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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Sponsored 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?...
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Tourists returning to Bangkok’s Khao San Road
The president of a business operators association on Bangkok’s tourist-trap of Khao San Road says the tourism numbers are making a comeback. This news comes following Thailand Pass‘s eased entry requirements for foreign arrivals, making travelling to Thailand slightly less tedious since May 1. The president told the Bangkok Post that the number of tourists to the walking street still doesn’t…
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University in Bangkok seeks approval for trials of its Covid-19 vaccine
One Bangkok university developing an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine is seeking approval from Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration to start the first 2 phases of trials of the vaccine on humans. The school, Chulalongkorn University, sent the vaccine for human trials in the US for the first phase, and the vaccine will be produced by BioNet-Asia in the second phase. The…
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Man defecates in authority’s pickup truck in Bangkok area – VIDEO
Finished your lunch or dinner? OK… A man ha defecated on the backseat of an authority’s pickup truck in Min Buri, on the outskirts of Bangkok yesterday. Yep, you read that right! The authorities had stopped the man because they wanted to confiscate his motorcycle and put it in their truck after he parked on the sidewalk. Thai media reports…
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New Japanese food export platform launched in Bangkok
Following Japanese PM Fumio Kishida’s visit to Thailand, Japan has launched a new platform in Bangkok. The platform, called Japan Food Export Platform, is meant to help boost exports of Japanese farm products and foodstuffs. At a meeting yesterday, Thailand’s Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Sri-on said that talks between the countries are “a good opportunity” to strengthen their agricultural…
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Celebrity dentist accused of ‘online’ sexual assault by masturbating in front of two sisters
A “celebrity dentist” who is famous on Thai TikTok, now stands accused of sexual assault after 2 female teenagers file a complaint saying he made a video call and masturbated in front of their faces. 13 year old and 17 year old teenagers contacted a local news page to ask for help. ‘อยากดังเดี๋ยวจัดให้ รีเทริน์ part 3’ revealed on their private…
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Bangkok to impose tobacco tax for the first time
Bangkok is planning to introduce a tobacco tax of up to 10 satang per cigarette, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (there are 100 satang in a Thai baht). The BMA announced this week that this will be the first time Bangkok will impose a tax on tobacco, which will push the price of cigarettes up by 1.86 baht per…
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Foreigner kills 1 Frenchman and 1 Thai woman in gun incident
At a cold-meats company in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit neighbourhood, a Frenchman and a Thai woman have been found dead. The shots all appeared to have been fired from the same 9mm gun, while another Frenchman was wounded in the incident. The body of a dead Frenchman, 66 year old Marc Lohberger, was discovered in the kitchen on the ground floor of…
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“There may be a substitute prime minister,” says deputy PM Prawit
If Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha fails to hold his position as PM, “there may be a substitute prime minister”, according to deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan. However, PM Prayut said he hasn’t heard anything about a potential stand-in for his post. Palang Pracharat, and coalition MPs have continued to publicly support the current PM, but say, if the position was to…
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Man breaks into restricted areas at Suvarnabhumi Airport, one injured – VIDEO
An armed man, apparently high on drugs, was arrested yesterday after driving a motorbike onto the runway area of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. One officer was slightly injured in pursuit of the man. Yesterday, the Director of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Kittipong Kittikachon, explained in a statement saying the man accessed the restricted areas, including the tarmacs, taxiing areas and runways, about 11.50am.…
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“No pants for women, only black shoes for men”. Internet trolls Thai conference dress code
Dress code details for an upcoming scientific event in Bangkok has the internet in a cosmic quandary. International physicists are finding themselves scratching their head over the obscure dress code requirements for the event’s opening day that harken back to the 1950s. The 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference is being held at the Impact exhibition and convention centre on the…
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Floor of Bangkok condo collapses, 1 killed
One floor of a condominium in the Bang Sue district of Bangkok has collapsed between last night and this morning, killing a construction worker. Five other people were also injured when the floor came crashing down. It’s still unknown which floor in the 27 storey building collapsed, however, engineers and forensic investigators are inspecting the site today. The condo is…
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A solution for infected people to vote during Bangkok’s governor election
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health insists that the voice of even Covid-19 infected people won’t go unnoticed. The ministry says they’ve got a solution for infected residents to vote for their new Bangkok governor. The 11th election for the governorship of Bangkok will be held on May 22. It will take place 9 years after the last Governor election in…
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UPDATE: Police arrest taxi driver who robbed drunken foreigner asleep on sidewalk
Following the report of a drunken foreigner who got robbed by a taxi driver while sleeping on the sidewalk in Bangkok, police have already arrested the suspect. The taxi driver said he meant to just wake the foreigner up, but the man’s assets ‘enticed’ him. Last Sunday, a local Thai news Facebook page reported that a taxi driver had robbed a…
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BTS urges passengers not to cross their legs while sitting
Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain is asking for cooperation from the passengers to avoid crossing their legs while sitting on the train during a rush hour to avoid annoying people… Yesterday, the official Facebook page รถไฟฟ้าบีทีเอส (BTS Skytrain) published a post saying… “We ask for your cooperation, please do not cross your legs while sitting on the skytrain. Admin would like to…
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80 year old noodle shop in Bangkok temporarily closed due to expensive ingredients
A well-known noodle shop named Look Chin Pla Ban Tad Thong in Bangkok has temporarily closed after 80 years in service. “We have to close all branches temporarily. We have never seen ingredients this expensive before,” said the shop’s owner. Since the pandemic hit, many businesses have closed down. Areas that were previously bustling have become quiet. Businesses hoped that…
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Truck drivers rally in Bangkok against spiking diesel price
Now that Thailand has announced the upcoming end of its diesel price cap, Bangkok truckers have rallied today to demand that the price cap continues. Currently, the price for diesel is capped is 30 baht per litre. But On Tuesday, Thailand’s Energy Minister said the retail price is now at 40 baht per litre, so the government have had to…
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Don’t get sick at Suvarnabhumi Airport! Emergency response can be pricey.
A Thai man has posted the story about his father, saying his father was a taxi driver and became ill while waiting for passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport. He claimed the airport allowed only their ’emergency response team’ to transport his father to a nearby hospital and charged him a hefty 13,000 baht for the pleasure! He added that poor people…
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Sun will be directly overhead at noon today in Thailand
Grab your parasols. For a few minutes at noon today, pedestrians in Thailand won’t see their shadows on the sidewalk. That’s because at exactly 12:16pm, April 27, the sun will appear directly overhead in the Land of Smiles. However, the Meteorological Department says this does not guarantee that Wednesday will be the hottest day of the year, due to forecasted…
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US company opens medical marijuana clinic in Thailand
A US cannabis company has jointly opened a medical marijuana clinic in Thailand, making it the first foreign franchise to do so. The clinic, located on Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Soi 13, treats Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cancer, eating disorders and insomnia. The clinic predicts that changes to Thai laws in July will allow them to give patients THC-dominant products for research purposes. Smoking…
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Tangmo: Police conclude Thai actress died of ‘recklessness’, 6 suspects charged
Following a monthslong investigation into the death of Thai actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong, police have finally charged all 5 of her boating buddies, plus a man who allegedly coached them, with various offences, including recklessness leading to death, lying to police and concealing evidence. At a press conference today at the headquarters of Provincial Police Region 1 in Bangkok, police…
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More than 2,000 locals queue up to claim Covid-19 insurance after companies go broke
More than 2,000 Thais queued up at Suan Lum Night Bazaar Ratchdapisek in Bangkok to claim money from their Covid-19 insurance. Thais use the phrase “Found-Paid-Done” for the collection of insurance monies owed to them. The office of the Thai Insurance Commission is adjacent to the Suan Lum Night Bazaar. Some people had slept in front of the building for…
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UPDATE: Policeman who killed eye doctor at Bangkok zebra crossing out on bail
UPDATE: The Thai policeman who earlier today was sentenced to 1 year and 15 days in prison for driving his Ducati motorbike into a woman killing her at a zebra crossing in Bangkok, has now been released on bail. Bail was posted this afternoon at 200,000 baht. The 21 year old policeman will now be free whilst his lawyer and…
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Bangkok taxi driver photographs himself raping 17 year old girl from Myanmar
A Bangkok taxi driver has photographed himself raping a Burmese teenager earlier this month. The girl had been in Bangkok seeking a job, and she told police her aunt made a Facebook post to try to help her find one. Investigators say the alleged rapist, 39 year old Adirek Sae Bae, commented on the post and said he would employ…
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Prison guard under investigation for blackmail
After a guard at the Thonburi Women’s Correctional Institute in Bangkok was suspected of corruption and bribery, an investigation is now underway. In return for alleged special treatment, the guard wanted money from the family of a prisoner. The guard, who has not been named, is now suspended during the investigation and will be fired if proven guilty. Somsak Thepsuthin,…
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Lost cat with a 300,000 baht reward FOUND near home in Nonthaburi
Who let the cat out? A chubby kitty who ran away has wandered back home all on her own (as some cats do). Manee, a Scottish Fold, had been missing since Sunday, until 1am yesterday, when a security guard at a residential compound in Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok, spotted her and she dashed into a neighbour’s home. She was…
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Police seize 100 fake visa documents and work permits offered for Thais to work aboard
The Immigration Bureau reports that they raided a Bangkok company that allegedly offered fake documents and visas for Thai people who wanted to work aboard. The officers say they found counterfeit documents for submitting to the embassy and fake work permits for applying for work with more than 60 companies in foreign countries. Yesterday, the immigration police reported that their…
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New west-side Bangkok hospital rail lines delayed
Thailand’s transport ministry announced yesterday that two new Bangkok rail lines have been delayed. The lines are the SRT’s Light Red Line, and the MRTA’s Orange Line, both of which will connect with Siriraj Hospital. The ministry’s permanent secretary said the two transit lines have not yet been built as the ministry is still working on a feasibility study. He…
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Cost to repair Don Mueang damage estimated at 20 million baht
Thailand’s Transport Ministry has given an initial estimate of 20 million baht to repair the damaged passenger hall at Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport. The area sustained severe damage when a violent storm earlier this week caused the partial collapse of its roof and walls. Transport ministry spokesman Pisak Jitviriyavasin has stressed that the 20-million-baht figure is only an initial estimate,…
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Portuguese expat reported missing found in Bangkok psychiatric ward
An expat resident of Bangkok, who was reported missing 9 days ago, has been found at a psychiatric ward in the capital. The 27 year old Portuguese national, Alexandre Freitas, was located at Somdet Chao Phraya Hospital, in the Khlong San district, after he was accused of stealing a pair of sunglasses from a shopping centre in the city. According…
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New Bangkok monorails will be FREE in September
In September, the new Yellow Line monorail train will begin testing between Lat Phrao and Samrong and the Pink Line monorail train will begin testing between Min Buri and Khae Rai. The Yellow Line is 92% completed, while the Pink Line is a step behind at 86%. Thailand’s Mass Rapid Transit Authority controls the monorail/skytrain services (MRTA). The routes and…
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