Bangkok News
Dive into the latest happenings in Bangkok with The Thaiger. Our team delivers up-to-date news, insightful analysis, and exclusive stories from the heart of Thailand’s dynamic capital. Keep your finger on the pulse of Bangkok’s ever-evolving political, economic, and cultural scene, as well as its thriving entertainment and nightlife. Stay informed about local events, transportation updates, and expat experiences in this vibrant metropolis.
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Tight restrictions, curfews in 13 “dark red” provinces until August 2
Despite tight restrictions imposed last week in “dark red” zones, the Covid-19 situation has not improved. To combat the spread of the Delta variant, the government classified 3 more provinces as “dark red” zones and updated the disease control restrictions. An order was published in the Royal Gazette, making it official. The new zoning and updates on restrictions will go…
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Calls mount to boycott Foodpanda following plans to fire rider/protester
Foodpanda is being excoriated today following the food delivery service’s announcement that it was going to fire an employee for attending a pro-democracy protest. Users and restaurants of the service say they will boycott the service. The boycott (or pandacott) come after the service said it planned to fire a rider who was photographed at a protest. The company says…
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Tear gas, rubber bullets deployed against anti-government protesters in Bangkok
Police in Bangkok resorted to using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse anti-government protesters yesterday, after hundreds of people rallied in the capital. A report in the UK’s Guardian newspaper recounts how activists used cars and motorbikes to avoid spreading Covid-19. Yesterday’s protesters had 3 demands: the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, a reduction in the military and monarchy’s…
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Foreigners over 75 can get a vaccine at Bang Sue Bangkok
Foreigners of a certain age got some good news today as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that expats over 75 years old living in Thailand are now eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine in Bangkok. The announcement made this evening goes into effect tomorrow when Bang Sue Central Station will begin to accept qualified foreigners living in Thailand for…
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Bangkok penis peril, man gets padlock stuck around genitals
Recently, a Bangkok man had to be rushed to the hospital, but not for anything Covid related. The man had reportedly gotten a padlock stuck around his penis and could not get it (the padlock) off. The unnamed 38 year old had fastened the device around the base of his penis 2 weeks prior. However, things took a turn for the…
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Gatherings prohibited due to Covid-19 before planned protests
For the safety of its citizens and to protect from the spread of Covid-19, the greater Bangkok area Covid-19 command centre has banned any activities or gatherings that involve more than 5 people. The ban on gatherings comes coincidentally just hours before planned mass anti-government protests in the capital, scheduled for today. The ban went into effect for Bangkok, Samut…
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US, NZ, Oz, Austrian citizens’ brief shot at Covid-19 vaccines
Good news! Several foreign governments including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Austria announced they would offer vaccines for their citizens currently in Thailand. But bad news – supplies ran out long before most people received any notification of the opportunity. Many countries had claimed it was impossible to assist their expats in Thailand in getting vaccines, while France…
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200+ teams go door-to-door to find Covid-19 around Bangkok
As Covid-19 infections continue to surge in Thailand, passing the 5-figure 10,000 mark for daily infections today, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has deployed over 200 teams to do door-to-door Covid-19 testing in the most at-risk areas of Bangkok. The rapid deployment troops will be made up of a coalition of national police and Thailand armed forces, and the teams are attempting…
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People fake age to get appointment at elderly vaccination centre
It’s not unusual for people to lie about their age to seem younger, but at Bangkok’s main vaccination centre for the elderly, as many as 100 people have attempted to get vaccinated against Covid-19 by pretending to be old. Since those over 60 years old, or with one of 7 chronic medical conditions considered high-risk for Covid-19 are eligible for…
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Police arrest 21 in Thong Lor party: drugs, alcohol, and birthday cake found
Thong Lor has again made the news for people partying. Recently, police raided a hotel room in Thong Lor, Bangkok. They arrested 21 suspects for allegedly taking drugs and breaking the emergency decree that forbids groups from gathering. The Thong Lor police were alerted that a hotel room on Soi Sukhumvit 31 was full of people being loud and not…
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3 men arrested in Sinopharm vaccine scam
A vaccine scam was broken up with 3 men alleged to have pretended to be doctors to sell people Sinopharm vaccines that did not exist. Police have identified and apprehended 3 men they believe to be the perpetrators of the scam that saw men posing as doctors in order to take payments for vaccines appointments that never actually existed. The…
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Bangkok taxi driver faces fines, license suspension, training classes after passenger complains about ride
A Bangkok taxi driver has been fined, has his license suspended, and has to take a training class after his erratic behaviour unnerved a passenger. The passenger posted online about the eccentric taxi ride that was supposed to take them from Victory Monument to Klong 6, Pathum Thani, last Sunday. However, the passenger cut the ride short and got off…
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Proposal: stop Covid-19 testing foreign workers in dark red zones
Thailand’s Minister of Labour Suchat Chomklin is scrambling to explain away a leaked alleged proposal to stop testing foreign migrant workers for Covid-19 after Thai social media exploded all day with criticism. The order had been sent to the Bangkok Employment Office Area 1-10 on July 5, but just came to light yesterday. The proposal to cancel testing for foreign…
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CCSA clarifies what shops can and can’t open in Bangkok
With the lockdown restrictions launched Monday that shut down all but the most essential businesses, some shops are unsure of if they are essential or not. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration added some clarification today on what shops could and could not open for lockdown. They released details for Bangkok and the surrounding 5 provinces of Nakhon Phathom, Nonthaburi,…
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Man allegedly breaks into Bangkok 7/11, argues with police
A man has been arrested after he allegedly broke into a Bangkok 7/11 and rooted around for a bit, early Tuesday morning. According to police, 33 year old Songyot Tharanukan broke a glass door with a brick and then gained illegal entry into the ubiquitous convenience store. Police also say the man was none too happy to have to deal…
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Man changes Virologist’s Wikipedia to include “Sinovac salesman”, faces charges
Recently, a Thai national allegedly modified the Thai language Wikipedia entry for Thai virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan to include that Dr Yong is also a “Sinovac salesman for the Prayut Chan-o-cha administration”. He is now facing charges such as criminal defamation and maybe computer crimes. On Monday, Bangkok police searched the 24 year old aspiring scribe’s home and seized his…
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More than 1,000 people file damage complaints related to Samut Prakan chemical fire
More than 1,000 residents in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phili district have filed damage complaints relating to the Ming Dih Chemical Company explosion and massive fire last week which took more than 24 hours to control. Helicopters were deployed to spray fire retardant foam. Residents within a 5 kilometre radius were told to evacuate. Toxic black smoke billowing from the chemical…
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Bangkok Government Complex provides free Covid testing, registering online first imperative
For people who wish to get a free Covid test at the Government Complex, they must register online first, says the National Health Security Office, today. The test will be the rapid antigen test. The testing location is on Chaeng Wattana Road and will be open until July 30. The hours are 8 am and 4 pm, but not on…
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5 movie theatres in Bangkok temporarily close
Yesterday, Major Cineplex stated it was closing 5 of its movie theatre locations in Bangkok. They will stay closed until July 25. The move is a precautionary measure against Covid. The movie Major Cineplex theatres closing are: Ratchayothin Rangsit Pin Klao Sukhumvit Esplanade Certain establishments are still open inside the shopping centre, however. They will still be closed at 8…
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Bangkok construction workers infected with both Alpha and Delta strains
Some workers at a Bangkok constructions camp have tested positive for both the Alpha and Delta variants of Covid-19. The Bangkok Post calls it a “mixed infection” while both Nation Thailand and Thai PBS say the workers tested positive for a hybrid strain of the 2 variants. Thailand’s Medical Sciences Department director-general Dr. Supakit Sirilak announced the findings today saying…
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UPDATE: Beauty pageant scandal leads to Covid cluster, participants face potential prosecution
The beauty pageant women who participated in “Miss Grand Samut Sakhon” last month are possibly facing criminal charges for not wearing masks, say police. This, coming after a 22 person cluster arose after the show. 13 of the contestants’ tests positive for Covid, as well as 9 “others”, say police. Piya Tawichai, deputy commissioner of the metropolitan police told the…
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Protesters run “car mobs”, focus on eroding coalition parties | VIDEO
Anti-government protesters have continued their demands for the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and his Senate appointments (the entire upper house/Senate in Thailand – 250 members – were hand-picked by the former NCPO military government). But this weekend they’ve added some new protest techniques and tactics. With lockdown and surging Covid-19, they have taken to car mobs, assembling vehicles to…
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Lockdown tomorrow: What to expect in Bangkok and beyond
Though the government won’t use the word, tomorrow sees 10 dark red zone provinces going into, essentially, a lockdown. Here’s a rundown of what to expect during the 2 week period beginning tomorrow (Monday). The restrictions apply to all 10 provinces, but the information below is focused on the lockdown in Bangkok. INSIDE BANGKOK Things are about to quieten down.…
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Bangkok beauty pageant suffers Covid scandal
A formal complaint from the Huai Khwang district office in Bangkok been lodged against the organiser of the “Miss Grand Samut Sakhon 2021” beauty pageant, alleging the show violated the Communicable Disease Act. The complaint, lodged with the Makkasan police, alleges the pageant held on June 26 and June 27 at the Mirin Theatre RCA in the Huai Khwang district…
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Preparing for Bangkok lockdown measures from today on
The CCSA announced yesterday sweeping new Covid-19 lockdown measures for Bangkok and surrounding provinces, as well as 4 southern provinces, and now people and businesses are scrambling to prepare before provisions go into effect from now until Monday. Airlines have quickly implemented emergency measures for domestic travellers to handle the wave of cancellations and rescheduling due to Bangkok and other…
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1 million AstraZeneca vaccines from Japan for elderly in Bangkok
Japan recently donated just over 1 million AstraZeneca vaccines to Thailand in hopes of battling the surging Covid-19 outbreaks hammering the country, and today the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announce plans to give those vaccines to the elderly in Bangkok. The 1.05 million vaccines that arrived today from Japan will be earmarked for senior citizens, both Thai nationals and…
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BREAKING: Stay at home orders, travel restrictions in Bangkok and 9 other provinces
Tight restrictions limiting travel and ordering residents to stay at home are being set in Bangkok and 9 other “dark red” provinces to control the spread of Covid-19 as the Delta variant of the virus becomes more prevalent. Many have been calling it a “lockdown,” but the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has been avoiding the word to describe the…
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Breaking: Travel restrictions and curfew to be set in Bangkok, “dark red” provinces
UPDATE: The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily press briefing has been rescheduled to 4pm today. More details will be reported following the briefing. Travel restrictions and a nightly curfew will be set in Bangkok and provinces classified as “dark red” zones for the high rates of Covid-19 infections, the government’s news bureau confirmed today. In this morning’s Centre for…
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Bangkok’s Bumrungrad Hospital opens registration for Moderna vaccine
Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok has opened an online booking system for the Moderna vaccine, with priority going to healthcare workers and people who remain unvaccinated. The Bangkok Post reports that the vaccine will cost 1,650 baht per dose. Chief Executive Artirat Charukitpipat says the hospital has not been able to receive the number of vaccines it would have liked and…
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Stricter Covid restrictions likely for Bangkok, other “at-risk” provinces
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meets today to consider a number of tougher restrictions aimed at flattening the curve of new infections in Bangkok and a number of other provinces. Yesterday, cases reached a record high of 7,058, with 75 Covid-related deaths. According to a Bangkok Post report, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says the government, which is still resisting the…
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