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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Sponsored 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...
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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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Bangkok’s sky park bridging the Chao Phraya ready for opening
Bangkok now has an elevated garden overlooking the Chao Phraya River, after architects transformed a portion of an abandoned electric train project into a green pedestrian bridge. For 30 years, the unfinished Saphan Phut line stood as a reminder of the Lavalin Skytrain project, which was abandoned in 1992. The project began in 1984 under former PM Prem Tinsulanonda. Today…
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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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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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Controversy over university’s plan to demolish Chinese shrine
A Bangkok university plans to demolish a historic Chinese shrine on the property to build student dormitories. The shrine’s caretakers have until next week before they are evicted to make way for Chulalongkorn University’s new buildings. But the caretakers and student activists say “no.” Apparently the university has been pressing keepers of the Thapthim Goddess Shrine to move for about 2…
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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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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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Bangkok schools to cut class sizes
Bangkok schools will need to shrink classes down to 20 students per class with a maximum of 400 students per day to ensure social distancing and prevent the return of the coronavirus. There are 437 schools under supervision from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, or BMA. Schools with more than 400 students will need to split students into two groups or…
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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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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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Bangkok cinema closed after breaking social distancing rules
Clearly violating social distancing guidelines, fans on Friday jam-packed in front of Major Cineplex at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon mall for an event to see two popular Thai actors. The cinema was ordered to close for 3 days for breaking the coronavirus prevention rules. The cinema was hosting a meet-and-greet with actors Anan “Ying” Wong and Wanarat “War” Ratsameerat to promote the…
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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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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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Robots provide novel approach to virus prevention at Bangkok mall
A robot dog is helping protecting people from the coronavirus at a Bangkok shopping centre by dispensing hand sanitiser. It’s name is K9 and it runs off 5G internet from the mobile phone operator AIS (The Thaiger smells a PR stunt for the new AIS 5G network). K9 looks like he, or she, needs a head and a wagging tail. A…
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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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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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Chinese man arrested with 1,000 cannabis plants, involved in ‘Heaven Herb’ illegal business
Police arrested a man yesterday for growing 1,000 cannabis plants in a Bangkok warehouse and selling it online through a service called “Heaven Herb.” 41 year old Wu Ding Bin, from China, grew “organic cannabis of foreign varieties.” Police say the foreign strains are priced up to 700,000 baht per kilogram. “Heaven Herb” marijuana was sold and delivered through a Line…
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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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Travelling Bangkok’s klongs with Manit
Should you move to Thailand? In this video I interviewed my friend @Christopher Lau , originally from California, USA and got a little insight of his experience behind living in Thailand for two years. Then I took him for the famous canal boat ride in “Klong Saen Saep” Bangkok. By the end of the vlog we had a very delightful…
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Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo reopen this week
As the country slowly dusts off the cobwebs of its tourism machine, the most popular tourist attraction of them all is about to reopen in the capital. The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) in Bangkok will be reopened this Thursday, June 4. The reopening will be under strict health and safety measures to provide…
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Covid task force orders strict hygiene measures for Bangkok construction sites
The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority has been ordered to implement tough hygiene and safety measures at construction sites in the capital, to prevent any resurgence of the Covid-19 virus. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says the city must take rigorous steps to mitigate the risk of workers contracting and spreading the virus. A report in Nation Thailand says city officials…
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Taxi driver attacked and stabbed after accident in Bangkok
A motorbike driver attacked a taxi driver on Wednesday this week after an accident by taking off his helmet and repeatedly hitting the driver with it before stabbing him with a screwdriver. A witness says the motorbike cut in front of the taxi on Phet Kasem Road, or Highway 4, in Bangkok, but the taxi couldn’t stop in time and…
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Bangkok’s UK visa application centre to reopen
Below is the text of a press release from the British Embassy, lightly edited for brevity: “On June 1, UK Visas and Immigration will begin a phased resumption of services and our main Visa Application Centre in Bangkok (The Trendy Office Building, 28th Floor Sukhumvit Soi 13, Klongtoey-Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110) will be open. Customers who were unable to attend…
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Thai man arrested for distributing child porn on social media
A man was arrested for processing and distributing child pornography after a report from a US agency, police announced yesterday. The US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children traced the uploaded pornography back to Thailand and notified Thailand immigration police. The man, Thai media reports as ‘Kittiphong’, uploaded and sold the child pornography on Twitter and the messaging app…
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