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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Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
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Nightlife shut down in 3 Bangkok districts following rise in Covid numbers
While most nightlife venues remain open, they must close by 9pm and cannot sell alcohol. Restaurants may remain open for dine-in services but must close by 9pm and are also banned from selling alcohol. Here we go again. Restrictions and closures to Bangkok’s nightlife are back. Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang has ordered the closure of nightlife venues in 3 districts…
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Possible 9 pm closing of Bangkok bars to curb Covid-19
In order to limit outbreaks of Covid-19 before the upcoming Songkran holiday, the Health Ministry is eyeing more restrictive rules, including possibly shutting Bangkok bars at 9 pm. This week, new infections were found in the Thong Lor and Ekkamai areas of Bangkok, popular for evening entertainment such as bars and nightclubs. Entertainment venues are an easy target for Coronavirus spread…
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Deputy PM says he doesn’t have Covid-19, despite rumours
Today Deputy PM and Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow has quashed a rumour that he contracted Covid-19 in an entertainment venue on March 25. Alerts were raised as the Minister attended a cabinet meeting several days later. The minister denies that he has put anyone at risk of exposure and has already been tested for Covid-19 and is planning to be…
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Bangkok may soon be classified as a “red” zone following new Covid clusters
Bangkok may soon be classified as a “red” zone under maximum control to prevent the spread of Covid-19 following the rise of infections linked to bars and entertainment venues, primarily off Sukhumvit Road in Thong Lor and Ekkamai. Thailand’s top virologist Yong Poovorawan says the recent Covid-19 clusters, along with Thailand’s slow rollout of vaccines, is “worrying” and fears that…
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New Covid-19 clusters at bars in Bangkok’s Thong Lor and Ekkamai areas
New Covid-19 clusters have been reported at several bars and pubs in Bangkok, primarily off Sukhumvit Road. So far, 40 people have tested positive for Covid-19 after visiting entertainment venues in Bangkok. Those who have visited bars in the Thong Lor, where most of the infections were reported, are asked to go to the website “BKKcovid19” and fill out an…
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Investigations continue after 5 people die during Bangkok house fire rescue
Police and BMA officials are continuing their investigations today after 5 people – 4 of them volunteer emergency responders – died as a building collapsed while rescuers were trying to find a man trapped inside. Another person was trapped, alive, under the rubble and was the subject of a longer rescue later yesterday. The fire took place early yesterday morning…
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Reporter banned from Government House says police aimed a gun at her at rally
A Thai reporter who has been banned from Government House claims a police officer pointed a gun at her, 2 days before the run-in with the PM that led to her removal from the press gallery. Kamonthip Aungsakularporn found her access to Government House revoked after challenging PM Prayut Chan-o-cha over claims that Thailand was forcing Burmese refugees back over…
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Reporter hospitalised with mystery illness after being bitten by monkey
A reporter who visited the Bangkok home of an obese monkey before it was removed by The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, is being treated in hospital after being bitten by the macaque. “Godzilla” found fame overnight after he was removed from his owner due to concerns about his weight. Godzilla had been living at a market…
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Thai Health Minister “confident” the monk’s death is not related to the Covid vaccine
Following the death of a monk just a few hours after being vaccinated against Covid-19, Thailand’s public health minister expressed his sympathy, but says he is confident that the vaccine is not the cause of death. Anutin Charnvirakul says the 71 year old monk had underlying conditions of severe diabetes and high blood pressure. An autopsy is being conducted to…
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Monk dies after getting Covid-19 vaccine, 3 others treated at the hospital
UPDATE: Reports now say the monk died just a few hours after receiving the vaccine. A 71 year old monk died just a few hours after he was injected with the Covid-19 vaccine while 3 other monks at the same temple, Wat Samphanthawong Moranaphap in Bangkok, were taken to the hospital sometime after being injected with the vaccine to be…
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Bangkok roadside checkpoint inspected by deputy police chief on first night
Thailand’s Deputy National Police chief has inspected a drink-driving checkpoint on the first night it was reinstated, in the Lad Phrao district of Bangkok. Damrongsak Kittiprapas visited the checkpoint to ensure it was running smoothly and that officers were working in a transparent fashion. Police checkpoints are returning around the country, after national police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk paused them for…
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Red Shirts leader vows to hold April 4 protest aimed at toppling government
The chairman of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, whose supporters are commonly known as the Red Shirts, says he will lead a protest on April 4 with the aim of toppling the government. Jatuporn Promphan vows to take charge of what he’s calling a prolonged protest, to oust the administration of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. According to a Thai…
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5 pro-democracy activists indicted for alleged violence against Queen’s liberty
Prosecutors indicted 5 pro-democracy activists today for attempting to “harm HM the Queen’s liberty” during a rally in Bangkok last year that happened to be along the same route as a royal motorcade. The charge for an “act of violence against the HM the Queen’s liberty” carries a minimum sentence of 16 years in prison. For serious attempts to harm…
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Thai PM will consider waiving quarantine for vaccinated visitors to Phuket
The Thai PM says he’s willing to consider a call from the Phuket business community to allow vaccinated foreigners to bypass quarantine. Prayut Chan-o-cha says in order to compete with other countries popular with tourists, Phuket plans to re-open fully to vaccinated foreigners from July, meaning the government must make sure the country’s vaccine rollout is on track. “The point…
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Thanathorn acknowledges, responds to lèse majesté charge
The former leader of the now disbanded Future Forward Party has appeared at a Bangkok police station to face a charge of lèse majesté. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, now leader of the Progressive Movement, appeared at Nang Loeng Police Station to acknowledge the charge, also known as section 112 of the Criminal Code. Section 112 makes it an offence to insult, defame,…
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Bangkok market vendor’s obese monkey seized by wildlife authorities
Thai wildlife authorities seized an extremely fat macaque monkey, known as Godzilla, and have now placed the 3 year old monkey on a strict diet. Godzilla’s owner is a meatball vendor in Bangkok’s Min Buri district. Reports say Godzilla was often tied to the market stall, snacking on treats from passersby. Weighing 20 kilograms, Godzilla became somewhat of a local…
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Court says prison guards violated detained protesters’ human rights
The multiple late-night attempts to take the detained protest leaders out of their prison cells for random Covid-19 testing was a violation of their human rights, the Criminal Court ruled today. The court said inmates can only be removed from their cell, even for Covid-19 testing, during “normal hours.” No action was taken against the prison guards. Human rights lawyer…
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Crackdown on drink driving in Bangkok starting April 1
With bars and nightclubs now back open, Bangkok police plan to crackdown on drink driving. DUI checkpoints will be set up around the city starting on April 1, according to Thai media. Bangkok is still classified as an “orange zone” by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In orange zones, bars and nightclubs are ordered to close at 11pm while…
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Officials say woman who tested positive after vaccination was infected beforehand
The Disease Control Department says a vaccinated seafood vendor in Bangkok who tested positive for Covid-19 was infected with the virus prior to receiving the jab. Sophon Iamsirsithavorn from the DCD says the 29 year old market trader was tested for the virus on March 13, with that test coming back negative. At the time, she was not showing any…
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64 protesters arrested as Government House protest camp cleared
64 protesters were taken into custody as police cleared the sites of a Government House demonstration camp early this morning. The site, located at Phra Ram 5 by the Khlong Phadung Krungkasem canal near the Government House, was raided at 6am by 4 battalions of the police’s Protection and Crowd Control Division. The protesters, many still asleep at the time,…
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Bangkok’s famous airplane graveyard catches fire
Bangkok’s famous “Airplane Graveyard” caught fire yesterday evening. Firefighters believe blaze first started in dry grass nearby before spreading to one of the decommissioned planes. People living nearby reported thick black smoke and strong chemical smells coming from the junkyard, which is home to an abandoned Boeing 747 plane and 2 McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft. Fire crews were called at 9pm and…
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Bangkok police vow to press charges against activists from Wednesday rally
Bangkok’s deputy police chief, Piya Tavichai, says 11 activists who addressed participants at a rally at Ratchaprasong intersection on Wednesday will be charged. He says his officers have already identified 10 of the protest leaders and also plan to charge other participants who used loudspeakers or held up banners with insulting messages about the monarchy. Piya adds that any media…
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Earth Hour on Saturday, Bangkok to join global “lights off” hour
The city of Bangkok will go dark for an hour on Saturday, joining thousands of cities across the globe for Earth Hour, an annual initiative where lights are turned off to raise awareness about protecting the planet. The deputy governor of Bangkok, Sopon Pisuttiwong, says lights be off from 8:30pm to 9:30pm on Saturday, joining 7,000 other cities in darkness.…
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Protesters call for PM’s resignation, release of activists, abolition of lèse majesté law
Protesters gathered at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok last night, calling for the release of fellow activists and the resignation of the Thai PM. The anti-government activists assembled yesterday from around 5pm and listened to speakers blasting the PM and Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law. The protesters are calling for the law to be abolished, for those charged under the…
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CCSA Update: 69 new Covid-19 cases, most in Bangkok
69 new Covid-19 cases were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 1,381 active Covid-19 cases. Since the start of the pandemic, the CCSA has reported a total of 28,346 coronavirus infections and 92 deaths. Most of the cases were found in Bangkok, according to the deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Foriegn…
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Bangkok sets rules for a dry Songkran, large events must submit a plan
It’s going to be another dry Songkran in Bangkok. No water gun flights. No buckets of water poured on passersby. City officials say strict measures will be in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19 during the holiday, which was extended and now stretches from April 10 to 15. While water splashing is banned, Songkran’s traditional activities, like religious ceremonies and…
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Another pro-democracy protest confirmed for Bangkok today
The pro-democracy Ratsadon group has announced another anti-government protest to be held in Bangkok today. News of the rally was posted on the Facebook page of the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration group, with organisers pledging to ensure the safety of participants. “March 24, 2021 bring your bags and tie your shoelaces. There will be a rally stage this…
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Supporters raise 17 million baht to open Vipassana Mindfulness Centre in Nakhon Pathom
More than 150 students and supporters of world renowned Buddhist teacher and author Ajarn Supawan Green gathered for the inauguration of an international mindfulness centre in Puttamonthon, Nakhon Pathom, to the west of Bangkok, on Sunday, March 21, 2021. Construction of the ‘Bring your Mental Self Back Home Centre’ was made possible with financial and technical support from patrons of…
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CCSA Update: 401 new Covid-19 cases and 1 death, most at an immigration detention centre
401 new Covid-19 cases and 1 death were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Most of the cases were at an immigration detention centre in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district Thailand now has 1,419 active Covid-19 cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 28,277 coronavirus infections and…
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Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand condemns shooting of reporters at Bangkok protest
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand has issued a statement condemning the shooting of reporters at an anti-government protest in Bangkok at the weekend. Saturday night’s protest, around the Sanam Luang area of the capital, ended with at least 33 people injured, including 3 reporters. The statement referred to United Nations guidelines that say rubber bullets should only ever be…
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