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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Chao Phraya River in Bangkok still below flood levels
While officials have been warning of floods and overflows downstream from dams, in Bangkok, the Chao Phraya River is fortunately still flowing below the embankment levels with no risk of flooding just yet. The river that runs through Bangkok has not overflowed into any areas along its banks as the water has not yet reached the flood embankment levels as…
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Police arrest man believed to have shot teenager at protest
In Kanchanaburi province, police have arrested a suspect that they believe may have shot a 15 year old boy during protests in front of the Din Daeng Police Station in August. The shooting caused huge controversy with many accusing the police of using live ammunition and firing into the crowd of protesters. Police have always maintained that they used only…
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Police arrest protesters yesterday including naked woman
Anti-government protests have escalated in recent weeks and have begun to resemble a Hollywood movie, full of conflict and drama and explosions, and now… nudity? Among the arrests and charges of protesters stemming from yesterday’s demonstrations at Nang Lerng intersection orchestrated by the Talufah group, police say one woman faces charges of indecent exposure for stripping naked in protest. The…
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Bangkok braces for flooding, 70,000 homes damaged in Thailand
With nearly 70,000 homes now reported flooded across 30 provinces in Thailand, authorities are bracing and preparing Bangkok for flooding. Tropical Storm Dianmu has pounded Thailand with heavy rains and 6 people have been reported to have lost their lives in the widespread flooding across the Northern and Central provinces. The Thai Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reports that the…
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Curfew shortened, Bangkok spas, gyms, cinemas can re-open from October
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has approved the re-opening of 10 business types in Bangkok and other dark red provinces. According to a Coconuts report, from Friday, spas, cinemas, and indoor gyms can re-open, along with pre-schools, museums, and tattoo parlours. The news is not so good for the owners of bars and clubs, which must still remain closed…
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Partitions to be added to 3,000 taxis to fight Covid-19
A pilot project is underway, launched by the Department of Land Transport, to install 3,000 partitions in taxis for Covid-19 safety throughout the month of October. The Minister of Transport Saksayam Chidchob stated they hope the move instils confidence in hired transportation services and increases public safety against the spread of Covid-19. The acrylic partitions will be installed in taxies…
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Bang Sue Station begins 150k vaccine booster shots tomorrow
Bang Sue Grand Station will begin the rollout of Thailand’s booster shot program, a third vaccine to bolster the effectiveness of those that received 2 Sinovac vaccines previously. The director of the Bang Sue central vaccination centre confirmed the rollout will begin at 11 am tomorrow. The first round of injections will be for 150,000 people who initially were vaccinated…
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5 police kiosks set on fire in Bangkok, no injuries reported
At least 5 police kiosks were set ablaze early this morning in Bangkok. The Metropolitan Police have opened an investigation to determine the cause of the fires. Police discovered the kiosks had been set on fire sometime during last night’s curfew. The Central Police Forensic Division sent teams to the various kiosks, which had already had their fires put out…
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Update: government official that allegedly stole from fund meant for the disabled spent all the money on gambling
In an update to yesterday’s story, Pisal Sukjaitham, the government official who was arrested for allegedly embezzling 13 million baht from a fund meant for the disabled, allegedly confessed, after being interrogated, that he spent all the money he stole on gambling. In another development in the story, INN says that officials are now saying 45 million baht was stolen…
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Governor says Bangkok will only re-open when safe to do so
The governor of Bangkok says 3 criteria need to be met before the capital can re-open, in order to protect the health and safety of residents. Aswin Kwanmuang says while Bangkok is anxious to re-open and reboot its economy, it can only do so when it’s safe. This means the re-opening could be pushed out to mid-November, according to a…
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Bangkok residents warned of flooding risk as torrential rain forecast this week
The Meteorological Department has warned of the risk of flooding in Bangkok as a result of torrential rainfall forecast for this week. The capital has been experiencing wet weather for 3 weeks in a row now, meaning the water level in eastern Bangkok canals is already high. Bangkok governor, Aswin Kwanmuang, says water pumps need to be deployed to drain…
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Unemployed Bangkok chef arrested after allegedly trying to sell rare butterflies to undercover agents
An out of work Thai chef was arrested for allegedly trying to sell 8 preserved butterflies, all of which are rare species, to undercover officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation at a shopping centre in Bangkok. The unidentified 29 year old unemployed chef, who previously worked at a Japanese restaurant in a Sukhumvit hotel, allegedly…
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Desperate hotel operators look to Bangkok re-opening for signs of hope
Even with plans still up in the air and nothing confirmed, Thai hotel operators are pinning their hopes on Bangkok’s proposed re-opening next month. The president of the Thai Hotels Association says that while hotels don’t expect a huge uptake in bookings immediately, they are hopeful that average occupancy might reach 15 – 20% in the last 3 months of…
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Re-opening of Bangkok pushed back 2 weeks to reach 70% vaccination goal
Following a meeting between the Bangkok governor and the tourism minister, officials have decided to delay the re-opening of the capital by 2 weeks. Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the capital’s re-opening will be pushed back to October 15, as most residents are still waiting for their second vaccination. Currently, just 37% of residents are fully vaccinated. The Bangkok Post…
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Bangkok police arrest 12 year old and others at Din Daeng intersection for violating curfew
Bangkok police continue to wield the merciless hammer of law and order. They brought it down last night on a 12 year old, arresting the child for allegedly violating curfew at the Din Daeng intersection. The minor was riding his bike to observe a protest, says a group of lawyers and activists. At least 11 other people were also arrested.…
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Police claim that officer didn’t commit a hit and run, admit the driver hit someone and left
The Metropolitan Police Bureau is claiming that the officer who allegedly plowed his truck through a group of pro-democracy protesters over the weekend did not commit a hit and run. 1 protester was injured as a result of the incident. Pol Lt Gen Phukphong Phongpetra concedes that a prisoner transport vehicle was involved in the incident but claims that it…
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Student launches campaign to stop demolition of iconic Bangkok cinema
A campaign to save Bangkok’s iconic Scala Cinema and prevent its demolition to make way for a shopping centre is garnering significant online support. The Bangkok Post reports that many netizens are backing the campaign started by a student and his friends. Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal launched the campaign following news that the Scala was to be demolished to make way for…
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Police arrest 78 protesters, bystanders, medics and minors
Last night, protesters and crowd control police met at Din Daeng in a heated confrontation that resulted in 78 people being arrested including bystanders, volunteer medics, and even underage people. Those who were taken into custody were held in several different police facilities, and the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights observed and reported on the arrests. They said 20 people…
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Study shows 99.7% of Bangkok wearing masks properly
While anti-mask sentiment can seem widespread and popular on social media, a new survey shows that, in Bangkok at least, almost 100% of people are wearing their masks. The surprising “AI Mask” project by the Ministry of Higher Education Science Research and Innovation found that 99.7% of Bangkok residents were not only wearing their masks but wearing them correctly. The…
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Police launch mobile Covid-19 testing for officers and families
Considered high-risk for contracting Covid-19 due to their frequent close interaction with the public, the Royal Thai Police launched a proactive screening campaign for officers and their family members to be tested for Covid-19. Mobile testing units have been dispatched from police headquarters to provide antigen tests to stations, starting with Bangkok. The national police force has created 10 mobile…
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Officials to review curfew, Covid-19 restrictions in dark red provinces today
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meets today to review the curfew in place in dark red provinces, and to discuss the easing of some restrictions. However, Dr Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says the CCSA will be asked to keep the 9pm – 4am curfew as is until the end of this month. While the hours…
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Vulnerable Bangkok students to receive Pfizer vaccines later this month
Adolescents, notably vulnerable students, in Bangkok will receive Pfizer vaccines later this month. The students, between the ages of 12 and 18, should get their vaccine at Navamindradhiraj University starting September 21, said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration yesterday. The eligible students, who’ve been assessed by a doctor, must provide proof of having a disability, illness, or a chronic condition. The…
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Protesters at Bangkok’s Asok intersection call on PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to resign
Protesters gathered at Bangkok’s Asok interaction yesterday, calling on PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to resign. For the past year, pro-democracy groups have been pushing for the prime minister to step down, but with the latest wave of Covid-19 surpassing more than 1 million infections, along with a limited supply of vaccines, protesters now say Prayut should resign due to mismanagement during…
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New project aims to mass test vulnerable populations in Bangkok neighbourhood
A new project, involving mass-testing for Covid, is being launched to help look after the homeless and other vulnerable people in Phra Nakhon, a district in Bangkok. The project, “Klong Lod Covid-free”, was started by a group of civil society organisations that are working with the government. The project gets its name from Klong Lod in the Phra Nakhon district.…
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17 protest leaders named in complaint with Lumpini police
Legal action is being pursued by a legal activist against 17 leaders of pro-democracy protests that took place on September 3 and 4. The complaint was filed with the Lumpini police, today. The protests in question took place at the Ratchaprasong intersection and were set up by the United Front of Thammasat, the Thalu Fa group, and the Re-Dem group.…
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Department stores follow strict Covid-19 safety to remain open
In Bangkok and other dark red provinces across Thailand, department stores have finally been allowed to reopen and it seems that many are bending over backwards to follow Covid-19 safety measures in an attempt to assure they remain open. Department stores have been closed or severely restricted for months due to the Emergency decree and protective measures the government has…
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The future of Covid vaccine ‘passports’ in access to services | VIDEO
Tim Newton speaks to Bangkok lawyer Benjamin Hart from Integrity Legal (link below). Ben is concerned at recent mutterings from the Thai government which may have insisted on proof of covid vaccines for any number of services, from simply eating to domestic travel. There is currently an instance on proof of vaccines for any provincial travel in Thailand in and…
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Bangkok, Pattaya, and other destinations still planned to reopen in October
Despite Bangkok still classified as a “dark red” zone, and the Covid-19 epicentre with thousands of new infections reported each day, the capital is one of the eight tourist destinations planned to reopen to travellers on October 1. A report from Nation Thailand says the Public Health Ministry has launched preparations for the reopening. Other reopening schemes planned to start…
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Suvarnabhumi’s ranking plummets in World’s Best Airports index
The results of this year’s World’s Best Airports awards are in, and in the last 10 years, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi has taken a nosedive from number 13 to 66. The awards, voted for by passengers, are run annually by UK consultancy, Skytrax. This year’s results were decided by an online survey that ran for a 12-month period between August 2020 and…
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PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says lifting the nightly curfew is under consideration
Ending the nightly curfew in “dark red” provinces is under consideration, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced today before Parliament during the second day of the censure debate against his government. 29 provinces, including Bangkok, are classified as “dark red” zones under maximum control to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, following a meeting chaired by prime…
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