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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    Where to travel in Thailand in April [2025]

    Travelling in Thailand is peak during April if you are looking for a real taste of summer. With high temperatures, amazing beaches, and exciting events, April is an amazing time to visit the country as a whole. Due to the...

  • ONESIAM skywalk features Universal Design concept to enhance convenience and accessibility

    ONESIAM skywalk features Universal Design concept to enhance convenience and accessibility

    Press Release The ONESIAM elevated skywalk connecting to the Pathumwan Intersection was designed with the concept of Universal Design to cater to the urban lifestyles of the elderly, the disabled, and the general public. Today, it has become an iconic landmark that enhances the positive image and reinforces the symbol of “Universal Design City” for the good quality of life…

  • Political activist tries to derail Chadchart’s Governor election victory

    Political activist tries to derail Chadchart’s Governor election victory

    A political activist is trying to derail Chadchart Sittipunt’s Bangkok Governor election victory. The 56 year old politician claimed a landslide victory in the first gubernational election held in the city since 2013, winning almost 52% of the vote. But, following a complaint by Srisuwan Janya, the Election Commission has postponed the endorsement of the election result until this afternoon…

  • Demonstrators storm UN building to protest NPO law

    Demonstrators storm UN building to protest NPO law

    Demonstrators swarmed around the United Nations Building to the Government House this morning to denounce a government bill on non-profit organizations. Hundreds of vociferous anti-NPO demonstrators avoided a number of barriers, including barbed wire on different sections of Ratchadamnoen Road leading to government house in Bangkok, but still managed to voice their opposition to a law that will affect the…

  • Bangkok’s Bang Khun Tien district offers free sanitary pads to students

    Bangkok’s Bang Khun Tien district offers free sanitary pads to students

    The Bang Khun Tien District Office, near the mouth of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river, has given away 20,000 sanitary pads to female students in 16 public schools, in line with the policies promised by the incoming Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittphun. Last Sunday, the Director of the Bang Khun Tien District Office, Pongjakarin Thawonpong, told the media that the district office…

  • Bangkok nightlife venues frustrated with June 1 re-opening rules

    Bangkok nightlife venues frustrated with June 1 re-opening rules

    The owners of bars, clubs, and other nightlife venues in Bangkok have expressed frustration with conditions governing the June 1 re-opening. From Wednesday, such businesses can re-open, provided they are located in the 31 blue or green zones, adhere to disease prevention measures, and close by midnight. It’s the midnight closure that most are finding frustrating, with several business owners…

  • Thailand’s annual silk fair in Bangkok helps with ‘soft power’ scheme

    Thailand’s annual silk fair in Bangkok helps with ‘soft power’ scheme

    The word ‘soft power’ has exploded into Thailand’s lexicon ever since young rapper ‘Milli’ promoted the country’s signature sticky rice and mango dish last month. In its soft power scheme, Thai authorities aim to promote the ‘5 Fs’ to the rest of the world. The 5 Fs are: food, films, fashion, fighting, and festivals. Now, Thai authorities say they will…

  • Bangkok’s first ‘real’ Pride parade coming up June 5

    Bangkok’s first ‘real’ Pride parade coming up June 5

    Pride month is approaching cities across the globe, including Bangkok! On June 5, the city is expected to host its first ‘real’ pride parade. Feminist activist Siri “Tata” Nilphruek said at a press conference yesterday that in the past, Bangkok’s pride parades were just street demonstrations. But this year, the organisers hope to make pride parade “an imporant event on…

  • Governor to drain the swamp with Bangkok’s criminal fraternity

    Governor to drain the swamp with Bangkok’s criminal fraternity

    Chadchart Sittipunt made over 200 pledges prior to his landslide election victory last Sunday with the economy, environment, and health, high on his list of priorities. And when the Bangkok governor-elect vowed to clean up the metropolis, he wasn’t kidding. The 56 year old’s four-year term as governor began in earnest this week and, his agreement to use criminals to…

  • Thai PM Prayut questions Chadchart’s 200+ policies for Bangkok

    Thai PM Prayut questions Chadchart’s 200+ policies for Bangkok

    He’s only been elected for 3 days and the sniping has already started. Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has told Thai media that he is ready to work with the incoming Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt. But the PM says he’s curious how Chadchart will achieve the 200 policies he promoted during the election campaign. The PM said Chadchart would be “more powerful…

  • Former Thai PM issues death penalty warning to coup-makers

    Former Thai PM issues death penalty warning to coup-makers

    Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra last night fired a warning to the nation’s coup-makers that they could still face the death sentence in the future. Thaksin, who also turned his ire on current PM Prayut Chan-o-cha labelling him “a dictator” and someone “increasingly disconnected from reality,” says he hopes he will receive justice for the wrongs against him and punishment…

  • Disability rights activist jailed for shaming a motorist parked in a disabled bay

    Disability rights activist jailed for shaming a motorist parked in a disabled bay

    A disability rights activist was jailed after posting a picture of a motorist occupying a parking spot reserved for disabled drivers and now faces up to two years in prison for libeling the man. Manit Intharapim uploaded a picture on his Facebook page of a Toyota Hilux Revo of what he thought was someone illegally occupying a disabled parking space…

  • Former air force officer murders ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend in Bangkok

    Former air force officer murders ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend in Bangkok

    A former Royal Thai Air Force officer murdered his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend at a house in Ratchathewi district in Bangkok yesterday morning. The perpetrator broke into the couple’s home and shot dead 24 year old Fah and 25 year old Korakot before fleeing the house. Fah was shot twice in the head and body and Korakot was shot…

  • Bangkok governor-elect calls for calm and unity to get through the political storm

    Bangkok governor-elect calls for calm and unity to get through the political storm

    Chadchart Sittipunt has called for the citizens of Bangkok to put their differences to one side and come together in unity. The Bangkok governor-elect celebrated his 56th birthday yesterday with twin brother, Dr Chanchai Sittipunt, an associate professor and dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University, but still made time to send out a positive message amid squabbling…

  • Woman suffers burns as bus bursts into flames after brake failure

    Woman suffers burns as bus bursts into flames after brake failure

    A woman suffered burns to her arm as passengers fled a blazing bus outside a busy shoppin mall yesterday evening. The airconditioned and gas-fuelled bus caught fire in Nonthaburi, northwest of Bangkok, due to a failed brake system which lead to it overheating, according to the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority. Around 30 passengers fled the blaze but, unfortunately, one female…

  • AirAsia plane lands on wrong runway in Bangkok

    AirAsia plane lands on wrong runway in Bangkok

    Today, Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority – or CAAT – reported a “serious incident” which took place earlier this month. On May 4, an AirAsia Airbus A320-200 landed on the wrong runway at Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport. The Thai AirAsia aircraft departed Ranong city at 12:43 and landed on Don Muang’s unassigned 21L runway at 13:36, instead of the 21R runway…

  • Luxury Parliamentary Club open for Thai MPs with spa, karaoke and massage rooms

    Luxury Parliamentary Club open for Thai MPs with spa, karaoke and massage rooms

    The recently opened Parliament House of Thailand will have a new luxury Parliamentary Club for House of Representatives MPs and Senators to relax, with a spa, massage, karaoke room, fitness, gyms, ballroom dance and other recreation activities. Yesterday, the Chairman of the Senate committee to Organise Activities for Social Benefit and Recreational Activities of the Senate, Peerasak Porchit, took Thai…

  • Thai woman fined 54,000 baht at airport after entering country with designer brands

    Thai woman fined 54,000 baht at airport after entering country with designer brands

    A Thai woman has had an expensive lesson in Thai import duties after having had designer-brand clothing “challenged” at Suvarnabhumi Airport. She was fined 54,000 baht as she arrived at the airport from overseas when customs officials questioned her wearing expensive designer brands and travelling with luxury products in her luggage. The woman, now based in South Korea, was stopped…

  • Landslide victory for elected Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt

    Landslide victory for elected Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt

    Yesterday, Bangkok held its first governor election in eight years. Independent candidate Chadchart Sittipunt won the vote by a landslide, gaining almost 1.4 million votes, breaking the record for the highest number of votes ever in a Bangkok gubernatorial election. Of the 4.36 million people eligible to vote in the election, a total of 2,635,283 people voted yesterday, or 60.48%.…

  • Political fallout from the Bangkok governor election – OPINION

    Political fallout from the Bangkok governor election – OPINION

    The winner of the Bangkok Governor election wouldn’t normally get so many headlines except that this election did, and there’s a few reasons why, and some take aways for everyone after the results became apparent yesterday. Really, the polls have been so clear on this election, the actual poll ended up a mere formality. Although the Election Commission has not…

  • Alcohol ban in Pattaya and Bangkok today until 6pm

    Alcohol ban in Pattaya and Bangkok today until 6pm

    There’s an alcohol ban in Pattaya and Bangkok today. It will last until 6pm tonight. Alcohol sales will be banned in Pattaya and Bangkok due to the Pattaya mayoral election, and the Bangkok governor election. Polling for both is being held today. In Bangkok voting is across 50 districts where 31 candidates are vying for the position of Governor –…

  • Bangkok is off to the polls today to elect a new Governor

    Bangkok is off to the polls today to elect a new Governor

    4.4 million eligible Bangkokians head to the polls today to vote for a new Governor. Out of the 77 provincial electorates in Thailand, only Bangkok has an election for the top post. Mostly, the Governors are titular rather than political appointments and spend a lot of their time opening pre-schools and planting trees. The provincial governors are hand-picked by the…

  • Alcohol ban in Pattaya and Bangkok from 6pm Saturday

    Alcohol ban in Pattaya and Bangkok from 6pm Saturday

    We know you just can’t get enough of Thailand’s alcohol bans, so here’s another one coming up tonight for you in Pattaya and Bangkok! From 6pm tonight (Saturday) until 6pm tomorrow night, alcohol sales will be banned in Pattaya and Bangkok due to the Pattaya mayoral election, and the Bangkok governor election, both of which are tomorrow. Those who break…

  • Deputy PM demands officals to avoid being rude and offensive to residents

    Deputy PM demands officals to avoid being rude and offensive to residents

    The Deputy PM, Wissanu Krea-Ngam, today demanded government officials to stop being rude and offensive to residents and avoid violating their privacy. Wissanu was speaking at the country’s first ever national forum, Better Thailand Open Dialogue, to openly share constructive ideas leading to a better Thailand. The deputy PM acknowledged the government system has changed in the modern era and…

  • UPDATE: Bangkok governor candidates answer Russell Crowe’s questions on TV

    UPDATE: Bangkok governor candidates answer Russell Crowe’s questions on TV

    UPDATE: Bangkok governor candidates answer Russell Crowe’s questions on Thai TV Russell Crowe’s pre-recorded questions for Bangkok governor candidates were streamed on Channel 7HD’s live programme “22 May: Deciding Bangkok’s Fate” this afternoon, prior to the election coming up this Sunday. Crowe asked the questions in English, and three Bangkok governor candidates answered in Thai. Each candidate was given 2…

  • Monitor lizard stuck in water pump causes flood in Bangkok

    Monitor lizard stuck in water pump causes flood in Bangkok

    After hours of heavy rain, deep floods disrupted traffic in the Bang Khen area of Bangkok yesterday afternoon. At first, officials from the Bureau of Drainage couldn’t understand why four pumps designed to pump flood water out of the road had stopped working. When they checked the machinery, they found a huge monitor lizard – or “tua hia” in Thai…

  • Bangkok University to stream classes by Bill Clinton, Natalie Portman, Gordon Ramsay

    Bangkok University to stream classes by Bill Clinton, Natalie Portman, Gordon Ramsay

    Bangkok University is the first in the world to collaborate with MasterClass to provide over 150 streamed online classes by internationally renowned celebrities and experts in various fields. The university hopes the unconventional learning style will inspire students to develop their own skills, foster their creativity, improve their performance and set them up for success. Students will get the chance…

  • Alcohol sales ban planned for Pattaya and Bangkok elections

    Alcohol sales ban planned for Pattaya and Bangkok elections

    Following Thailand’s alcohol ban for the Buddhist holiday of Visakha Bucha Day, Pattaya and Bangkok dwellers can prepare for yet another alcohol ban coming just a week later! The upcoming alcohol sales ban will begin on Saturday, May 21, at 6pm, and last for 24 hours until Sunday, May 22, at 6pm. The ban is in light of Pattaya’s Mayoral…

  • Foreigner claims Bangkok taxi driver overcharged on a Thai holy day

    Foreigner claims Bangkok taxi driver overcharged on a Thai holy day

    A Reddit user has posted about an experience of using a Taxi service in Bangkok… “Bangkok Scam on Vesak Day” (the Visakha Bucha Day Buddhist holiday). The user claimed the driver overcharged him and asked for a toll fee for the highway even though the toll was waived on the day. On Monday the aggrieved passenger posted pictures of the…

  • Flooding in Bangkok after 10 hours of torrential rain

    Flooding in Bangkok after 10 hours of torrential rain

    Bangkok has flooded in many areas after 10 hours of torrential rain beginning at 3pm yesterday and continuing into the early hours of this morning, according to the Department of Drainage and Sewage. The most affected areas are Chatuchak, Lak Si, Don Mueang and Lat Phrao. In some places, the water level has reached higher than 1 metre. The floods…

  • Russell Crowe to question Bangkok governor candidates live on TV

    Russell Crowe to question Bangkok governor candidates live on TV

    On Thursday May 19, Russell Crowe and six other celebrities will ask questions to seven Bangkok governor candidates live on TV prior to the election which will be held on Sunday, May 22. From 4:15pm – 6pm on Thursday, Channel 7HD will air the live programme “22 May: Deciding Bangkok’s Fate” hosted by Tin Chokkamolkij. Seven Bangkok governor candidates will…