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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    Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?

    Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...

  • No dine-in service at Bangkok restaurants after 9pm

    No dine-in service at Bangkok restaurants after 9pm

    Bangkok officials announced a ban on dine-in services at restaurants after 7pm, but PM Prayut Chan-o-cha quickly changed the order to allow people to eat at the restaurants until 9pm, saying an earlier-hour ban would have a negative impact on the restaurant owners and the economy. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration had announced this morning that restaurants in the capital would only…

  • Latest details of Covid restrictions and locations in Thailand | VIDEO

    Latest details of Covid restrictions and locations in Thailand | VIDEO

    UPDATE: From tomorrow (Tuesday), restaurants will be required to close to in-dining customers, from 7pm to 6am.   Restrictions are now in place, as of midnight last night, as the latest mitigations against Thailand’s Covid-19 outbreak. The outbreak, which kicked off on December 20 last year, has now reached most of Thailand’s provinces, some more affected than others, and that…

  • New restrictions in place, get ready for additional screening at airports | VIDEO

    New restrictions in place, get ready for additional screening at airports | VIDEO

    Good morning and sawasdee krub from the Phuket Domestic Terminal. Additional restrictions announced today in relation to the 28 provincial red zones are now in affect. You can read the latest about these restrictions here… https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/update-new-restrictions-come-into-force-in-thailand-from-today Keep up to date with all the latest Covid restrictions and changes to our lives here in Thailand at thethaiger.com

  • UPDATE: New restrictions come into force in Thailand from today

    UPDATE: New restrictions come into force in Thailand from today

    Some new restrictions have been introduced and others tightened as the Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced the latest list of restrictions taking effect from today. The latest list was published in the Royal Gazette yesterday and are now in force. On Friday the BMA suggested that restaurants in Bangkok may be prevented from providing in house dining, and providing take…

  • Thai Restaurant Association asks PM not to restrict in-dining services

    Thai Restaurant Association asks PM not to restrict in-dining services

    As the 4 day New Year long weekend comes to a close, there are a number of proposed restrictions looming as the CCSA battles to contain the latest outbreaks of cases, particularly in and around Bangkok and the nearby easter provinces. There is currently a proposal to restrict Bangkok’s restaurants to take away services only, as well as full travel…

  • More closures in Bangkok as BMA mulls further restrictions

    More closures in Bangkok as BMA mulls further restrictions

    • High risk entertainment venues closed • BMA’s 437 schools closed for at least 2 weeks • CCSA considering restricting Bangkok restaurants to take-any only services only The Bangkok Metropolitan Organisation has closed “high risk’ venues around Bangkok as of midnight last night. The city’s 437 public schools run by the BMA have also been ordered to close until at least January 17.…

  • Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok, declared Covid-19 controlled zone

    Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok, declared Covid-19 controlled zone

    Nonthaburi, the province directly north of Bangkok, is now declared a Covid-19 controlled zone. Nonthaburi’s Bang Yai central market has been placed under “maximum control”. The 7 floor Pink Condominium has been locked down until January 12, as the 2nd wave of coronavirus continues to spread in Thailand. Outside greater Bangkok, high risk areas have also been declared in Rayong…

  • Fewer travellers at Bangkok bus and rail stations as Covid worries take hold

    Fewer travellers at Bangkok bus and rail stations as Covid worries take hold

    It’s a lot quieter at Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong train station and the Chatuchak bus terminal as Covid-19 restrictions take hold in the capital, leading some passengers to cancel their travel plans. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has already urged people not to travel unless absolutely necessary. Public transport stations in Bangkok have implemented strict hygiene measures, including socially-distanced seating and the mandatory…

  • Cluster of 22 infections traced to 3 Bangkok restaurants

    Cluster of 22 infections traced to 3 Bangkok restaurants

    The Public Health Ministry has named 3 Bangkok eateries thought to be linked to 22 new cases of Covid-19 in the capital. Dr Wichan Pawan from the Institute for Urban Disease Control and Prevention says several people who have tested positive for the virus can be traced to one of the restaurants. They are Saeb E-san Karaoke in Thewet, and…

  • 6 senior police transferred after Bangkok gambling raid

    6 senior police transferred after Bangkok gambling raid

    A Bangkok police chief and 5 senior officers have been transferred for alleged negligence of duty following a gambling den raid in Bangkok’s Laksi area. The Metropolitan Police Bureau will investigate to determine whether the officers had any involvement in the illegal gambling operation. Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau raided the venue in the Thung Song Hong area and arrested 94…

  • COVID UPDATE: Bangkok bans, Anutin quarantined, another patient dies | VIDEO

    COVID UPDATE: Bangkok bans, Anutin quarantined, another patient dies | VIDEO

    A video summary of the current situation, today, as The Thaiger continues to keep you up to date with all the latest news about the current Covid-19 outbreak. The BMA’s order includes… bars with hostesses, horse racing tracks, cock-fighting arenas and massage parlours. But pubs and restaurants can stay open as long as they serve only food and drinks, and…

  • Police arrest 89 people in Bangkok gambling den raid

    Police arrest 89 people in Bangkok gambling den raid

    Police raided a Bangkok gambling den and arrested 89 people for allegedly gambling and violating the Emergency Decree which prohibits unauthorised gatherings in crowded spaces to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The bust follows a Covid-19 outbreak at a gambling den in Rayong, around 60 kilometres from Pattaya and around 180 kilometres from Bangkok. Yesterday, a 45 year old man…

  • Bangkok entertainment venues hit with temporary closure order amid rise in cases

    Bangkok entertainment venues hit with temporary closure order amid rise in cases

    The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has ordered all entertainment venues in the capital to close until January 4, with the exception of bars and restaurants serving food and drinks. The establishments affected by the closure order include hostess bars, horseracing venues, cockfighting arenas, and massage parlours. Pubs and restaurants serving food and drinks only can remain open provided they observe strict…

  • Police called after Bangkok bus passenger removes his mask to blow his nose

    Police called after Bangkok bus passenger removes his mask to blow his nose

    Police were called after a passenger on a public Bangkok bus blew his nose and spit in a tissue. Thai media reports that the bus driver ordered the man to get off the bus in Bangkok’s Petchkasem area and that the passenger eventually agreed after the police were called. The man had removed his mask and was wiping and blowing…

  • TAT launch new Alternative State Quarantine “one stop shop” in Thailand

    TAT launch new Alternative State Quarantine “one stop shop” in Thailand

    The TAT have launched a new “one stop” shop for quarantine (Alternative State Quarantine) bookings in Thailand. The new website is designed to be a single place for booking quarantine hotels during the time when arrival in Thailand is welcomed with a mandatory 14 day stay (which seems to end up as 15 days in many cases) in a government-qualified…

  • CCSA threatens lockdowns by March “if situation spirals out of control”

    CCSA threatens lockdowns by March “if situation spirals out of control”

    The spokesperson for Thailand’s CCSA, Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, yesterday stated that, if the “situation spiralled out of control”, there would be a “nationwide lockdown by March”. The Christmas Day warning followed a week of tracking and tracing from an outbreak that centred on the Mahachai seafood market in Samut Sakhon, specifically, and Burmese migrant workers in the fishing and seafood…

  • Green transport in Bangkok’s khlongs, and it’s free | VIDEO

    Green transport in Bangkok’s khlongs, and it’s free | VIDEO

    You can still go on a completely free ride along the Khlong Phadung Krungkasem, that’s a canal that runs through some of Bangkok’s most historic areas. The Thai PM launched the new ‘green’ canal boat services at the end of November 2020. The service is operated by the Bangkok Metropolitan Organisation. As a bit of background the canal ferry boats…

  • Bangkok’s Christmas – The Thai capital gets out the tinsel | VIDEO

    Bangkok’s Christmas – The Thai capital gets out the tinsel | VIDEO

    Christmas is a time to rejoice, a chance for families to come together, for Christians to celebrate and for Thais, to get out the tinsel and dress up Bangkok. A trip along Bangkok’s shopping centre strip reveals a winter wonderland of eclectic displays and dazzling decorations. What’s amazing about all this is that Thailand is, mostly, a Buddhist country where…

  • Bangkok cosmetic surgeon sentenced to prison for patient’s death

    Bangkok cosmetic surgeon sentenced to prison for patient’s death

    A cosmetic surgeon is sentenced to 5 years in prison for the death of a woman who had a severe allergic reaction to the anaesthetic during a facelift procedure. The Thai Criminal Court sentenced the 51 year old Thanapol Thongprasert, who ran a clinic in Bangkok, to jail for recklessness causing the death of 72 year old Nattamol Prachaseri ,…

  • The best places to see 2020 Christmas lights in Bangkok

    The best places to see 2020 Christmas lights in Bangkok

    If you live in Bangkok and you’re a fan of all things Christmas, you won’t want to miss out on some of the best light installations in the capital. With the city alive with Christmas decorations, trees, and Santa installations, here’s a round-up of some of the must-see attractions. Let’s Celebrate at Central Embassy Santa Claus is everywhere at this…

  • Something fishy about the Samut Sakhon Covid outbreak – who’s responsible?

    Something fishy about the Samut Sakhon Covid outbreak – who’s responsible?

    Here are 2 resources for the above story… https://thethaiger.com/news/national/… http://www.rapid-asia.com/blog/forced… Until the weekend many people would have never heard of Samut Sakhon, a province just south west of Greater Bangkok and sharing a provincial border with the capital. The province is best known as a major hub for Thailand’s shrimp and fishing industry, packed with markets around the coastal tributaries…

  • Amnesty International campaign urges PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to drop charges pressed on protesters

    Amnesty International campaign urges PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to drop charges pressed on protesters

    The human rights group Amnesty International has launched a campaign calling on PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to drop charges pressed on a number of activists for their role in the pro-democracy movement and to repeal, or at least amend, Thailand’s draconian lèse majesté law which carries a punishment of 3 to 15 years in prison for insulting or defaming the Thai Monarchy. …

  • More than 800 Covid-19 cases now linked to seafood market

    More than 800 Covid-19 cases now linked to seafood market

    More than 800 Covid-19 cases are now linked to the Samut Sakhon province seafood market outbreak. With the largest increase in daily cases reported by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration yesterday, health officials say they are now conducting mass testing to contain the virus. As of this morning, 723 Covid-19 cases are linked to the Mahachai Market in Samut…

  • Bangkok’s commercial property market struggles through 2020

    Bangkok’s commercial property market struggles through 2020

    This year Thailand’s developers had to work around the effects of government lockdowns and restrictions because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Indeed significant changes have occurred to the commercial property market in Thailand. CBRE Research reports that the Bangkok office market suffered a significant change in the net up-take, whilst the retail market consumer confidence index fell and the hotel market…

  • Bangkok Metropolitan Administration cancels NY countdown events, asks workers to work from home

    Bangkok Metropolitan Administration cancels NY countdown events, asks workers to work from home

    The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the municipal organisation in charge of the Greater Bangkok city area, has announced that all New Year countdown events have been cancelled after new cases of Covid-19 were found in Bangkok and surrounding provinces. But organisations who have already organised events will be able to ask for specific permission. The BMA is also asking the workers…

  • 576 cases in one day – Latest test results from Samut Sakhon Covid outbreak

    576 cases in one day – Latest test results from Samut Sakhon Covid outbreak

    UPDATE: The number of cases linked to the Samut Sakhon outbreak has risen to 576. Earlier the figure was published as 516 cases. Thailand’s CCSA has announced more than 500 Covid-19 cases among migrant workers at the centre of its seafood industry, on an enormous 1-day rise in a country that had gone into mild panic after just 1 or…

  • Satirical fashion show leads to lèse majesté charges

    Satirical fashion show leads to lèse majesté charges

    A satirical fashion show led to a pair of young pro-democracy activists, one just 16 years old, to be charged with violating Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law after one of them dressed in traditional Thai dress, said to be mocking a royal consort, while the other wore a crop top. (An outfit a certain “someone” has been photographed wearing in…

  • Man nicknamed “Spider-Man” arrested in Bangkok on robbery charges

    Man nicknamed “Spider-Man” arrested in Bangkok on robbery charges

    Spider-Man was arrested in Bangkok… but not your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. It was 33 year old Somkid Taem-ngam who got the nickname “Kid Spider-Man” after he was seen using a zipline to come down from a ceiling during a robbery. Kid was previously arrested back in 2016 and recently got out of prison. He was arrested today for allegedly stealing…

  • 3 Chinese nationals arrested in Bangkok over banking app fraud

    3 Chinese nationals arrested in Bangkok over banking app fraud

    Immigration Police have arrested 3 Chinese nationals accused of a phishing scam involving the Siam Commercial Bank mobile app. The men all entered Thailand illegally and are accused of defrauding SCB customers by conning them into providing their personal data and passwords. Sompong Chingduang, chief of the Immigration Police, says Yong Hua and Yue Dian were arrested at a property…

  • Minister says Thailand plans to build spacecraft to orbit the moon within 7 years

    Minister says Thailand plans to build spacecraft to orbit the moon within 7 years

    Government minister Anek Laothamatas says that within 7 years, Thailand will have built and launched a spacecraft that will orbit and explore the moon. The Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation was speaking at a press conference at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, where an update on Covid-19 vaccines was being provided to the media. He says that, in addition to…