Bangkok News
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Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Bangkok’s Yellow Line skyrail starts test runs
The newest addition to Bangkok’s skyrail is here.The Yellow Line, which travels from Lat Phrao to Samrong in Samut Prakan, has reportedly begun its test run since last Thursday from the maintenance depot near Sri Iam station in Bang Na district. The Yellow Line, which is a joint venture worth 54,768.455 million baht between Thailand’s Mass Rapid Transit Authority and…
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Bangkok Metropolitan Administration opens up registration for free Covid-19 vaccines
To coincide with the Smart Entry scheme for public safety, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has opened the Covid-19 vaccine registration for Thais and non-Thais aged 18 and up. The programme will deliver the first dose, as well as the second and third doses. From now on, registration will be done through the QUEQ application. Those who intend to vaccinate in…
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Renovation of Hua Lamphong may wait another three years: BMA
It might be another two to three years until Bangkok’s historic Hua Lamphong station is developed for commercial use. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Office of Town Planning and Development has today put a hold to the State Railway of Thailand’s request to develop station and surrounding buildings for another two or three years. According to reports, the 120-rai site planned for…
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Alcohol sales at Bangkok restaurants allowed until 11pm starting Wednesday
The cutoff time for alcohol sales at restaurants in Bangkok will be pushed from 9pm to 11pm. Governor Aswin Kwanmuang reportedly signed a provincial order allowing restaurants to serve booze until 11pm starting Wednesday, according to Thai media. Under the order, entertainment venues, such as bars and nightclubs, must remain closed until the end of the year. The order still…
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Bangkok police say restaurateurs could face jail time for serving alcohol after 9pm
Police in Bangkok are warning restaurant owners that if alcohol is served after 9pm, they will face legal action… possibly even up to a year in jail and a fine up to 100,000 baht. Restaurants in the capital are allowed to serve beer, wine and cocktails up until 9pm, if they have passed standards set under the Safety and Health…
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Booze sales are likely to be extended until midnight during Christmas and New Year’s
The hours on alcohol sales at restaurants might be extended on Christmas and New Year’s. Thai authorities are now considering pushing the hours for sales of beer and liquor from 9pm to 11pm or midnight. The proposal will be reviewed today during a meeting with government agencies and tourism associations, according to the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Phiphat Rachakitprakarn,…
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Hua Lamphong (Bangkok Train Station) – History and future | VIDEO
Bangkok’s historic Hua Lamphong is being closed down by the middle of December. Here’s a look at the legendary station’s past and future, plus a look at the local neighbourhood and working life at the station. The iconic station has been open for over 100 years and been the host of many happy, and sad, arrivals and departures. Please don’t…
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Bang Sue Grand Station to use only Pfizer and Moderna vaccine
The Vaccination Centre at Bang Sue Grand Station in Bangkok has announced that they will switch their operations to entirely use the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccine. The move will go into effect on November 26 and will replace the previously used vaccines in the main Bangkok vaccination centre, mainly Sinovac and AstraZeneca previously. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will…
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Thailand to buy 30 million booster Pfizer shots
Had your booster shot yet? According to Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the Department of Disease Control has signed an agreement to buy another 30 million doses of Pfizer vaccines, which will be administered as booster shots in the first quarter of 2022. He added that Pfizer has given Thailand a special deal where the additional 20 million doses…
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Bangkok is back – Thailand’s capital roars back into gear
OPINION Before the pandemic, Bangkok was the most-visited city on the planet – a thriving hive of energy and activity which attracted over 22 million international visitors per year. Then, without warning, it all went quiet. Now, following the long-awaited reopening of Thailand’s borders on November 1, 2021, Bangkok is back. The city is welcoming the world’s travellers once again,…
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Public Health Ministry drafts measures for reopening bars next month in 17 provinces
The Public Health Ministry has reportedly drafted measures for reopening bars and nightclubs in 17 provinces next month and will make a proposal to the CCSA. While entertainment venues nationwide are planned to reopen by mid-January, according to a report in Thai media, the ministry is proposing to open bars in “blue” zones a month earlier on December 16, but…
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2 Bangkok restaurants busted serving alcohol opposite police station
In the Pathumwan district of Bangkok, restaurants said to be opposite the Royal Thai Police Office in a well-known shopping centre were busted selling alcohol after hours. Police raided several food establishments and found 2 businesses with customers drinking after the 9 pm curfew on alcohol that restaurants are allowed. A video clip had circulated that showed restaurants in the…
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40 million baht illegal online lending operation busted
An illegal lending business that raked in over 40 million baht in just 3 months by gouging people in desperate financial need with high-interest rates has been broken up. A Chinese man was arrested in Bangkok for running the loan shark operation online. The man identified by the Metropolitan Police Bureau as Jia Liew was arrested in Huai Khwang in…
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Unvaccinated woman dies with Covid-19, neighbourhood tested
A cluster of Covid-19 infections was found in a Bangkok neighbourhood in Sai Mai after a 30 year old woman collapsed and died in the street. The woman died yesterday and her post-mortem examination uncovered that she was infected with Covid-19. Of the 8 infections found, only the woman who died was unvaccinated. Health officials were sent to Phahonyothin Soi…
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Bangkok’s Red Line starts fares at 12 baht, maximum at 42 baht
Fares for Bangkok’s Red Line electric commuter train will start at 12 baht and go up to a maximum fare of 42 baht. The Ministry of Transport announced that they will start issuing tickets on November 29 for the Red Line and the starting fare will be set for the first three years from 2022 to 2025. The new line,…
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Miss Universe Thailand sued over inappropriate use of national flag in promo photo
Miss Universe Thailand is being sued for inappropriate use of the Thai flag. On the pageant organiser’s website, the promo picture for Anchilee Scott-Kemmis shows the beauty queen dressed in red, wearing a crown, and striking a pose while holding the national flag, which appears to be a digital image. The red, white and blue stripes appeared beneath her feet…
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Monty Python’s John Cleese is coming to Bangkok this January
John Cleese from the British comedy group Monty Python is coming to Bangkok in January as part of his “Why There Is No Hope” tour. Tickets start at 1,500 baht and go on sale on Friday. Live Nation Tero members can purchase pre-sale tickets on Thursday. To attend the show, patrons must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or test negative…
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End of an era – last trains to Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong in December
It’s the end of an era as the State Railway of Thailand looks to ceasing train services to and from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong railway station. The expensive patch of land, where the famous station is located, is slated for a swish new commercial development. The decommissioning of the famous old station will happen at the end of the year. Hua…
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Pro-democracy activist accuses Thai movie director of slapping, kicking her
A prominent pro-democracy activist has accused a Thai film director of assault following a cultural event in Bangkok on Sunday evening. According to a Coconuts report, Rukchanok Srinork, aka “Ice”, took to social media to accuse Yuthalert “Tom” Sippapak of slapping her in the face and kicking her in the stomach. Rukchanok says she has filed a complaint against the…
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Minister confirms all train services at Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station will end
Rail services to Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station will soon be no more, according to Thailand’s Transport Minister. Saksayam Chidchob says services to the station will initially be decreased from 118 a day to 22, before being phased out completely. No date has been confirmed for the termination of all services, but an earlier proposal has it pencilled in for December…
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Wat Arsasongkhram used flood waters to celebrate Loy Krathong
For Wat Arsasongkhram in Samut Prakan, flooding seemed like the appropriate way to celebrate Loy Krathong, the festival offering worship to the water goddess Ganga. For a holiday that sees millions of Thai people floating krathong boats in bodies of water across Thailand, the temple took advantage of recent flooding to offer a unique venue for the boats to float.…
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Loy Krathong in Bangkok: Proof of vaccination or ATK test required
Those in Bangkok celebrating Loy Krathong tomorrow will need to abide by “new normal” measures which include showing proof of vaccination or taking a rapid antigen test to enter venues approved to hold the celebrations. All visitors must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 vaccine or test negative for Covid-19 within the past 72 hours. There will be two main locations in…
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US says free press integral to democracy, pledges support for Thai journalists
The Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Bangkok says the United States pledges to support a free press and independent journalism in Thailand. Michael Heath has described a free press as a vital component of democracy and freedom of expression. The Bangkok Post reports that he was addressing reporters who were attending a seminar at the embassy. The event…
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Emirates A380 to return to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to meet increased demand
The A380 is to return to the skies over Bangkok as Emirates upgrades capacity on flights to the capital to meet increased demand. TTR Weekly reports that Thailand’s recent re-opening to vaccinated tourists from approved countries has led to strong demand, with around 10,000 arrivals registered at Suvarnabhumi every day. In order to add capacity and frequency to its services,…
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Flooding in Bangkok expected during Loy Krathong as Chao Phraya continues to rise
The Chao Phraya River is expected to continue rising as the Loy Krathong festival draws near. A Royal Thai Navy Hydrographic Department report said yesterday that sea levels are rising, which will cause the river to rise, too. Bangkok and other communities near the river have been experiencing flooding over the past few weeks, and the Chao Phraya has repeatedly…
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Truckers protest diesel prices at Ministry of Energy
A protest by truckers took place on a Bangkok highway yesterday to bring attention to the high price of diesel. The truckers are calling for a cap on fuel prices, and drove in a convoy to the Ministry of Energy to make their demands known. The drivers parked their trucks along 4 roads around Bangkok, according to the Bangkok Post.…
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Proposal submitted to parliament for the legalisation of pornography and sex toys
A group, including the 19 year old OnlyFans content creator who had been arrested on pornography charges, went to parliament and submitted a proposal to the House Speaker’s office calling on the legalisation of sexually explicit videos as well as sex toys. The arrest of the OnlyFans content creator back in September drew criticism and sparked a renewed debate on…
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Police say no live ammunition was used against protesters in Bangkok yesterday
Bangkok police denied reports that live ammunition was used against pro-democracy protesters during a clash yesterday evening where at least two protesters were shot. Doctors have not made any detailed statements on the injuries, but police say only rubber bullets were fired at protesters. Officers say they are still investigating the incident. Yesterday evening, a large rally of Thai activists…
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2 anti-government protesters shot in Bangkok as German embassy accepts letter from activists
At least 2 anti-government protesters were shot during yesterday’s rally in Bangkok, which culminated with activists delivering a letter to the German Embassy. (Some reports in Thai media say 3 protesters were shot.) Protest leader Thatchapong Kaedam said the letter informed the embassy of a recent Constitutional Court verdict that ruled that 3 activists were guilty of plotting to overthrow…
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Protesters march to German embassy, present statement against monarchy
Today saw a large and intense pro-democracy demonstration that culminated in a march to the German embassy where protesters submitted a statement against absolute monarchy. When they arrived, 3 representatives of the protesters were allowed to enter the embassy and officially present the declaration which stated that they were calling for a protection of democracy and an opposition to a…
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