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 How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Burmese woman rescued by DSI after 13 years of forced labour
The Department of Special Investigation rescued a Burmese woman in Bangkok who has been held in forced labour for 13 years. The rescue was carried out yesterday by the DSI and was revealed today by the Director-General of the DSI. The 26 year old woman was held in a house on Soi 11 in the Pakamas housing estate, located in…
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Hua Lamphong “won’t be torn down” | VIDEO
As the final trains pull into the historic Hua Lamphong railway station in Bangkok over the next few months, public hearings are being called to examine redevelopment options. Bangkok’s old railway hub is officially moving to the much larger, new Bang Sue Grand Station this month. The first hearing about Hua Lamphong’s future is being held on December 14. But,…
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Vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Bangkok | VIDEO
Even a few years ago, a list of the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Bangkok would have somewhat lacked. Now, more and more plant-based establishments are appearing in the city, with the vegan movement growing each year. Natty goes on a quick trip of some of her favourite vegan haunts. But there’s plenty of others around the city as…
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Police face criticism over plans to buy millions of baht worth of tear gas and riot gear
Apparently, the Royal Thai Police looking to spend tens of millions of baht on riot gear and tears, a move that’s sparked criticism as many have opposed the police’s tactics to crack down on pro-democracy protesters. During many of youth-led protests this year, where activists call for government and monarchy reform, riot police have deployed high pressure water cannons, tear…
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Bangkok to organise New Year’s festival followed by Buddhist chanting ceremony
Bangkok city officials are planning New Year’s events, but under Covid-19 measures. A New Year’s festival is planned for December 31 and a Buddhist chanting ceremony is planned for the following day, according to the deputy permanent secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. The spokesperson says the events will be under the universal Covid-19 measures. The two-day event will be…
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Bangkok is 4th best place to live in Southeast Asia, according to expat survey
Bangkok has come in at number 4 in a survey ranking the best places to live in Southeast Asia. And the Thai capital has come in at number 11 out of 57 cities in the global rankings. This is a big jump on last year’s result, when it was ranked at number 30 out of 66 cities. According to a…
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Cabinet sets aside over 5 billion baht to improve Bangkok’s public transportation
Yesterday, the two biggest transportation groups in Thailand, Bangkok Mass Transit Organisation (BMTA) and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), received subsidies from the Cabinet to cope with the loss as well as increase their liquidity. A total of 5 billion baht was given, with 2.28 billion going to BMTA and 3.38 billion going to SRT. The Cabinet has also…
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More venues in Thailand require proof of vaccination, or ATK test, at the door
Thailand’s future looks… vaccinated. More and more venues and events are embracing the government’s “Covid Free Setting” guidelines which call for not only staff, but customers to be fully vaccinated, or test negative for the virus, to be considered a “Covid free” area. Bangkok’s Khao San Road was blocked off the other weekend with bouncers checking documents and digital vaccination…
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Foreigner claims Bangkok taxi pocketed 1,000 baht for ride down Sukhumvit
A foreigner in Bangkok claims he was ripped off by a taxi driver who drove him from Thong Lor to Sukhumvit Soi 11, saying the driver didn’t use a meter and pocketed 1,000 baht. Apparently, the driver claimed the passenger had handed him 100 baht. A Thai woman posted a video of the confrontation with the taxi driver on TikTok…
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PM asks for public to be consulted on plans for Hua Lamphong station
The Thai PM has asked the Transport Ministry to gauge the public’s view on the redevelopment of Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station. The Bangkok Post reports that the station is set to close in around 3 weeks’ time. A government spokesman says PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has tasked all relevant agencies to take public opinion into account in any commercial development proposals.…
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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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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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Police seize 36,000 fake US$100 bills and printing machines in a series of raids
In a transnational investigation into a large counterfeit bill operation, Thailand’s Police Cyber Task Force teamed up with the US Secret Service in Bangkok, seizing offset printing machines and tens of thousands of counterfeit $100 bills in early November. The investigation was launched after authorities noticed an uptick in banknote forgeries in Thailand. A source also tipped off authorities, saying most…
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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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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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CCSA hints that some bars and nightclubs could reopen before January 16
The long awaited reopening of bars and nightclubs is still set for January 16, but a government spokesperson has hinted that they could reopen sooner. The deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nopakun Natapanu, says that the CCSA decided to stay with the plan to for January, but will allow relevant agencies to continue to work closely with…
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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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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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Covid test required to enter CentralWorld’s Groove area in Bangkok
Shoppers entering CentralWorld’s Groove area in Bangkok will need to take a rapid antigen test to enter the two-storey section in one of the Thailand’s largest shopping centres. Alcohol sales and consumption at the Groove zone, which has a variety of cafes, restaurants, and space to hang out, is still allowed. Customers who enter test negative in an ATK (antigen…
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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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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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Too many wires: Prayut says he wants communication cables underground
Wires throughout Thailand’s urban areas, haphazardly bunched and looped on posts, look like an electrician’s nightmare. Now, according to Thai media, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he wants that to change and is proposing that the National Telecommunications Commission work with relevant agencies to get communication lines underground. Thai media points out that during actor Russell Crowe’s highly publicised trip to…
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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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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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Krathong cleanup: Prayers to the water goddess trash Thailand’s rivers
Under the full moon on Friday, Thais gathered by rivers and canals to float their intricately-made offerings, known as krathongs, to give thanks to the water goddess. But overnight garbage collectors in Bangkok quickly cleaned the waterways before sunrise, loading dump trucks with krathongs and other debris. The Loy Krathong festival is a known as a popular tradition where Thais…
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