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?...

  • Overcharging, drugs and weapons: Police arrest 30 motorbike taxi ‘Win’ drivers in Bangkok

    Overcharging, drugs and weapons: Police arrest 30 motorbike taxi ‘Win’ drivers in Bangkok

    Thai police cracked down on naughty ‘Win’ motorbike taxi drivers in Bangkok, Thailand, at the weekend and found no shortage of criminal activity. During April 15-17, police arrested 30 ‘Win’ drivers for a wide range of offences, mostly for overcharging passengers, but also for carrying weapons, drugs, and other traffic violations. Bangkok residents and tourists alike depend on the orange…

  • Chinese man kidnapped and stuffed in a box for ransom in Thailand

    Chinese man kidnapped and stuffed in a box for ransom in Thailand

    A wealthy Chinese man was kidnapped from his condo in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday. He was stuffed into a plastic box and transported to Hua Hin for the night and held for a ransom of nearly 4 million baht by a gang of Thai kidnappers, including his ex-girlfriend who is a beauty pageant contestant. It turns out the victim is wanted…

  • Teenage mum finds lifeless body of one year old baby daughter dead in Bangkok

    Teenage mum finds lifeless body of one year old baby daughter dead in Bangkok

    A heartbroken 17 year old mother yesterday contacted the police after discovering her one year old baby daughter dead on the bed in their rented room in the Tung Khru district of Bangkok. The circumstances surrounding the child’s untimely death remains a mystery, and a thorough investigation is currently underway. The family of the girl reported the baby’s death to…

  • Bangkok taxi driver condemned for ripping off foreign tourists

    Bangkok taxi driver condemned for ripping off foreign tourists

    Thai netizens condemned a Bangkok taxi driver for ripping off two foreign tourists. The driver was caught on a viral video charging the tourists 700 baht for about a 7 kilometre trip which was considered almost seven times more expensive than the standard fare. On Saturday, April 15, the Facebook page called Let Me Know If You Wanna Be Famous…

  • 8 victims injured during RCA Songkran party shooting in Bangkok

    8 victims injured during RCA Songkran party shooting in Bangkok

    Police arrested a gunman in connection with a shooting at a Songkran party in front of Onyx bar at the popular entertainment venue Royal City Avenue (RCA) in Bangkok in the early hours of this morning. Four victims were injured by gunfire, while four others were hurt while trying to flee the scene. Officers from Makkasan Police Station were notified…

  • Prime minister’s unexpected trip to Khao San Road

    Prime minister’s unexpected trip to Khao San Road

    Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha made a surprising appearance at Khao San Road on Friday, taking part in a lively water fight with enthusiastic locals and tourists. Gen. Prayut, the United Thai Nation Party’s prime ministerial candidate, arrived at the well-known location for Songkran festivities on Friday afternoon, accompanied by key party members. Upon arrival, he engaged in a discussion about…

  • EC justifies Songkran trips to monitor early voting

    EC justifies Songkran trips to monitor early voting

    The Election Commission (EC) in Thailand has come under scrutiny after all six of its members travelled abroad during the Songkran holiday on taxpayer-funded inspection visits. Former election commissioner and current MP candidate for the Seri Ruam Thai Party, Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, criticized the move, questioning the purpose and timing of the trips, given that the General Election has not yet…

  • Limited access to Khao San Road due to overcrowding

    Limited access to Khao San Road due to overcrowding

    Police temporarily blocked access to the renowned backpacker haven of Khao San Road last night, as the Songkran event attracted an overwhelming number of participants. Police are urging new visitors to await the departure of those already at the venue before entering the 400-metre-long road in Phra Nakhon district. Songkran festivities kicked off yesterday and are expected to continue well…

  • K-pop dance by Thai soldiers sparks controversy and admiration among netizens

    K-pop dance by Thai soldiers sparks controversy and admiration among netizens

    Thai soldiers came under fire from Thai netizens after they danced to K-pop music in the Siam neighbourhood of Bangkok last weekend. The soldiers also had a few admirers and many praised the soldier group for their talent. A Smile Army Facebook page posted a video of the soldiers dancing to K-pop music on Sunday, April 9. In the video,…

  • Porsche driver caught using fake registration plate to avoid tollway fees

    Porsche driver caught using fake registration plate to avoid tollway fees

    A 69 year old Porsche driver who has a history of repeated traffic offences was charged by the police. The driver had been using a fake license plate to evade tollway fees on 22 separate occasions. The police took action after receiving a complaint from the legitimate owner of the license plate. Last year, Thailand introduced a new payment system…

  • Thai woman fined 5,000 baht for getting boobs out at erotic pre-Songkran party

    Thai woman fined 5,000 baht for getting boobs out at erotic pre-Songkran party

    Police fined a nightclub owner 20,000 baht and a sexy Thai woman 5,000 baht after she got her boobs out and danced erotically at a Songkran party in Samut Prakarn province near Bangkok last week. Several entertainment venues in Bangkok have warmed up for the Thai New Year by hosting pre-Songkran events and parties before the official festival gets underway.…

  • Bangkok rescue volunteers brawl over territory

    Bangkok rescue volunteers brawl over territory

    It turns out, turf battles happen even among rescue volunteers. Rescue volunteer teams from Ruamkatanyu and Petchkasem foundations brawled over territory on Monday night following a motorcycle accident on Bamrung Road, TV Channel 7 reported. The teams initially attempted to negotiate but the talks turned into an argument, leading to members of both groups attacking each other. More rescuers from both…

  • Bangkok backpacker haven Khao San Road to close from noon to 8pm for Songkran

    Bangkok backpacker haven Khao San Road to close from noon to 8pm for Songkran

    Khao San Business Association today announced that the Bangkok backpacker haven will be closed for business between noon and 8pm every day so revellers can enjoy the Songkran celebrations. Businesses, bars and restaurants will reopen as usual straight after the 8pm cut off. Khao San Business Association President Sanga Ruangwattanakul revealed that the closure of Khao San Road, for the…

  • Repeat offender arrested in Bangkok after drugging woman, swindling over 1 million baht

    Repeat offender arrested in Bangkok after drugging woman, swindling over 1 million baht

    The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau arrested a Thai man at a shopping mall in the Sukhumvit neighbourhood of Bangkok yesterday after he allegedly drugged and swindled over 1 million baht from a woman. He was twice arrested on the same charge last year. The scammer, 32 year old Phachara Ninjiasakun, was arrested inside the shopping mall following a complaint made…

  • Splash into Songkran! Silom Road to remain open for water fights in Bangkok

    Splash into Songkran! Silom Road to remain open for water fights in Bangkok

    Bang Rak District Office officially announced that Silom Road, a popular destination for water fights in Bangkok during Songkran, will remain open this year. Locals and tourists can take part in the water fights on the streets and sidewalks of each Soi. After three years of being affected by the pandemic, the Songkran Festival and its accompanying water fights will…

  • South Korean Embassy in Thailand ‘boogies’ to celebrate Songkran Festival (video)

    South Korean Embassy in Thailand ‘boogies’ to celebrate Songkran Festival (video)

    The South Korean Embassy in Thailand got down and boogied in preparation for this week’s Songkran Festival. The embassy staff, including the South Korean Ambassador to Thailand, Moon Seoung-hyun, got into the Thai New Year festive spirit by taking part in the traditional “Ram Thai” dance. The two-minute video went viral, receiving over 400,000 views in just four days on…

  • Thai man stalked for 5 years by foreigner fluent in Thai, police unable to act

    Thai man stalked for 5 years by foreigner fluent in Thai, police unable to act

    A man from Thailand took to social media to reveal that he had been stalked for five years by a foreigner who could speak Thai. He also stated that the police were unable to apprehend the foreigner as the case did not qualify as a blatant offence. Preecha Kaiyasa took to TikTok to share a video of the moment when…

  • Thai woman attempts to commit suicide at a neighbour’s house in Bangkok

    Thai woman attempts to commit suicide at a neighbour’s house in Bangkok

    A Thai woman survived a suicide attempt at a neighbour’s house in Bangkok yesterday. The homeowner, a 70 year old woman named Kannika, alerted a rescue team after discovering a woman, later identified as 35 year old Bee, cut her own throat in her house in Soi Thoet Thai 21 in the Thon Buri district of Bangkok. Upon arrival, the…

  • Prominent Thai doctor a suspect in case surrounding Chinese surrogacy gang

    Prominent Thai doctor a suspect in case surrounding Chinese surrogacy gang

    A prominent Thai doctor is a suspect in a case surrounding a Chinese surrogacy gang, Nation Thailand reported yesterday. This news comes after police raided a five-storey building in Bangkok’s Silom area on Tuesday, and found that a gang of Chinese and Myanmar nationals were holding two Chinese men for ransom. Police said the two victims were using the building to…

  • Crooked trail of corruption uncovered after cops arrest bent revenue director for soliciting bribes

    Crooked trail of corruption uncovered after cops arrest bent revenue director for soliciting bribes

    Royal Thai Police (RTP) yesterday uncovered a crooked trail of corruption worth 7 million baht following the arrest of an alleged bent government revenue director. RTP officers arrested, Pramual Saengkaewsri, a director in the Ratchathewi district of Bangkok on Wednesday in a hotel carpark as part of a police sting. The 57 year old was apprehended for soliciting bribes amounting to 3 million baht from a…

  • British tourist smashes up Bangkok 7-Eleven (video)

    British tourist smashes up Bangkok 7-Eleven (video)

    Thai police arrested a young British man for destroying property at a 7-Eleven convenience store in the Pathumwan district of Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday at 3am. In a bizarre TikTok clip filmed by a European onlooker, the British tourist picks up various items inside the 7-Eleven and launches them at the door in an attempt to smash the glass. Although…

  • 10 secret hidden bars in Bangkok

    10 secret hidden bars in Bangkok

    Bangkok, Thailand’s bustling capital, is a city known for its vibrant nightlife and a seemingly endless array of bars and clubs. But for those who crave a unique experience away from the typical tourist hotspots, the city also boasts hidden gems waiting to be discovered. This exclusive guide will unveil 10 secret hidden bars in Bangkok, each with its distinct…

  • Maldivian tourist caught smuggling 25 live birds out of Thailand

    Maldivian tourist caught smuggling 25 live birds out of Thailand

    Officials at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok caught a tourist attempting to smuggle 25 exotic live birds out of Thailand on a flight to the Maldives yesterday morning, reports KhaoSod. Customs officials made quite the discovery when they inspected luggage destined to board flight PG711 to Malé in the Maldives at 9.20am, reported Prasert Sornsathapornkul, the Director of the Division for the…

  • Man returns 75,500 baht he found at Bangkok ATM

    Man returns 75,500 baht he found at Bangkok ATM

    A Thai man was praised for his honesty after he returned 75,500 baht he found at a Bangkok petrol station cash machine to its rightful owner. Lampakchee Police Station announced on its official Facebook page that Abdulrorsa Alqasim, a 22 year old Thai man, is a model citizen and an inspiration to the Lampakchee community for returning the money to…

  • Paint-spraying hooligan strikes again: Women in Bangkok demand justice

    Paint-spraying hooligan strikes again: Women in Bangkok demand justice

    Several Thai women took to social media after becoming victims of a drunken spray paint hooligan in the Bang Na neighbourhood of Bangkok. The hooligan reportedly sprayed red paint on their pants in an unprovoked attack as they walked by. One female victim took to Twitter on March 30 to post pictures of her pants with red paint and issued…

  • Governor Chadchart aims for no more than 6 deaths in Bangkok this Songkran

    Governor Chadchart aims for no more than 6 deaths in Bangkok this Songkran

    Governor of Bangkok Chadchart Sittipunt said that he hopes no more than six people will die during Songkran festivities in the capital of Thailand from April 13-15. Yesterday, Governor Chadchart chaired a meeting with Bangkok Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee to discuss measures to prevent alcohol-fuelled accidents, injuries, and deaths in Bangkok this Thai New Year. The committee will implement measures…

  • Bangkok Police rescue 2 underage girls from prostitution ring

    Bangkok Police rescue 2 underage girls from prostitution ring

    Bangkok Police swooped on a karaoke bar in the capital’s Don Mueang district and rescued two underage teenage girls forced into prostitution. The mamasan, who is said to have been orchestrating the operation, has been charged with multiple offences, including human trafficking. Acting on a tip from informants who believed that the establishment was involved in human trafficking, officers descended…

  • Taiwanese foodie eats 61 bowls at Bangkok noodle restaurant (video)

    Taiwanese foodie eats 61 bowls at Bangkok noodle restaurant (video)

    The Taiwanese foodie who hit the headlines for winning a 3 kilogramme chicken and rice eating challenge in Bangkok, Thailand, last month wowed netizens again by eating 61 bowls of food at a noodle restaurant in Phaya Thai district in a new YouTube video. Before heading to the noodle Kuay Tiew Ruathong restaurant, the tiny Taiwanese woman with a seemingly…

  • Engineering student fatally gunned down near Bangkok police station

    Engineering student fatally gunned down near Bangkok police station

    Royal Thai Police reported an engineering student was fatally gunned down last night in the Bangkok Noi district. The victim, Satthawat Robroo, was attacked while riding his motorcycle about 300 metres from a police station in Bangkok Noi district. The 23 year old first year Pathumwan Institute of Technology engineering student was fatally gunned down by multiple gunshots near the…

  • Thai lottery winner gets drunk and falls asleep in Bangkok’s overhead cables

    Thai lottery winner gets drunk and falls asleep in Bangkok’s overhead cables

    Bangkok’s haphazard overhead cables made a comfy bed for a drunk Thai lottery winner yesterday, according to local neighbourhood watch Facebook page “Khlong Toei Land.” Officers from Thong Lor Police Station, rescue workers, and electricity authority officials were called to the scene at the entrance of Soi Phai Singto, off the Rama 4 Road in Khlong Toei district, at around…