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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  • Bangkok OAP arrested after slapstick armed robbery of gold shop

    Bangkok OAP arrested after slapstick armed robbery of gold shop

    An old-aged pensioner dramatically gasped “It’s the end of the road” after police arrested him for the armed robbery of a gold shop which was pure slapstick in the Bang Kae District of Bangkok. The 70 year old man stole 17 gold necklaces from the Yaowarat MGold store in what was arguably the slowest robbery and getaway in stickup history.…

  • Covid-19 “hospitel” isolation in Thailand to end September 1

    Covid-19 “hospitel” isolation in Thailand to end September 1

    One option for Covid-19 patients with no or mild symptoms in Thailand is to check into a hotel designated for Covid-19 isolation, known as a “hospitel,” but not for much longer. The remaining “hospitels” are set to change back to regular hotels on September 1, according to the Director-General of the Department of Health Service Support Dr Thares Krasaniyarawiwong. The…

  • Pre-op trans men’s anger after Bangkok breast removal broker scams them out 4 million baht

    Pre-op trans men’s anger after Bangkok breast removal broker scams them out 4 million baht

    Five pre-op transgender men approached a lawyer for help after a breast removal surgery broker scammed them out of 4 million baht. The born females who identify as men are just five of about 25 to have made complaints about the broker, a transgender man, who took their money, and booked surgery but did not pay the clinic for the…

  • MRT says Bangkok won’t suffer any Seoul-type metro flooding

    MRT says Bangkok won’t suffer any Seoul-type metro flooding

    The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRT) insists passengers don’t have to worry about any South Korea-type flooding because each station is designed to cope with floods and emergencies. Seoul, and its surrounding areas, suffered the heaviest rainfall in 80 years on Monday, August 8. Several roads and metro stations in the capital were under water causing multiple power cuts…

  • Swedish Embassy hailed for giving 6-month parental leave to Thai staff

    Swedish Embassy hailed for giving 6-month parental leave to Thai staff

    The Swedish Embassy in Bangkok was praised by Thai netizens after providing six months of parental leave with full salary to its Thai male staff. Yesterday, the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok posted a story of a Thai embassy driver, Somchart Sucheephet, on Facebook revealing he receives the same welfare privileges as his Swedish counterparts. The embassy said… “It’s time…

  • Blaze at US office near German Embassy in Bangkok

    Blaze at US office near German Embassy in Bangkok

    A fire broke out last night at the US Security Assistance Organisation, or JUSMAGTHAI, on Sathorn Tai Road in Bangkok. The building is located near the German Embassy, but the office was reported to be safe from the blaze. Firefighters from Bonkai Fire and Rescue and Tung Mahamek Fire Station rushed to the scene at 7.35pm to suppress the blaze…

  • Drunk driver in 2 hit-and-runs drags motorbike taxi 300 metres

    Drunk driver in 2 hit-and-runs drags motorbike taxi 300 metres

    A drunk driver smashed into a motorbike taxi whose driver managed to jump to safety before the inebriated man pushed the bike 300 metres down the road. Photos were captured of the remarkable accident that miraculously ended with no fatalities or serious injuries, but looked like a scene from a slapstick comedy. Eyewitnesses to the event in Samut Prakan reported…

  • 83 Bangkok bars don’t meet safety standards

    83 Bangkok bars don’t meet safety standards

    Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt revealed that 83 bars in Bangkok lack the necessary safety standards to legally open and that the Chatuchak district is the worst offender. He insisted that if nothing improves those bars would be closed permanently. Chadchart yesterday answered media questions on health and safety in the capital’s entertainment venues. He revealed that he introduced strict safety…

  • Fire at Energy Ministry’s compound in Bangkok

    Fire at Energy Ministry’s compound in Bangkok

    A fire broke out at the Energy Ministry’s compound in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district today. The blaze broke out on the 33d floor of Building A, a 36-storey building, the headquarters of PTTEP Plc. Luckily, firefighters quickly rushed to the scene and no injuries were reported. The firefighters were able to get the blaze under control in 10 minutes. The fire…

  • Bangkok taxi driver who snapped himself raping teen gets jailed

    Bangkok taxi driver who snapped himself raping teen gets jailed

    A Bangkok taxi driver who photographed himself raping a Burmese teenager in April has now been sentenced to jail by the Criminal Court. The driver, 39 year old Adirek Sae Bae, was initially sentenced on August 2 to 15 years in prison, however, his sentence was reduced to 13 years and nine months after he pleaded guilty. The victim, a…

  • Bangkok bootleggers face jail after 2 million baht of booze seized

    Bangkok bootleggers face jail after 2 million baht of booze seized

    Two bootleggers in Bangkok were arrested yesterday and 2 million baht of smuggled booze was seized as part of a successful joint police and Excise Department operation. The smugglers face four years in jail and a fine of up to 400,000 baht Police officer Somboon Tienkhao revealed officers were tipped off that an illegal alcohol operation was being exercised on…

  • Thai actress claims she was sexually assaulted by police officer

    Thai actress claims she was sexually assaulted by police officer

    A 25 year old Thai actress filed a complaint to the police saying she was sexually assaulted by a police officer while sleeping off the effects of drinking at a friend’s house in Bangkok. Yesterday, a celebrity lawyer, Sittha Biabangkerd, accompanied the actress, Jaibua Hidding, to Kannayao Police Station where she filed a complaint against the alleged molester, a police…

  • Survey names Lat Phrao as most desired district in Bangkok

    Survey names Lat Phrao as most desired district in Bangkok

    A recent survey by Kaidee Property makes interesting reading for those interested in Bangkok’s real estate market. The online buying and selling platform revealed that during the first six months of this year Lat Phrao district was the most searched residential area in the capital, followed by Chatuchak, Bang Khae, Suan Luang, and Lat Krabang. Turns out these five areas…

  • 5 slurp worthy bowls of ramen in Bangkok for 2022

    5 slurp worthy bowls of ramen in Bangkok for 2022

    Slurpable noodles, savoury broth, and flavourful toppings – nothing comforts the soul quite like a steaming bowl of ramen. Thankfully for those looking to slurp down delicious noodles in a flavourful soup, Bangkok is dotted with fantastic ramen restaurants. From high-end joints to chain restaurants, you’ll find lots of spots to enjoy this Japanese comfort food. Whether you like lean…

  • Details on Bangkok’s Green Line train contracts to be publicly disclosed

    Details on Bangkok’s Green Line train contracts to be publicly disclosed

    Details on contracts for Bangkok’s Green Line Train are set to be publicly disclosed, although it has not been announced when. Krungthep Thanakom has agreed to publicly disclose details of its contract and memorandum of understanding with Bangkok Mass Transit System PLC, more commonly known in the capital as BTS. The contracts are for the first and second extensions of…

  • Chadchart to level up quality and safety of Bangkok street food

    Chadchart to level up quality and safety of Bangkok street food

    Chadchart Sittipunt yesterday met up with the National Food Institute to discuss the launch of a new Bangkok Safety Street Food project. The Bangkok governor headed a meeting with the project’s committee at City Hall to discuss plans to improve the quality and safety of street food in the capital. Now that almost all home working has stopped and most…

  • New Bangkok tunnel closed on opening day due to flood

    New Bangkok tunnel closed on opening day due to flood

    You couldn’t make this up. Finally, after 13 years of construction, the new Fai Chai Tunnel in Bangkok officially opened yesterday only to close due to a flood. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt last month visited the unfinished Fai Chai Tunnel to talk with the Director of the Public Work Department, Taiwut Khankaew, about the project’s delay. Chadchart made a few…

  • Bangkok chief says 300 water pumps need changing to fix floods

    Bangkok chief says 300 water pumps need changing to fix floods

    Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt called upon the city’s private sector to help solve the capital’s age-old flooding conundrum. The 56 year old chief said he is determined to sort out Bangkok’s perpetual drainage system. He revealed that, after a thorough investigation, the city needs to replace about 300 water pumps that are over 15 years old. Last Friday, Chadchart inspected…

  • VIDEO: Rama II U-turn bridge collapses near Bangkok, killing 2

    VIDEO: Rama II U-turn bridge collapses near Bangkok, killing 2

    A U-turn bridge over the Rama II Road heading toward Bangkok collapsed yesterday at 8pm, falling onto four vehicles and killing two people. One passenger died at the scene and a construction worker who fell from the bridge later died in hospital from their injuries. Two more people were injured. The incident happened in front of Vibharam Hospital in Samut…

  • Son shoots mother after drunken row in luxury Bangkok condo

    Son shoots mother after drunken row in luxury Bangkok condo

    In a scene that had all the hallmarks of a Greek tragedy, a 41-year-old businessman shot and killed his 65 year old mother and threatened to murder his wife and two children after a drunken row broke out in a luxury condominium in Bangkok. Kelvin Shuo Gao, an Australian citizen, shot his Chinese mother Xing Liu twice to the body…

  • Bangkok officials working to prevent river overflows

    Bangkok officials working to prevent river overflows

    Bangkok officials are working to prevent overflows from the Chao Phraya River. This news comes after the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation warned last week that Bangkok and the other 10 provinces along the river needed to prepare for floods from July 28 until August 1 (tomorrow). Now, Bangkok’s governor Chadchart Sittipunt says the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is working…

  • 10 million baht kidnapping of businessman by Chinese crooks is comedy of errors

    10 million baht kidnapping of businessman by Chinese crooks is comedy of errors

    The botched 10 million baht kidnapping of a Vanuatu businessman by three Chinese gangsters had the hallmarks of a blockbuster comedy movie stamped all over it. The hostage and ransom demand situation may not have been funny to the businessman and his girlfriend but the situation was pure slapstick and would not look out of place on the silver screen.…

  • Thailand’s second case of monkeypox recorded in Bangkok

    Thailand’s second case of monkeypox recorded in Bangkok

    A Thai man in Bangkok has tested positive for monkeypox, becoming Thailand’s second recorded case of the virus since the global outbreak began in May this year. At 2.30pm today, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul revealed that the positive result from Wachira Hospital in Bangkok had been confirmed by the Ministry of Health. The 47 year old Thai man started…

  • Bangkok film festival urged to avoid deep south torture movies

    Bangkok film festival urged to avoid deep south torture movies

    The Internal Security Operation Command urged Bangkok’s open-air film festival to avoid screening movies or documentaries related to torture in the deep south provinces of Thailand. The military department said the event should only bring happiness and smiles to residents. Bangkok’s open-air film festival, which rolled out the red carpet on July 7 at Laan Kon Mueng space in front…

  • Bangkok governor vows to root out government corruption

    Bangkok governor vows to root out government corruption

    Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt yesterday revealed he is to introduce five new policies in an attempt to wipe out corruption in the capital. The 56 year old City Hall leader announced the scheme at a press conference sitting alongside members of the Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand (ACT). Chadchart acknowledged that Bangkok citizens do not fully trust City Hall in issues…

  • Thai couple killed in drink driving incident in Bangkok

    Thai couple killed in drink driving incident in Bangkok

    A Thai couple selling food on a footpath along Rama 3 Road in Bangkok were killed yesterday in a drink driving incident. The drunk driver was caught by residents while trying to flee the scene. The two deaths happened in front of a food court named I SEE SEE on Rama 3 Road at about 5pm yesterday. The couple who…

  • Thai university researchers test wastewater for monkeypox at Bangkok airport

    Thai university researchers test wastewater for monkeypox at Bangkok airport

    Sewage at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is being tested for the monkeypox virus by researchers from Naresuan University in the northern province of Phitsanulok. The tests can detect traces of the virus in wastewater immediately – even before the infected person begins to show symptoms – and could be used as a “budget surveillance measure” to catch and control local outbreaks…

  • Chinese kingpin of transnational call centre gang arrested at Bangkok airport

    Chinese kingpin of transnational call centre gang arrested at Bangkok airport

    A Chinese man wanted for trafficking Chinese people across borders to work in call centre gangs in Laos and Cambodia was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on Saturday. Chief of Police Suwat Chaengyordsook received a call on Friday, July 22, warning him that a Chinese fugitive wanted on an Interpol ‘Red Notice’ would be travelling to Suvarnabhumi Airport in…

  • Irrigation department warn of flooding in central Thai provinces around the Chao Phraya River

    Irrigation department warn of flooding in central Thai provinces around the Chao Phraya River

    Bangkok, and 10 other central Thai provinces, are being warned by the Department of Irrigation, of overflows from the Chao Phraya which will start tomorrow in the northmost provinces. The provinces affected are Uthai Thani, Chainat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Suphan Buri, Lop Buri, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, and Samut Prakan, and Bangkok. People living near the Chao Phraya River…

  • Bangkok police shoot out tyres in dramatic car chase

    Bangkok police shoot out tyres in dramatic car chase

    A video is going viral of Bangkok police officers shooting out the tyres of a fleeing car that did a runner at a checkpoint in Ekkamai. The incident took place last night when Thong Lor police attempted to stop a red Mitsubishi Mirage at a checkpoint, but the driver refused and tried to speed off. At around 8pm yesterday, officers…