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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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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UPDATE: Former Special Branch Officer names police involved in illegal casino operation
UPDATE An ex-Special Branch Bureau officer has revealed the names of police involved in the operation of an illegal casino in Bangkok that was raided last Friday and denies he had any part of it. Former Pol Lt Col Santana Prayoonrat was discharged from the police service 20 years ago after obstructing officers from making arrests in regards to an…
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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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4.3 million baht seized in police raid on illegal casino
A police raid that seized 4.3 million baht from an illegal underground gambling den has sparked a bizarre war of words between the authorities and a nongovernmental organisation. More than 4.3 million baht was seized after police raided an illegal casino hidden on the underground floor of the Ayothaya Tower on Ratchadapisak Soi 18 in Huay Kwang district of Bangkok.…
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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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UPDATE: Bangkok Chinatown fire death toll jumps to 2
UPDATE The death toll has risen after the fire in Bangkok’s Chinatown this morning. While 1 person was reported dead at the Sampeng market earlier today, that number has now jumped to 2. The bodies of the man and woman killed by the blaze were reportedly burnt beyond recognition. The man is identified as 34 year old Phetduang, and the…
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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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Bangkok approves 7 places to protest under Public Assembly Act
Bangkok has announced 7 public places where people can protest under the Public Assembly Act but stipulated that protestors must inform the relevant authorities before using the venues. Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt today signed a law declaration to approve the 7 public places in Bangkok. According to the statement, clarifying the specific places in Bangkok would help the city avoid…
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Passengers still required to wear face masks on BTS Skytrain
Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain operator today insisted that all passengers still have to wear a face mask on their trains and around the platform area despite an announcement on the Royal Gazette platform that face mask wearing is now voluntary in Thailand. The Royal Gazette last night surprised people in Thailand with the official announcement that wearing masks is voluntary in…
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Bangkok’s Bon Kai community fire victims provided free accommodation for a month
The National Housing Authority has offered temporary accommodation for victims of a fire at Bon Kai Community in Bangkok. The authority says residents can stay free for a month and then pay 999 baht per month after that. The fire broke out on Tuesday at the Bon Kai Community on Rama 4 Road in the Pathumwan district of Bangkok. Fortunately,…
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Motorbike rider dies in crash after argument with another rider
A motorbike rider crashed into an electric pole on a sidewalk and died after arguing with another rider on a road in Bangkok. Piyapong Suwarot got into an argument with a teenage motorbike rider, who accused the older man of cutting him off, on Pracha Uthit Road in the Tung Kru district of Bangkok. As a consequence, the 47 year…
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Prison doctor allegedly threatened to shoot his female patient
A prison doctor allegedly threatened to shoot his female patient because he does not believe in her political beliefs. Political activist, Natchanit “Baipor” Duangmusit, was jailed on May 3 after being charged on April 28 with defamation of the Thai royal family under Section 112 of the nation’s criminal code, also known as lèse majesté laws. Baipor, and another female…
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Commuters asked not to flick hair on the BTS Skytrain
Here we go again. Commuters on the BTS Skytrain with long hair have been asked to refrain from flicking their hair because there is a danger it will hit the faces of other commuters, especially during rush hours, the BTS Skytrain operator says. Several commuters complained about passengers flipping their hair on the train and, on occasion, accidentally hitting the…
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Bangkok’s plan to become the Venice of the East… again
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt yesterday met with the Federation of Thai Industries president to plan a grand project to turn the Hua Lamphong Canal into an example of the Venice of the East, an oft-mentioned nickname for Bangkok in the past. The 56 year old Chadchart met with Kriengkrai Thiennukul to discuss a solution to improving the city’s water quality,…
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Grab bike ‘taxis’ forced to get commercial licenses in Thailand
A win for ‘Win’ motorcycle taxi riders today after new rules force Grab riders into the same transportation regulations. Of course, the new rules will probably force up the prices for Grab bikes from next month when the app-based ride-hailing service will have to comply with the same rules governing ‘Win Motocy’ motorcycle taxi riders. The orange-safety-vest-clad Win drivers are…
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Man dies after being hit by SRT Dark Red Line train in Bangkok
An unidentified man was reported dead after being hit by a Dark Red Line train, of the State Railway of Thailand, between Lak Hok and Don Mueng Stations. The train operator, SRT Electrified Train Company Limited, insisted that the man wasn’t a passenger and sneaked into the restricted area for some other unknown reason. The official Facebook page of the…
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30 houses destroyed in Bangkok blaze
A fire in Bangkok gutted about 30 houses in the city’s Pathumwan district yesterday. Locals whose homes were burned to the ground were housed at a temporary shelter near a community centre, and received relief services. Four of the locals suffered from smoke inhalation, and traffic in the area was closed to help a bedridden patient reach King Chulalongkorn Memorial…
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Jealous policeman murders wife and daughter before committing suicide
A police lieutenant driven by a jealous rage murdered his wife and teenage daughter before committing suicide. Officers from Tung Kru Police Station were called to a resident’s home, in Soi Pracha Uthit 54 in Bangkok, yesterday morning and found the body of 57 year old Pongsakorn Thawekaew and his 39 year old wife, Benjawan Wuttisarn, in one bedroom, and…
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Chinese woman dies in road accident in Bangkok
A young Chinese woman was struck and killed while crossing the road in Bangkok in the early hours of this morning. The woman was crossing over the 3 lane road at Ratchavipha intersection on Ratchadapisek Road in Chatuchak district when she was struck by a car at around 00:50am. Police are checking CCTV cameras to confirm the details of the…
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BMTA bus driver uses umbrella to keep rain out of his cab
A bus driver has embarrassed his bosses at Bangkok Mass Transit Authority by driving his vehicle while holding an umbrella over his head to keep the rain off. The bus driver uploaded the picture of himself on Facebook to show his bosses the old bus he drives desperately requires some much-needed maintenance. Unsurprisingly the post went viral. The picture was…
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Chadchart’s plan to complete a cable project started in 1984
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt revealed a plan to complete a project to rid the metropolis of its eyesore cables that was first started in 1984. Chadchart revealed a 2-part plan to finish the 38 year old project to remove the city’s messy power cables, replace them with new, and bury them beneath the ground. The 56 year old governor yesterday…
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Bangkok man steals gold valued at 2 million baht after his crypto stash tanked
The impact of the crypto crisis is rearing its head in Bangkok. Yesterday, a man stole necklaces valued at 2 million baht from a gold shop in Phra Nakhon district of Thailand’s capital city. The man entered the gold shop before pulling out a gun, waving it at staff and customers. The shop’s owner, staff, and customers all fled to…
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Bangkok’s protestors keep up the fight against Prayut
Bangkok’s anti-government protestors are keeping up the fight to pressure Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to step down. Protestors staged their “Second Walk to Chase Tu” last night, moving from Royal Thai Police headquarters to Din Daeng intersection in the centre of Bangkok. The spot is close to Prayut’s residence ‘Tu’ and ‘Uncle Tu’ are Prayut’s nicknames, often used not so…
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