Bangkok News
Bangkok news, politics, business, crime, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s capital. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Bangkok news source.
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Woman runs drug syndicate from Bangkok prison
Police cracked down on a drug network allegedly and discovered that it was being run by a female inmate in the Bangkok Remand Prison, using a gold shop to launder more than 3 billion baht in illegal drug money. The woman, Daorueng Somsaeng, as well as 9 other inmates in various jails and prisons across Thailand, are facing money laundering…
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Clean up Bangkok waterways: Report on littering, get paid
Need some extra cash? Catch someone dumping garbage into Bangkok canals and half the money in fines will go to you. The effort is to clean up the so-called “Venice of East” which has so much trash, city officials say it’s scary. The maximum fine is 10,000 baht, so potentially you could get up to 5,000 baht for one report. To…
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Illegal online gun dealer nabbed in Nonthaburi
Police in Nonthaburi province, on the northern outskirts of Bangkok, arrested a man this morning for selling guns illegally online, and seized 2 firearms found in his possession. Crime Suppression Division police raided a townhouse at Piyawararom housing estate in Bang Bua Thong district, acting on a tip it was the hideout of a man already wanted on an arrest…
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Grounded Thai pilot now does motorbike food deliveries
“I have my motorbike, so I found my part time job. And now I am a food delivery man.” With many of the world’s international airlines grounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, many in the aviation industry, including even pilots, have been forced to find other ways to make a living. Here in Thailand, a ban on international arrivals remains in…
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Love for driving fast leads to fatal crash
Shortly after expressing his love for driving fast, a young man has died in a high speed motorcycle crash in Bangkok. He wrote on Facebook yesterday saying that when riding solo… “I can go as fast as I wish.” 2 hours later, he died. A witness said the 21 year old motorcyclist from Lopburi was speeding by when he smashed…
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Officer says sex-for-sale to be banned on infamous “happiness street”
Prostitution is supposedly being eliminated in the Pathum Thani province, just north of Bangkok, after two sex workers were caught on video not wearing face masks while soliciting customers. It would take a lot more than a mask to prevent the spread of coronavirus during sex, but that’s apparently what sparked the attention. One police officer even said “there will be…
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Court adds “drive through” for filing complaint and documents
One court just north of Bangkok is providing drive through service to ensure social distancing and protect people from a potential return of the coronavirus. People can now stay in their cars, or on their motorbikes, when they file complaints or submit documents to the Thanyaburi Provincial Court. The service is supported the Supreme Court president who wants to bring…
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Bangkok removing trees to make way for underground walkways
As part of a new “landscape improvement project,” the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has begun removing trees along Na Phra Lan Road, to pave the way for an underground network of walkways. 34 trees on the road will be removed, and the “Silpakorn Nokrob” (around Silpakorn) Facebook page yesterday called the decision “heartbreaking” for locals and conservationists. In April the BMA…
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Policeman uses beer and hometown connection to coax man down from Bangkok building – VIDEO
A policeman in Bangkok has prevented a man from leaping to his death by chatting to him in his own dialect in an attempt to reassure him. A report in Coconuts says the police officer told the man there was nothing to be afraid of, pointing out they were both from the same hometown. VIDEO: RDNewsCH3 It’s understood the man,…
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Chulalongkorn University defends shrine demolition for new condos
Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University is defending its plan to demolish a historic Thai-Chinese shrine on its grounds to clear the land for high-rise buildings with condominiums and dormitories. A statement from the university’s estate office says the Chao Mae Tabtim Saphan Luang Shrine will be rebuilt at a new location close to the original site within 6 months, with a re-opening…
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6 arrested for alleged child sex trafficking, 5 teen girls rescued
Police say 6 people in Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi provinces, west of Bankok, have been arrested on suspicion of child sex trafficking. 5 child prostitutes, at least one as young as 14 were rescued in Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi provinces, and 6 people taken into custody. Acting on a tip, officers of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division yesterday arrested the 6 and…
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The one that didn’t get away… a fish tale with a happy ending
A man has been joyfully reunited with his prized, and very valuable, fish after leaving it in a pink Bangkok taxi. The fish’s owner hailed cab 6880 from Chatuchak market but got out of the vehicle in the Klong Toei area, leaving his “Channa Barca” snakehead fish inside in a plastic bag. The owner immediately contacted radio station JS 100,…
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No foreigners at Wat Pho, Bangkok temple says Thais only
The Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) is open, but only if you’re Thai. Foreigners are not allowed in, even if you’ve been living in Thailand for years. The famous Bangkok temple re-opened last week but are keeping foreigners over fears of the coronavirus. A sign with red letters, all capitalised “ONLY THAI PEOPLE … NOW NOT OPEN FOR…
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Samut Prakhan janitor arrested for alleged rape of daughters
Police in Samut Prakan, just south of Bangkok, have arrested a 42 year old school janitor for allegedly raping his 2 teenage daughters over a period of more than 2 years. Officers arrested the man yesterday after a complaint from movie star and women’s rights activist Panadda Wongphudee, who went to police after her women’s rights foundation assisted the girls,…
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Nonthaburi “nurse” reported to police
A woman in Nonthaburi, just north of Bangkok, has landed herself in hot water over a bit of cosplay: the Nurses Association of Thailand is seeking legal prosecution after she claimed to be a graduate of Borommarajonani College of Nursing and dressed as a nurse for a pre-wedding photoshoot with a police officer. After the photos were posted online, a…
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Students at Bangkok university can choose uniform based on gender identity
After years of debate on school uniforms, transgender students at Thammasat University can now dress uniforms according to their gender identity. Along with the with uniform rule, the Bangkok university says all staff need to treat transgender students equally. Staff who discriminate or insult transgender students will be disciplined. The school’s uniforms have long been debated. Back in 2013, Saran “Aum…
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22 tonnes of seized marijuana passed on to researchers
Ever wonder where all the marijuana goes after it’s been confiscated by police? Authorities just gave around 22 tonnes of marijuana they seized in drug busts to nearly a dozen universities and research facilities across Thailand to study its medicinal benefits. Medical marijuana was legalised in 2018 under strict licensing and conditions. The Office of Narcotics Control Board gave 600 kilograms…
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Thailand activists hold online Black Lives Matter protest
While the US is on the complete opposite side of of the world, some in Thailand joined an online protest yesterday on the Zoom video-conferencing software. Reuters says 300 Thais and foreigners joined the digital call for justice for George Floyd, a black American who died at the end of May after being pinned down by a Minneapolis police officer.…
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Inspection reveals some Bangkok massage shops flouting hygiene measures
An inspection of Bangkok massage shops has revealed that some premises are being too lax in their implementation of mandatory hygiene measures. The restrictions were introduced by the Government’s Covid-19 task force as massage shops were given the go-ahead to reopen at the beginning of June. However, checks carried out yesterday at several massage shops in the Bang Sue area…
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Supermarket delivery staff go the extra mile for bedridden customer in Bangkok
Every little bit helps… Social media users in Thailand are praising a group of supermarket employees who went the extra mile while delivering groceries to a bedridden customer in the Bang Kapi district of Bangkok. Tesco Lotus shared pictures on its Facebook page of delivery staff who took it upon themselves to clean the elderly woman’s home and garden after…
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“Gold Line” monorail will bring more mass transport to the Chao Phraya west bank
The construction of Thailand’s first monorail, aka. “Gold Line” in Charoen Nakhon area in Thon Buri, is causing some traffic congestion in the area. The developer, Krungthep Thanakom, is making up for lost time still hope to meet the October deadline for the new Gold Line to officially open. The project has been delayed due to the Covid-19 outbreak and lockdowns, when…
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4 new BTS stations open, free until the end of the year
The BTS Skytrain is as ubiquitous in Bangkok as great street food and fake Viagra, and it’s now added 4 new stops to extend its reach. The new BTS Green Line extension, running fro Mor Chit station and Khu Khot station in Rangsit, opened to the public today. The new extension was officially launched by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha this morning,…
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Lumpini boxing stadium officials side-lined over Covid-19 cluster
A report in Nation Thailand says that Thailand’s army chief Apirat Kongsompong has ordered the transfer of all committee members at the Lumpini Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. The dressing down and side-lining of the officials comes after the committee went ahead with a boxing match at the stadium on March 6, two days after the government ordered such venues to…
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Man arrested after hacking bank account of nearly 400,000 baht
Police arrested a man for fraud after he hacked into a rich businessman’s bank accounts using a smartphone sent in the mail, posing it as a prize. 34 year old Anontwat Vorametchayangkul took 395,000 baht from the man’s accounts, police announced yesterday. He has a background in computer science, and police say he is wanted in 9 cases which are…
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Bangkok braces for Black Lives Matter rally
The death of black American George Floyd at the hands of police burgeoned into a storm of protests reaching across the globe; one that will reach Bangkok this weekend. The vast majority of demonstrations over the past 8 days in the US have been peaceful, but some have turned violent and curfews have been imposed after looting in a number…
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Beauty clinic designs special face masks for facial treatments
A skin and beauty clinic has designed a mini face mask for clients getting close-up facial treatments to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and comply with the rules set out by the government. But the mask allows therapists to still get to most of the face so they can apply the same procedures. Waleerat Clinic in Bangkok made re-usable…
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Huge Nike flagship store opens in Bangkok’s Siam Center
A massive Nike flagship store is now open in Bangkok’s Siam Center, with a ‘footprint’ spanning more than 836 square metres of prime retail space in the capital. Intended to showcase Nike’s innovation across multiple product categories, the store offers the brand’s first “Nike By You” in-store customisation service in Thailand. Retailers are now pulling out all stops to lure…
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Developers need to clear stock, heavy discounting in property market
ADVERTORIAL Property prices are expected to decline by double digits in the next few months as Thailand’s property developers begin to offer more sales incentives in response to post Covid-19 markets. A recent survey by leading property portal FazWaz indicated that 50% of Thailand’s property developers are considering discounting at least 20% off minimum benchmark prices. Brennan Campbell, CEO at…
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Boxer wants officers prosecuted after false imprisonment
A former boxer recently released from custody for drug trafficking charges claims he was wrongfully imprisoned and is calling on the national police chief to prosecute the officers that filed the drug charges. He has submitted documents to Thailand’s police chief Chakthip Chaijinda as evidence he had been wrongfully imprisoned for 14 months. Now he’s demanding justice and wants the police…
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Bangkok man shoots, injures friend
A Thai man has shot his best friend in Bangkok over the weekend after he found out his friend had an affair with his ex-wife. The 34 year old man, reported as ‘Paratkorn’, found photos of his wife and friend, 31 year old Pongsitthat. In a fit of rage, he shot and injured Pongsitthat. Police say Paratkorn has a history…
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