Police emergency centre about the accident on National Highway…

  • Loei forest fire extinguished after 30-hour battle

    Loei forest fire extinguished after 30-hour battle

    Firefighters in Loei province have successfully extinguished a forest fire that ravaged 400 rai over a 30-hour operation. The blaze, which affected the Phu Huai Ngiu, Phu Hin Hong, and Phu Yata forests in Mueang district, had been active for a day and caused significant distress to residents due to the smoke. Thinnakorn Kasetkasorn, the mayor of the Chaiyaphuek Subdistrict…

  • Kalasin police probe mysterious death of man found burned

    Kalasin police probe mysterious death of man found burned

    The Police Colonel of Kalasin province is leading an investigative team to unravel the passing of a 73 year old man who was found burned to death in his hut. The investigation, based on collected evidence, aims to deliver fairness to all parties involved. Currently, all suspects are presumed innocent. On February 4, at the Khong Chai District Police Station in…

  • Man arrested in Tak for smuggling tech gear to Myanmar

    Man arrested in Tak for smuggling tech gear to Myanmar

    A 54 year old man has been apprehended in Tak province for attempting to smuggle computer equipment and surveillance cameras across the border to a call centre gang in Myawaddy, Myanmar. The operation, conducted yesterday, February 4, was led by Police Lieutenant General Kittisak Durongkiboon and involved various enforcement teams. The man, identified as Anusak Wongnoi from Mae Sot district,…

  • Man arrested for setting fire to sugarcane field in Buriram

    Man arrested for setting fire to sugarcane field in Buriram

    A 53 year old man has been arrested for setting fire to a sugarcane field in the Mueang district of Buriram province, causing damage to over 30 rai with losses estimated in hundreds of thousands of baht. He claims alcohol and stress from a marital dispute impaired his judgment. Police Colonel Chamras Siriliang, along with other officers, apprehended Sombat yesterday,…

  • Hunter found dead in Khao Yai Park, police investigate

    Hunter found dead in Khao Yai Park, police investigate

    A 58 year old hunter was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Khao Yai National Park. His wife revealed he used ripe jackfruit to lure wild boars and never returned home. Police found spent shotgun shells at the scene. Police Colonel Prasit Phakdi from Nadi Police Station in Prachinburi province received a report about a death near Khao Yai National…

  • Chiang Rai to become major aircraft repair hub

    Chiang Rai to become major aircraft repair hub

    Thailand is gearing up to challenge China in the lucrative aircraft maintenance industry, with Chiang Rai Airport (CEI) set to become a major Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hub. The ambitious project, spearheaded by Airports of Thailand (AOT), is targeting the booming Chinese market. AOT President Kerati Kijmanawat revealed that land preparation is already underway, with the first hangar expected…

  • Two arrested for fatal shooting at Chaiyaphum petrol station

    Two arrested for fatal shooting at Chaiyaphum petrol station

    Two men have been apprehended for the shooting of a former inmate at a coin-operated petrol station in Mueang district, Chaiyaphum province. The suspects, 30 year old gunman Kan and 27 year old driver Uma Wacharin, confessed to the crime, citing revenge as their motive. The shooting took place at a petrol station in Ban Wang Nam Khiao yesterday, February…

  • Thai man fatally shoots wife and mother-in-law before suicide

    Thai man fatally shoots wife and mother-in-law before suicide

    A Thai man fatally shot his wife and mother-in-law today at their shared home in the northern province of Phitsanulok before taking his own life. Officers from Phrom Phiram Police Station were alerted to the shooting in Ban Wang Masra community in Phitsanulok’s Phrom Phiram district at around 2pm today, February 3. Officers used a drone to investigate the house…

  • Thai father saves 3 children but dies in house fire in Lampang

    Thai father saves 3 children but dies in house fire in Lampang

    A Thai father sacrificed his life to save his three children from a fire at their home in the northern province of Lampang yesterday. Officers from the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office of Khelang Nakhon Municipality were alerted to the fire at a three-storey building located across from Ban Kad Mek Fresh Market at about 1pm yesterday, February 2. The…

  • Phichit candidate reportedly abducted in Nakhon Sawan

    Phichit candidate reportedly abducted in Nakhon Sawan

    A candidate for the Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) in Phichit, Witya Mala, along with his wife, was reportedly abducted in Nakhon Sawan just before the election. Witya informed his father via phone that he was being held by an unidentified group, who claimed they would release him the following day. Reports reached journalists yesterday, January 31 at 5.30pm that independent…

  • Fire erupts at Ubon Ratchathani petrol station, blaze contained

    Fire erupts at Ubon Ratchathani petrol station, blaze contained

    A fire broke out at a petrol station in Warin Chamrap district, Ubon Ratchathani province yesterday, January 31 at 6.30pm. This incident occurred on the same day that a molotov cocktail attack was launched at Somdet Phra Yuparat Hospital in Det Udom district. The Fire & Rescue Thailand Facebook page shared images of the petrol station engulfed in flames, with…

  • Grim discovery: Elderly couple finds neighbour dead in Sisaket

    Grim discovery: Elderly couple finds neighbour dead in Sisaket

    An elderly couple stumbled upon the dead body of their neighbour outside their home in the serene Sisaket province. The unsettling scene unfolded in Moo 8, Nong Chiang Thun subdistrict, Prang Ku district, where a 77 year old man and his 75 year old wife discovered their 45 year old neighbour, Vachakorn, near a phone top-up machine, bearing a gruesome…

  • Rabies panic: Khon Kaen officials say cooked beef is safe

    Rabies panic: Khon Kaen officials say cooked beef is safe

    Health officials in Sam Sung district, Khon Kaen moved to calm public fears after reports of rabies-infected beef sparked concerns about food safety. While a cow infected with rabies was slaughtered and consumed earlier this month, officials have clarified that properly cooked beef remains safe to eat. The outbreak began on January 23, when a dog infected with rabies entered…