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 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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Train station construction closes Ratchathewi flyover for 3 years
Bangkok officials announced the closure of the Ratchathewi intersection flyover for three years to facilitate the construction of the Ratchathewi underground electric train station. The closure, starting today, January 17 at 10pm and lasting until April 30, 2028, is expected to cause significant traffic congestion. City officials are recommending alternative routes to mitigate the impact and are emphasising efforts to…
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Fire in Bangkok’s Min Buri destroys warehouse and 8 vehicles
A fire broke out in Soi Rom Klao 7, Min Buri district, Bangkok, spreading to a chemical storage warehouse and destroying eight vehicles, including six cars and two motorcycles. The incident occurred at 3.05am today, January 17, when the Rama 199 Radio Centre was alerted to a grass fire in Rom Klao 7, Saen Saep subdistrict, Min Buri district. Upon…
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Thai minister demands Shinawatra family forfeit Alpine Golf land
Thai Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who also leads the Bhumjaithai Party, announced yesterday that the Shinawatra family’s ownership of extensive land at Alpine Golf and Sports Club should be rescinded. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is connected to these holdings through familial ties. Anutin stated that Chamnanwit Terat, the Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Interior, must ensure the revocation is completed…
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Bangkok steals top spot for Chinese New Year celebrations
Bangkok has emerged as the top destination for Thai and foreign tourists planning to celebrate Chinese New Year in Thailand, according to data from the digital travel platform Agoda. The vibrant capital outshone other popular spots, with accommodation searches surging ahead of the festivities starting January 29. Agoda revealed yesterday, January 15, that Bangkok topped the list for Thai tourists,…
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British fraudster nabbed in land scam at Bangkok airport
A British national was arrested at Suvarnabhumi International Airport upon returning to Thailand, accused of orchestrating an elaborate property fraud worth nearly 20 million baht. Officers from the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD), led by Police Colonel Theeraphast Yangyuen and Police Lieutenant Colonel Woraphot Lalitjirakul, apprehended the 57 year old British man, Quentin (surname withheld) yesterday, January 15 under an…
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Dutch national arrested in Bangkok for US$55,000 gold scam
Thailand’s Immigration Bureau announced on Tuesday, January 14, the arrest of a 43 year old Dutch national for allegedly organising a gold scam in Bangkok. The suspect, named Ndille, is accused of deceiving customers by selling counterfeit gold pellets, claiming they were smuggled tax-free from Africa and offering them at below-market prices. Investigations uncovered that the suspect employed a sophisticated…
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Illegal cuts: South Koreans snipped up in Bangkok salon raid
Police yesterday arrested four South Korean nationals for working illegally at a renowned hair salon in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok. Officers from the Immigration Bureau acted on a tip-off and raided the salon, located on the second floor of a building in the Sukhumvit neighbourhood, at around 3.30pm, yesterday, January 15. Upon arrival, officers found both Thai and foreign customers…
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Thai PM faces petition over jailed activist adviser appointment
Activist Sonthiya Sawasdee has lodged a petition against Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra concerning the appointment of a former jailed activist as her adviser. Sonthiya requested that the Office of the Attorney-General forward his complaint to the Constitutional Court regarding the appointment of Nattawut Saikuar, a significant figure in the red shirt movement, on October 4 last year. Sonthiya claims that…
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Woman caught vaping on Bangkok BTS sparks outrage (video)
A video capturing a woman allegedly vaping cannabis on a Bangkok Skytrain (BTS) has gone viral, igniting outrage and calls for stricter public behaviour enforcement. The shocking footage, shared on the Facebook page อีซ้อขยี้แหลก on January 12, shows the woman casually vaping on the train, surrounded by children and elderly passengers. The clip reveals the woman standing and texting while…
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AI scam targets Thai PM: Paetongtarn exposes con attempt
Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra issued a stark warning to the public about the dangers of AI-driven scams after narrowly escaping a sophisticated con involving a fake ASEAN leader. Speaking at a policy meeting for the 2026 fiscal budget, the 38 year old PM revealed she was targeted by a call centre gang using artificial intelligence to mimic the voice…
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Charity event raises 4 million baht for Police General Hospital
Thailand’s Police Association donated 4 million baht from its second annual charity walk-run event, Police Run 2024, to the Police General Hospital. This donation, presented yesterday, January 14 at the hospital, will fund medical equipment to support patients and visitors. The event, organised by the Police Association and the Police General Hospital Foundation under Royal Patronage, took place last year…
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Milk can mayhem: Tin can falls from Parliament ceiling
Thailand’s Parliament was rocked, literally, when an empty tin can of pasteurised milk plunged from the ceiling during a joint sitting, narrowly missing a group of MPs. The bizarre incident yesterday, January 14, has left security measures under intense scrutiny and raised serious questions about safety within the legislative chamber. Deputy House Speaker Paradorn Prissanananthakul addressed the issue during today’s…
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Polish man arrested for spanking Thai woman’s bottom (video)
Police arrested a Polish man at his condominium in Bangkok for spanking a Thai woman’s bottom in a convenience store. He claimed he was unaware that his actions were illegal and stated that he had done the same thing to many women before. The Thai woman filed a complaint with Tung Maha Mek Police Station after being assaulted while picking…
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Lufthansa and Thai Airways to revolutionise Eurasian travel
In a bold move to redefine travel between Europe and Asia, Lufthansa and Thai Airways International are supercharging their partnership with a codeshare expansion that’s set to shake up the aviation industry. Starting this month, travellers will have unprecedented connectivity to Southeast Asia, as flights from Bangkok to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila take on a Lufthansa flight…
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High stakes: Woman nabbed at Norway airport carrying cannabis
A woman was caught red-handed at Norway’s Gardermoen Airport in Oslo, allegedly smuggling a hefty 41.7 kilogrammes of cannabis through customs. Claiming ignorance, the suspect insists the suspicious suitcase was handed over by an unknown stranger in Thailand. Now, she’s in deep water, facing a probe that could unveil ties to a global drug trafficking network. Foreign news agencies disclosed that…
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Interpol joins hunt for Cambodian suspect in Bangkok shooting
Interpol has issued a red notice for the arrest of a 24 year old Cambodian man implicated in the fatal shooting of Lim Kimya, a former Cambodian opposition MP following a request from the Thai police. Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) commissioner, Police Lieutenant General Sayam Boonsom, stated that the warrant will enable Interpol and the Cambodian National Police to locate…
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Barking bad: Bangkok dealer’s pitbulls mask meth smells with poop
In a barking mad drug bust, police uncovered a cunning scheme where a Bangkok dealer used his pitbulls to poop and pee to hide his methamphetamine operation. The dogs’ pee and poop were more than just a mess – they were meant to mask the whiff of a massive meth haul stashed right under their noses. Today, January 15, a…
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Thailand to welcome foreign couples for surrogacy under new law
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is amending surrogacy legislation to align with the equal marriage law and to welcome overseas couples for surrogate births in Thailand. Director General of the Department of Health Service Support, Dr Panuwat Panket, shared updates yesterday, January 14, regarding the amendments to the Protection for Children Born through Assisted Reproductive Technologies Act. These revisions are being…
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Thai schools to shift lessons online amid severe air pollution threat
Schools in Thailand may transition to online classes if fine dust pollution reaches critical levels, according to the Thai Education Ministry. Teachers are advised to monitor students’ health as PM2.5 haze pollution affects several provinces, including Bangkok. Siripong Angkasakulkiat from the Education Ministry stated yesterday, January 14, that Minister Permpoon Chidchob urged the creation of appropriate plans to organise classes…
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Chinese couple beg for help in Bangkok amid son’s trafficking fears
A distraught Chinese couple has made a desperate plea outside the Chinese embassy in Bangkok, seeking help to find their missing son, suspected to be a victim of human trafficking in Southeast Asia. The couple, 64 year old Sun Maoxing and his wife 60 year old Wang Weiju, travelled from China’s Shandong province to Thailand on their first-ever trip abroad,…
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HK singer cancels Bangkok concert amid Chinese safety fears
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan Yik-shun has abruptly cancelled his upcoming Bangkok concert, citing safety concerns for Chinese citizens travelling to Thailand. The February 22 show at Impact Arena was called off following the rescue of a mainland Chinese actor from a cross-border scam syndicate. Sunfan Media Group, the concert organiser, announced the decision last Friday, January 10. “After careful…
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Rolling the dice: Thailand to legalise online gambling
In a landmark move, the Thai Cabinet approved amendments to ministerial regulations aimed at legalising online gambling, with changes expected to be completed within a month. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society (DES) Prasert Chantararuangthong revealed the decision today, following discussions at the Cabinet meeting yesterday, January 13. The amendments, spearheaded by the Ministry of Digital…
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Over 200,000 mule accounts targeted in scam gangs crackdown
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) launched an all-out crackdown on scam networks using over 200,000 mule bank accounts to siphon off approximately 100 billion baht from Thai citizens since 2022. The scale of the financial crimes has prompted an urgent collaboration between the RTP, the Bank of Thailand (BoT), and other agencies. At a high-level meeting yesterday, January 13, Police General…
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Bucket list gone wrong: Swansea gran’s naked Bangkok escapade
A 61 year old grandmother from Swansea found herself stark naked and wandering her hotel, allegedly after downing a tainted bucket of booze in bustling Bangkok. Janet West’s unnerving adventure adds a chilling chapter to the ongoing saga of suspected deadly drinks across Southeast Asia. West’s bizarre evening unfolded amid the wild festivities of the new year on Bangkok’s buzzing…
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Chinese woman accuses Thai police of 7 million baht extortion
A Chinese woman accused Thai police officers in Bangkok of extorting 7 million baht from her. However, several Thai nationals came forward to accuse the Chinese woman of operating an investment scam. The woman, identified only as Yujin, released a livestream video alleging corruption by officers at Prawet Police Station in Bangkok and urged her followers not to travel to…
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PM Paetongtarn slams 4.4 billion baht asset allegations
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has come out swinging against allegations of falsifying her assets statement, branding the claims as baseless and politically motivated. The accusations stem from a report by the Isra News Agency, suggesting that she misrepresented a staggering 4.4 billion baht debt owed to close family members. “It’s a debt between me and my relatives,” the premier insisted…
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Something’s fishy: Farmers demand answers over blackchin tilapia spread
Approximately 150 farmers from 19 provinces assembled outside the Government House yesterday, January 13, to submit a letter to the government. They demanded the identification of those responsible for the spread of blackchin tilapia fish and requested support for the affected farmers. The letter, delivered by the group’s leader Panya Toktong to Pansak Charoen, a specialist at the Prime Minister’s…
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Foreign man pickpocketed at Bangkok shopping mall entrance (video)
Three thieves, reportedly foreign nationals, pickpocketed a foreign man at the entrance of a shopping mall in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok this afternoon. Several news pages on Facebook shared a video showing the foreign victim searching for his stolen valuables in a black backpack outside the shopping mall, today, January 13. The mall is believed to be EmQuartier, located near…
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Bangkok man arrested for motorcycle theft after licence plate swap
A patrol unit from Phetkasem apprehended a 37 year old man for motorcycle theft, catching him in the act as he attempted to swap out the licence plate of the stolen motorcycle. The arrest occurred yesterday, January 12 at 3pm, in the Lak Song subdistrict, Bang Khae district, Bangkok. The suspect, 37 year old Chaiyot “Boy” Boonyawong, confessed to stealing…
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Foreign man found dead after fall from 23-storey Bangkok building
A foreign man was found dead after falling from a 23-storey building in the Phaya Thai area of Bangkok. The incident occurred at 5.30pm yesterday, January 12, with his body discovered inside a school’s perimeter. No identification documents were found on him. Police Lieutenant Weerachai Kaewsanga from Phaya Thai Police Station received a report about the fall near Si Ayutthaya…
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