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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    Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained

    Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...

  • Google invests 36 billion baht to boost Thai cloud and AI services

    Google invests 36 billion baht to boost Thai cloud and AI services

    Google committed to a significant investment of 36 billion baht to expand its cloud infrastructure and data centres in Bangkok and Chon Buri, announced on Monday, September 30. Ruth Porat, the President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google, highlighted that this expansion aims to meet the growing demand for cloud services in Southeast Asia and globally, while also…

  • From idol to outcast: Thaksin devotee switches allegiances

    From idol to outcast: Thaksin devotee switches allegiances

    Once a die-hard fan of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a 60 year old Thai woman went as far as travelling from Thailand to the UAE just to see her political hero during his self-imposed exile. Armed with gifts, letters, and a banner, Podjanin Towatrakool wept upon meeting Thaksin in 2009, hugging him and calling him “father.” She even…

  • BMA assesses Thon Buri historical sites to boost tourism

    BMA assesses Thon Buri historical sites to boost tourism

    The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) embarked on a comprehensive assessment of historical sites in Thon Buri to promote tourism and bolster the city development plan. Thaiwut Khankaew, director of the BMA’s City Planning and Development Department, stated that his team, alongside A-Seven Corporation, a consultancy firm, recently visited numerous communities and landmarks. Their objective is to enhance land use potential…

  • Filler fiasco: Fake doc’s botched injections leave dentist’s family disfigured

    Filler fiasco: Fake doc’s botched injections leave dentist’s family disfigured

    A Thai dentist and her family members are seeking compensation from an illegal beauty clinic in Bangkok, owned by a fake doctor, after suffering disfigurement from filler injections. The unnamed dentist visited the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) office yesterday, October 1, together with her sister and mother, to file a complaint against the fake doctor who illegally operated a beauty…

  • Raid & seek: Bangkok cops bust contraband in Chinese minimarts

    Raid & seek: Bangkok cops bust contraband in Chinese minimarts

    Police in Bangkok’s Huai Khwang district recently conducted a significant raid on 10 Chinese-owned minimarts, following complaints from local businesses about the influx of contraband foreign goods. Health and anti-money laundering officials, along with local police, spearheaded the operation. The Network for Thai Entrepreneur Protection had earlier lodged a complaint asserting that these convenience stores were selling smuggled consumer goods.…

  • Paetongtarn’s anti-graft lawsuit over 30% stake rocks government

    Paetongtarn’s anti-graft lawsuit over 30% stake rocks government

    In a fresh scandal targeting Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, political firebrand Ruangkrai Leekitwattana has filed a complaint with the Election Commission (EC), accusing her of violating anti-graft laws by holding a significant company stake post-election. Ruangkrai claimed that Paetongtarn retained a 30% stake in Alpine Golf and Sports Club after being appointed PM in August. According to Ruangkrai, the…

  • Thai AirAsia X switches all flights to Don Mueang Airport

    Thai AirAsia X switches all flights to Don Mueang Airport

    Thai AirAsia X has switched all its international flights back to Don Mueang Airport, effective yesterday, October 1. If you’re jetting off to Japan, South Korea, China, or Australia, you’d better double-check your flight details—or risk turning up at the wrong airport. All flights under Thai AirAsia X (code XJ) to popular destinations like Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, Nagoya, Seoul, Shanghai,…

  • Activist faces extradition to Vietnam: Thai court

    Activist faces extradition to Vietnam: Thai court

    A Thai court sparked international outrage by ordering the extradition of a Vietnamese activist, despite fears he could face grave danger if returned to his home country. The Bangkok Criminal Court granted Vietnam’s request to extradite 32 year old Y Quynh Bdap, a co-founder of the Montagnards Stand for Justice group on September 30. Bdap was detained in Bangkok in June…

  • Malaysian couple vanishes after Bangkok layover

    Malaysian couple vanishes after Bangkok layover

    A young couple from Penang, Malaysia, has mysteriously disappeared, leaving their families in turmoil after a layover in Bangkok more than three weeks ago. The missing pair, 21 year old Wu Mingson and his 23 year old girlfriend Wu Yingying, have not been heard from since early September. The chilling details have been shared by Mingson’s cousin, Shii Yiing Tan,…

  • PTT station to lower petrol prices, diesel remains unchanged

    PTT station to lower petrol prices, diesel remains unchanged

    PTT Station will lower petrol prices today, while diesel prices remain unchanged. PTT Station announced a reduction in retail petrol prices by 30 satang per litre across all types of gasoline yesterday, September 30. This change will take effect from 5am today, October 1. Petrol prices will be adjusted as follows: gasoline will be 43.14 baht per litre, Gasohol 95…

  • Thai Airways flight runs off runway in Bangkok storm scare

    Thai Airways flight runs off runway in Bangkok storm scare

    Passengers on a Thai Airways (THAI) flight got more excitement than they bargained for when their Airbus A350-900 temporarily veered off the runway upon landing in Bangkok, causing a serious incident and damaging runway edge lights. THAI flight TG466, arriving from Melbourne on September 14, was making a standard approach to runway 19L at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) when things…

  • Thai deputy superintendent commits suicide at Bangkok police station

    Thai deputy superintendent commits suicide at Bangkok police station

    A deputy superintendent tragically committed suicide yesterday at Udomsuk Police Station, in Bangkok. The senior officer’s heartbreaking decision is believed to be driven by a valiant struggle with depression and debilitating congenital diseases. Police officers on duty heard a gunshot from the second floor of the police station yesterday, September 30, and rushed to investigate. In the office of the…

  • Thai actress slams police inaction after Russian assaults brother

    Thai actress slams police inaction after Russian assaults brother

    A Thai actress criticised the police for their inaction and bias after a Russian man physically assaulted her younger brother. The police later asked her and her family to drop the case to maintain the country’s appeal to foreign tourists. The well-known Thai actress Chalida “Mint” Wijitvongthong, came forward to seek justice for her younger brother, 30 year old Rachan…

  • EC dismisses complaints for party dissolution, insufficient evidence

    EC dismisses complaints for party dissolution, insufficient evidence

    The Election Commission (EC) has dismissed two of over ten complaints calling for the dissolution of certain political parties and the removal of the prime minister and some Cabinet members due to insufficient information. Sawaeng Boonmee, the EC Secretary-General, stated that the office received more than ten complaints since the new government was established but two have been rejected. He…

  • Man arrested for brandishing knife and cannabis on Bangkok bus

    Man arrested for brandishing knife and cannabis on Bangkok bus

    A 19 year old man was arrested by traffic police for brandishing a knife and causing a disturbance on a bus, heading towards an expressway. Upon searching his bag, police found cannabis, drug paraphernalia, and additional knives. Traffic police apprehended the suspect at approximately 1pm yesterday near the Phahonyothin 1 expressway exit in Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok. The operation was…

  • Bangkok residents invited to apply as lottery draw officials

    Bangkok residents invited to apply as lottery draw officials

    The Government Lottery Office (GLO) has announced an opportunity for the public to become lottery draw officials, with applications open until late next month. Residents of Bangkok and its metropolitan areas may apply. The GLO shared a post via Facebook yesterday, September 27 inviting the public to join as officials for the lottery draw. The recruitment message specified the following…

  • Thailand’s 20-billion-baht airport expressway takes off in 2030

    Thailand’s 20-billion-baht airport expressway takes off in 2030

    The Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) is gearing up to launch public-private partnerships (PPPs) next year for the ambitious 20-billion-baht Srinakarin-Suvarnabhumi Airport expressway project. With an anticipated opening in 2030, this project is poised to streamline access to the bustling Suvarnabhumi Airport, enhancing the travel experience for both locals and tourists alike. EXAT Deputy Governor Katpachon Udomthampakdee, recently led the…

  • New centre in Thailand aims for tier 1 status in trafficking fight

    New centre in Thailand aims for tier 1 status in trafficking fight

    In a high-stakes move to bolster its international standing, Thailand has opened a new centre aimed at tackling human trafficking, with eyes set on earning the coveted Tier 1 spot in the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) ranking. The Thailand Victim Identification and Referral Centre, located in Don Mueang district, is part of a nationwide effort to curb…

  • Catfished by catfish: Gay Thai man nets 120 suckers in fake fishing scam

    Catfished by catfish: Gay Thai man nets 120 suckers in fake fishing scam

    Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrested a gay Thai man for using a fake social media profile, posing as a beautiful woman, to trick 120 victims into sending masturbation videos of themselves before selling the videos online. CIB police discovered a secret group called “Gril grop” on the Telegram app, where explicit videos of male university students from the…

  • Drug-fuelled biker blames exhaustion from work for injuring 2 cops

    Drug-fuelled biker blames exhaustion from work for injuring 2 cops

    A drug-fuelled Thai biker tried to blame work fatigue, not his drug habit, after ploughing into two cops on Phahonyothin Road in Bangkok. Despite his claims, police found nine Yaba pills stashed on him at the scene. Bang Khen Police Station arrested the 25 year old Thai man, Sudkhet, yesterday, September 26, at around 6.30pm near Soi Phahonyothin 48 in…

  • Landowner battles coach company over unpaid rent in Bangkok (video)

    Landowner battles coach company over unpaid rent in Bangkok (video)

    A landowner is embroiled in a dispute with a coach company that has not paid its rent for years and refused to vacate the premises. Despite a court order to leave, the company’s owners remain defiant, citing legal technicalities. The conflict began when a TikTok user, @yokeie, posted about a coach company failing to pay rent for its parking and…

  • Vietnamese gang arrested in 1.7m baht Bangkok extortion racket

    Vietnamese gang arrested in 1.7m baht Bangkok extortion racket

    Officers from the Investigation Division of the Immigration Bureau arrested nine Vietnamese nationals at a house in Bangkok for brutally assaulting and extorting 1.7 million baht from a Thai-Taiwanese couple. The two victims were rescued safely. The brutal assault and extortion came to light after a Taiwanese man filed a complaint with Zhongping Police Station in New Taipei City, Taiwan,…

  • Bus accident kills two bank employees at Prachanukul Intersection

    Bus accident kills two bank employees at Prachanukul Intersection

    Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) expressed deep regret over a tragic accident where a bus ran over two bank employees, resulting in their deaths at the Prachanukul Intersection. The BMTA has pledged compensation to the victims’ families and will host the funeral ceremony tomorrow. The incident occurred yesterday, September 26, at 8.25am when an air-conditioned bus on route 49 (2-43),…

  • Thailand aims to eradicate poverty in two years

    Thailand aims to eradicate poverty in two years

    Thailand aims to eradicate poverty and build a prosperous economy within the remainder of its term, an adviser to PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra revealed. With just over two years left in office, the 38 year old prime minister is determined to ensure that Thais can rise above poverty, stated Surapong Suebwonglee, deputy chairman of the five-member advisory panel appointed by PM Paetongtarn.…

  • Bangkok airport runway gears up for November opening

    Bangkok airport runway gears up for November opening

    Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport is gearing up for a major boost, with a brand-new runway set to open on November 1. The shiny new runway is expected to revolutionise the airport’s flight capacity, helping it soar to new heights. Kirati Kijmanawat, the Director of Airports of Thailand (AOT), confirmed the exciting news, stating that the third runway is now complete.…

  • Thailand’s top hotels get the Michelin treatment

    Thailand’s top hotels get the Michelin treatment

    The Michelin Guide has just upped the ante in Thailand’s luxury hotel game, unveiling the first-ever “Key” ratings for 58 of the country’s most outstanding hotels. If you thought Michelin was all about fine dining, think again. Now, the world-renowned guide is here to tell you where to stay too. After four years of revamping its hotel selection process, Michelin…

  • Bangkok police catch man with handmade gun at bus terminal

    Bangkok police catch man with handmade gun at bus terminal

    Police swiftly apprehended a young man carrying a handmade gun and .38 calibre bullets at a Bangkok bus terminal. The suspect, who admitted purchasing the weapon from a friend, was immediately taken into custody. At around 4pm yesterday, September 25, Phuwadol Unphon, the Superintendent of Bang Sue Police Station, along with Deputy Superintendent Woraphat Sukthai and Inspector Wuttidet Phokha, led…

  • PM Paetongtarn tops the polls whilst Thaksin falls to 7th

    PM Paetongtarn tops the polls whilst Thaksin falls to 7th

    Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has surged to the top of the charts in a LINE Today poll, placed first among Thailand’s political elite. The poll, conducted from September 10 to 20, revealed that the country’s 31st Prime Minister and second female leader outpaced her rivals by a wide margin. Leading the pack with an impressive 4,764 points, PM Paetongtarn…

  • US embassy in Thailand launches new visa support system

    US embassy in Thailand launches new visa support system

    A new online support system for US visa services will be launched by the US Embassy and Consulate General in Thailand this Saturday, September 28. As the transition takes place, several services, including the online appointment system and call centre, will be unavailable today and tomorrow, September 27. Additionally, fee payment services are temporarily suspended from September 25 to 27.…

  • Fire at Bangkok condo leaves three with smoke inhalation

    Fire at Bangkok condo leaves three with smoke inhalation

    A fire broke out in a condominium in Bangkok, prompting a swift response from firefighters. Three individuals, including a pregnant woman, suffered from smoke inhalation. Yesterday, September 25, the Fire & Rescue Thailand Facebook page reported a fire at a condominium in the Bangkok Noi area of the city. The incident was notified to police at 8.29pm via the 199…