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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Sponsored Top 10 reasons for expats to get a comprehensive health insurance in Thailand
Moving to Thailand offers plenty of excitement and adventure, but the local healthcare system can be complex to navigate as an expat. From unique health risks to high costs at private hospitals, having a comprehensive health insurance plan is essential....
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UPDATE: High-profile officer not corrupt says Bangkok residents
Thirty community leaders from the Lat Krabang district met with Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittupunt yesterday to demand justice for a high-profile district officer. The community leaders, led by a former Bangkok Metropolitan Council candidate, Ronnachai Sangkamitkun, visited Chadchart’s office at BMA City Hall near the Giant Swing, and asked him to provide more information about the city’s corruption investigation into…
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200 new electric buses will be in service in the Thai capital
The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority will partner with private companies to run over 200 electric buses to increase capacity so it can transport up to a million people each day. The new electric buses are also part of the city’s efforts to upgrade its old bus services and reduce Bangkok’s overall carbon footprint. The new electric bus system will rapidly…
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Thai police arrest ‘Mr. Underpants:’ The serial thief in the white briefs
Today, the Royal Thai Police finally arrested a serial mobile phone thief known as “Mr. Underpants.” Mr. Underpants broke into 9 BANANA mobile phone shops in locations all over Thailand, stealing thousands of mobile phones in total. Every time, he wore only his pants. Mr. Underpants broke into BANANA branches in Yala, Hat Yai, Patthalung, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Si Thammarat,…
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“Khao San Road should be a cannabis hotspot to boost tourism” – local businessman
“The chance for the government to use cannabis to boost tourism shouldn’t be turned down.” The words of a local Khao San Road businessman who sees an opportunity in the government’s recent announcement to decriminalise cannabis products. President of the Khao San Road Businesses Association, Sanga Ruengwattanakul says that foreign visitors passing through the infamous party strip “could be encouraged…
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Chadchart points finger at Bangkok’s corrupt high-profile officers
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt informed Thai media yesterday that there are a number of high-profile district officers in the city involved in corruption. The identities of those officers have not been revealed, but leaked media reports allege most of them worked under a former Bangkok governor. According to reports, leading district officers from Latkrabang, Bang Khum Tien, Prawet, Taling Chan,…
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Bangkok taxi driver arrested a 7th time for random knife attacks
A motorbike taxi driver in Bangkok was arrested for criminal damage, again, with the police claiming it was due to their favourite new scapegoat, marijuana. He was taken into custody yesterday along with his Honda Wave motorbike, a 60 centimetre piece of wood, and a 16 centimetre long Sparta knife, both of which the taxi driver had been wielding in…
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PM Prayut accelerates progress at Bangkok’s Benjaketti Forest Park
Before Her Majesty, the Queen Mother Sirikit’s birthday on August 12, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered agencies to speed up the progress of Benjakitti Forest Park. The development of Benjakitti Park is part of the government’s efforts to raise the number of public green spaces in Bangkok to a level that is acceptable on a global scale. “Once the development…
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PETA awards animal-themed vegan donuts to BKK customs staff
PETA Asia, the regional arm of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has delivered dozens of wildlife-themed vegan doughnuts to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport’s wildlife checkpoint and customs staff. Last week the BKK airport staff seized 109 live animals, including 2 white porcupines, 2 armadillos, 20 snakes, 35 turtles, and 50 chameleons. All the animals were hidden inside the suitcases of 2…
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Omicron subvariant likely to be a dominant strain in Thailand
There is a chance that the new Covid-19 sub variants, BA.4 and BA.5, will likely dominate new Thailand Covid infections, as they have already in other countries. However, they have not yet caused serious problems in the Land of Smiles. The latest sub-variants have been characterised by the increased transmissibility and immune escape – such “immune escapes” could mean more…
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Pickup truck explosion kills 2 in Bangkok
On Saturday morning, a pickup truck crashed into the barrier in the middle of a 4 lane road in Bangkok and exploded. Witnesses saw 2 men escape the vehicle, but both men got caught in the flames and died at the scene. At 6:30am on Saturday, fire engines from Thanon Chan Fire Station were called to put out a fire…
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Search launched for suspects after name changed on symbolic Bangkok bridge
An investigation has been launched into the mysterious overnight name change of a symbolic bridge in Bangkok. The name of Phibun Songkhram Bridge, at Kiak Kai intersection, near Parliament House, was bafflingly renamed Tharap Bridge on Saturday night. Sunsern Rueangrit, Dusit Thani district of Bangkok assistant director, posted the news via his Twitter account after a Bangkokian asked why there…
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Bangkok governor invites public to ‘plant a million trees’
Bangkok’s new governor Chadchart Sittipunt is continuing to voice his commitment to bettering the city. His latest move is to invite Bangkok dwellers to plant a million trees throughout the Thai capital. Chadchart said today that 700,000 of the trees have been planted so far, and officials want more people to participate. Now, 56 year old governor says that City…
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Bangkok is best city in Southeast Asia according to travel mag
Bangkok is at the top of a list of the 2022 10 best cities in Southeast Asia, ranked by travel magazine Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia. The list was published last week. The next 9 best cities in Southeast Asia, in order, are: Singapore, Danang, Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi, Chiang Mai, Hong Kong, Saigon, Phenom Phen, and Jakarta. So why is…
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Proposal for telecom providers to help tidy up Bangkok cables
Bangkok officials proposed at a meeting yesterday that telecom service providers should do their part in tidying up overhead cables around the city. The proposal comes a week after a fatal fire was believed to have been caused by a transformer exploding at a 3 storey shophouse. The fire broke out in a historic market in Bangkok’s Chinatown, killing 2…
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Ups and downs: Man wins lottery then falls to his death down drain
We’ve all had days with ups and downs, but likely not so much as a Nonthaburi man who won the lottery and then encountered a fatal accident. The 56 year old man chose the number 417 and found himself holding a winning lottery ticket. He immediately went out to celebrate with drinks with his friends, but never made it home.…
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Thai taxi drivers protest against extended GrabBike deadline
Bangkok motorcycle Taxi riders and Taxi drivers today burned their orange safety vests in protest of the Transport Ministry’s decision to extend the licence of GrabBike riders for 2 more months. The company announced last week that every one of their Grab riders must register as a public transport operator and change their registration plates from white to yellow if…
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Bangkok abbot says he didn’t embezzle 95 million baht
The chief monk at Wat Sutthi Wararam Buddhist temple in Bangkok yesterday insisted he is innocent of any embezzlement charges after a renewed complaint was made against him. The temple’s former accountant, Channarong Phiandi, has made a fresh complaint against the abbot, Phra Sutheerattanabundit, maintaining he embezzled 95 million baht and disposed of a partially cremated corpse into the Chao…
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On top of fire this week, Bangkok’s Chinatown deals with house collapse
Bangkok’s Chinatown has had a rough week. After a fire killed 2 people in the Samphanthawong district on June 26, a house collapsed this morning in the same district. The district is located beside the Chao Phraya River. The house’s owner said the 2 storey house was built 260 years ago and was the first Chinese-style building to be built…
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Police close joints on Khao San Road for selling cannabis without a licence
Police have closed all shops selling cannabis on Khao San Road in Bangkok for operating without a license on a public road. The police told the businesses that selling cannabis wasn’t wrong, but it is illegal without permission to do so. Since cannabis was decriminalised on June 9 and removed from the Public Health Ministry’s narcotics category, cannabis shops have…
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Bangkok open-air film festival is free to moviegoers next month
Bangkok’s open-air film festival, Krung Thep Klang Plang, which means Bangkok open-air theatres, rolls out the red carpet for the whole month of July. The open-air theaters will be held at a number of different locations throughout the city, and the first event kicks off on July 7 at Laan Kon Mueng space in front of the Bangkok City Hall,…
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Power lines and transformers to be checked after fatal Bangkok Chinatown fire
After a fire on Sunday in the crowded Sampeng market, in Chinatown, took the lives of 2 people, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt asked the Metropolitan Electricity Authority to investigate the safety of almost 400 power transformers and power lines around Bangkok. According to eyewitnesses, smoke was coming from the power transformer before the fire broke out through the surrounding shophouses,…
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3 Thai political activists tried to commit suicide in prison
Bangkok Remand Prison yesterday reported that 3 Thai political activists, jailed according to the lèse majesté laws, tried to commit suicide in prison due to stress. Two male prisoners slashed their wrists with a piece of metal while a third prisoner tried to overdose on 60 paracetamol tablets. Thai human rights lawyer, Arnon Nampa, yesterday announced the news on his…
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2 Indians caught with over 100 animals at Suvarnabhumi Airport
Two Indian women were arrested by wildlife authorities at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday after 109 live wild animals were found in their luggage just before they boarded a flight back to India. 50 lizards, 20 snakes, 35 turtles, 2 white porcupines, and 2 armadillos were all found in their bags. When authorities x-rayed the women’s suitcases, they spotted the animals,…
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City chief calls for residents to check for hazards after 131 fire incidents in 2022
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has asked residents in the city to inspect their properties and the surrounding areas for potential fire hazards, to inspect the condition of their fire extinguishers, and check their fire exits. A deadly fire in Chinatown’s Sampeng Market this weekend saw 2 people die and 6 others suffer from the effects of smoke inhalation, while some residents…
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Bus shortages in Bangkok causing longer waits for commuters
The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority has confirmed that there are severe bus shortages on roughly 27 routes around the city and that nearly 90% of commuters have experienced delays. After receiving a number of complaints from the public, the BMTA found issues with fare collection, driver shortages, maintenance on buses, and the poor management of the schedule. There are 2,885…
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UPDATE: Owner of fire building in Bangkok Chinatown to sue electric authority
UPDATE Stall sellers and the owners of the Ratchawong Rungrueng packaging shop building, which caught fire in Bangkok’s Chinatown on Saturday, say they are going to sue the Metropolitan Electricity Authority for negligence after a broken transformer caused the blaze that killed 2 people. The faulty transformer caught fire and quickly ripped through the 3-story building on Ratchawong Road in…
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Bangkok governor dragged into Benchatkitti Park cycling spat
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has been dragged into a war of words between cyclists and parkgoers in a popular city park. Parkgoers and cyclists, who frequent Benchakitti Park, in the Klong Toey district, took to social media to voice their anger over speeding cyclists and the danger they pose by riding without due care and attention to others while speeding…
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To cushion price hikes, Bangkok PT stations will serve 25 baht curry
Price hikes are no fun for anyone, but in the Bangkok area, some groups are trying to cushion the blow of the world’s economic crisis. The Thai Restaurant Association announced today that it will launch a project tomorrow (Monday) to serve curry for 25 baht at PT filling stations across Bangkok and the surrounding area. TRA president Thaniwan Kulmongkol said…
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Bangkok Chinatown fire kills 1, terrified shoppers run for their lives
One person died in a fire in Bangkok’s Chinatown today. The blaze broke out in the historic Sampeng market in Samphanthawong district, located beside the Chao Phraya River. Details of the victim’s identity haven’t been released yet. Terrified shoppers ran for their lives as the blaze gutted 5 houses before firefighters arrived on the scene to put out the flames.…
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Bangkok’s new governor posts video of his maskless jog
While Thailand has earned a rap for its enthusiasm over face masks, one politician in Bangkok is celebrating the country’s removal of mask requirements in open spaces. Bangkok’s new Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has posted a video of himself on a daily jog through the city- with his face uncovered. In the video, Chadchart and a bunch of friends or colleagues…
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