Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
- Bangkok News
Bangkok asks companies to let employees work from home until October 7
As the Thai capital prepares for another torrential downpour, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) requested that companies allow employees to work from home where possible from October 5 – 7. “City-dwellers prepare for another period of heavy rain. Be wary of certain areas which are prone to flooding. Heavy rain is expected from now until October 7. We ask for…
- Environment News
Garbage in canals worsens flooding in Bangkok
With heavy rainfall creating flooding around Thailand, officials say it’s not just the massive water pelting down that’s to blame for the Bangkok floods. Another culprit plays a significant role in the flooding: dumped garbage. While the capital city needs improvements to the drainage systems, an epidemic of junk bottlenecking the water flow is also to blame. The Chao Phraya…
- Bangkok News
Chinatown manhole covers to use art, tech to become cultural map
A new blend of utility, art, and technology will transform mundane manhole covers in Bangkok’s Chinatown into beautifying sources of information according to a new plan. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt met with members of the Office of Thailand Science Research and Innovation as well as Silpakorn University to develop the new project. The plan is to create beautiful manhole covers…
- Politics News
Bangkok governor vows to root out government corruption
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt yesterday revealed he is to introduce five new policies in an attempt to wipe out corruption in the capital. The 56 year old City Hall leader announced the scheme at a press conference sitting alongside members of the Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand (ACT). Chadchart acknowledged that Bangkok citizens do not fully trust City Hall in issues…
- Environment News
Bangkok gov’s ’15 Minute Pocket Parks’ set to bloom
Chadchart Sittipunt’s dream of Bangkok being a lean, green, sustainable machine picked up more momentum at the weekend when promoting his “15 Minute Pocket Parks” policy. The Bangkok governor last month invited the public to plant 1 million trees in the metropolis as part of his campaign to make the city greener. Now, the 56 year old intends on expanding…
- Economy News
Chatuchak Market revitalisation planned by BMA and SRT
Once a bustling centre of commerce and socialising, Chatuchak Market has been much quieter since reopening after being closed down because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now the State Railway of Thailand is cooperating with local authorities in Bangkok and City Hall to try to revive the famous market back to its previous thriving glory. As with most of the tourism…
- Covid-19 News
Bangkok preparing to reopen community isolation centres
With Covid-19 infections on the rise again, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration may reopen community isolation centres in crowded areas of the capital city. The plan would open facilities in 50 districts to help protect vulnerable people like pregnant women, the elderly, and those with underlying diseases from those infected with coronavirus. Bangkok has seen a rise to over 2,000 infections…
- Cannabis News
Chadchart’s fears for Thai kids after cannabis decriminalisation
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt admits he fears for the health and safety of Thailand’s children after the decriminalisation of cannabis on June 9. He fears the lack of guidelines and accompanying legislation has led to confusion and incorrect assumptions following the announcement. The 56 year old voiced his concerns at Wichutit School in Bangkok’s Din Daeng district while promoting a…
- Thailand News
Governor to introduce intelligent transportation system to resolve Bangkok’s endemic gridlock
Newly elected Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt intends to introduce an innovative “intelligent transportation system” to fix the city’s endemic traffic congestion. The 56 year old governor says he is going to introduce a highly sophisticated technology program to put an end to Bangkok’s perpetual transport problems and resolve the outcome within a year. Chadchart is in the process of putting…
- Crime News
Chadchart’s commitment to purging the metropolis of corruption
Newly elected governor Chadchart Sittipunt revealed he plans to stamp out corruption as part of his flagship “Bangkok’s Nine Good” policy. Corruption in Thailand has been a national issue for decades. The kingdom is ranked 110th out of 180 countries evaluated in Transparency International‘s 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index. The index examines public sector corruption, countries whose public sectors are perceived to be…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok to impose tobacco tax for the first time
Bangkok is planning to introduce a tobacco tax of up to 10 satang per cigarette, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (there are 100 satang in a Thai baht). The BMA announced this week that this will be the first time Bangkok will impose a tax on tobacco, which will push the price of cigarettes up by 1.86 baht per…
- Thailand News
Thai government pushes use of electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions
The Thai government has approved a budget of 3 billion baht to subsidise the price of electric vehicles and has installed free-to-use EV charging stations at Benjakitti Park in Bangkok to promote the shift to a low carbon society. The spokesperson for the prime minister, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchan, announced today that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha aims to promote electric vehicles and make…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok governor vows to end annual flooding in capital
The governor of Bangkok has pledged to end the flooding that plagues the capital each year and says he has the tools to do it. Aswin Kwanmuang says the construction of another 2 underground water tanks, in addition to 2 that have been completed, will be done within the next 2 years, helping to put an end to Bangkok’s ongoing…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok governor summoned by PM, asked to explain Covid treatment complaints
The governor of Bangkok has been summoned by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and asked to explain why residents in the capital are unable to access Covid-19 treatment. According to a Nation Thailand report, Governor Aswin Kwanmuang met with the PM and was asked to explain the complaints from Bangkok patients. Addressing the media, the PM confirmed the meeting took place at…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok officials install more than 62,000 security cameras around the capital
Officials in Bangkok have installed over 62,000 security cameras all over the capital, according to a Nation Thailand report. Bangkok governor, Aswin Kwangmuang, says the installation of 62,217 additional cameras has been done with the safety of residents in mind. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has also set up 13 monitoring centres, where CCTV footage can be checked. According to Aswin,…
- Thailand News
60% Covid-19 hospital beds in Thailand are taken
Thailand’s director-general of the Department of the Department of Medical Services said yesterday that 60% of 180,000 Covid-19 hospital beds are occupied. This is a sudden increase from Wednesday, when 49.1% of beds were occupied. The Public Health Ministry reported that as of Thursday there were 42,044 beds beds for patients in “level 1”, with 89,141 beds occupied. There were…
- Thailand News
Agencies partner to start cleaning 2,400 km of cables February 15
Could an end be in sight for Thailand’s infamously snarled mass of electric and communication cables overhead? The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has set a goal this year of cleaning up 2,000 kilometres worth of cables in the provinces of Thailand, plus another 400 kilometres just in Bangkok alone. The Cabinet had previously set this ambitious cleanup goal last…
- Bangkok News
AstraZeneca vaccines free for Bangkok walk-ins from Monday
Starting Monday, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will be offering AstraZeneca vaccinations for people over 18 of any nationality. They are broadening the scope of who can be vaccinated in an attempt to accelerate national inoculation, a criterion announced today in Thailand plan to declare Covid-19 endemic by the end of this year. The vaccinations will be open to anybody as…
- Covid-19 News
Free Covid-19 testing events in Bangkok daily throughout January
With Covid-19 infections on the rise, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration launched a series of testing events in 80 communities around the city through the end of January. The campaign is aimed at proactive testing to identify and hopefully contain infections as the highly contagious Omicron variant spreads quickly through the city and the country. The series of testing events began…
- Bangkok News
BMA follows CCSA; Bangkok entertainment venues remain closed
It will likely come as no shock to anyone, but the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration declared today that they will follow the rules of the CCSA and extend the closure of entertainment venues indefinitely. The decision was announced today that bars, pubs, karaoke, nightclubs, and other nightlife and entertainment venues will not be reopening in Bangkok as with the rest of…
- Environment News
Bangkok 14th worst air quality globally, more PM2.5 next week
Not quite as pride-inducing as being ranked the number 1 city for a workation in the world or the 4th best place to live in Southeast Asia, but Bangkok has recently been listed as having the 14th worst air pollution globally on the World Air Quality Index. The dubious honour was awarded on Wednesday as Bangkok faces more days where…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok is removing about 400 public drinking water fountains
The days when Bangkok had water flowing through the city like, well, water, are coming to an end as the city plans to demolish about 400 public drinking fountains. The initiative to remove the public pedestal drinking fountains has deemed the move necessary because of a variety of factors that make them more of a nuisance than a public service.…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok Covid-19 vaccination centre to close for 7 days during New Year holiday
One of Bangkok’s vaccination centres will be closed for a week during the New Year holiday from December 29 to January 4. Thais and foreign residents can still get vaccinated during those days at one of the six health clinics or 11 recognised hospitals, according to Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Health Department’s director. The Thai-Japanese Youth Centre will reopen on January…
- Thailand News
New Year’s events reminded of Covid-19 safety and 1 am booze curfew
New Year’s Eve is fast approaching and some big parties have been cleared to proceed, but the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is reminding people that the Covid-19 safety regulations need to be followed still, including the rule that alcohol can only be served until 1 am. The BMA’s public relations page announced that Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang will be following all…
- Bangkok News
Cabinet approves 82.5 billion baht project plan to clean up Bangkok’s polluted canal
Bangkok’s Khlong Saen Saep is in for a major cleanup. Garbage litters the waterway and wastewater flows into the canal, which is a major water transit with an express boat service running through the capital. To tackle the problem, the Thai Cabinet approved an 82.5 billion baht, 11-year rehabilitation project. The waste from the canal, which connects with the Chao…
- Bangkok News
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…
- Bangkok News
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…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok officials say 100% of residents will be fully vaccinated by end of the year
Bangkok’s entire population will be fully vaccinated by the end of the year, according to Governor Aswin Kwanmuang. He says the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has set a goal of vaccinating 100% of residents by the end of 2021. According to a Thai PBS World report, 8,734,534 people have now received their first dose and 7,512,946 their second. 85% of high-risk…
- Covid-19 News
Workers returning from provinces can get second, third vaccine doses in Bangkok
The health minister says jobseekers returning from the provinces to work in Bangkok can get their vaccine doses in the capital. Anutin Charnvirakul says some people may have appointments for a second dose or a third, booster dose, in their home provinces. However, they can opt to have them in Bangkok instead. He was speaking as workers previously employed in…
- Bangkok News
BMA allows alcohol in restaurants in Bangkok with some rules
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has finally agreed to let the plan to lift the alcohol ban in restaurants for Blue Zone tourist areas proceed in Bangkok with some caveats. The CCSA created a new addition to their Covid-19 colour-coded zones for the 4 key tourist areas of Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, and Phang Nga, based on tourism need more than Covid-19…
