Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
- 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…
- Bangkok News
93 arrested for alcohol in restaurant across from police station
In what has become a common occurrence, police raided an establishment and arrested people illegally serving and consuming alcohol. In Pathumwan district of Bangkok Monday night, police raided a restaurant within a shopping centre and arrested 93 people with alcoholic beverages. In real estate, as in illegal alcohol sales, location is everything, and the raid occurred on the second floor…
- Covid-19 News
70% of Bangkok residents fully vaccinated as capital prepares for re-opening
As Bangkok gears up for the forthcoming re-opening, the capital’s deputy governor has confirmed that 5.43 million people – 70% of the population – are fully vaccinated. Sophon Phisutthiwong says the capital is ready to re-open to fully vaccinated foreign tourists, in accordance with government policy. From November 1, the government plans to re-open 15 provinces to vaccinated visitors from…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Residents near Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River warned of imminent flood risk
People living near floodgates at the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok are being warned of a significant flood risk between now and the end of the month. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has issued the warning as officials monitor rising water levels. According to a Bangkok Post report, the river’s level is expected to rise between 20 and 40cm as a…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Flood warning issued for Bangkok
Despite officials hoping for a reduction in the heavy rainfall and flooding affecting many parts of Thailand, it seems the situation is not easing yet. Residents in Bangkok, along the capital’s Chao Phraya River, have been put on high alert over potential flooding. The Bangkok Post reports that the warning comes as 3,000 cubic metres of water per second flows…
- Bangkok News
Governor says Bangkok will only re-open when safe to do so
The governor of Bangkok says 3 criteria need to be met before the capital can re-open, in order to protect the health and safety of residents. Aswin Kwanmuang says while Bangkok is anxious to re-open and reboot its economy, it can only do so when it’s safe. This means the re-opening could be pushed out to mid-November, according to a…
- Thailand News
Vulnerable Bangkok students to receive Pfizer vaccines later this month
Adolescents, notably vulnerable students, in Bangkok will receive Pfizer vaccines later this month. The students, between the ages of 12 and 18, should get their vaccine at Navamindradhiraj University starting September 21, said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration yesterday. The eligible students, who’ve been assessed by a doctor, must provide proof of having a disability, illness, or a chronic condition. The…
- Bangkok News
Parks, sports fields and other venues allowed to reopen in Bangkok
Following the decision to ease restrictions in “dark red” provinces, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced they were revising the provincial order to be line with the national measures set by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration and to now allow parks, sports stadiums, department stores, and other venues to reopen. In line with the order by the CCSA, restaurants, including those…
- Thailand News
Bangkok closure order extended until August 31
Numerous businesses and venues in Bangkok will be closed at least until the end of the month. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration extended its closure order on non-essential businesses, places and venues until August 31. The closure order is in addition to the disease control measures set by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Under the Emergency Decree, provincial governments can…
- Covid-19 News
Thursday Covid Update: Record high of 17,669 new cases; provincial totals
Record highs of both new Covid-19 infections and coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. 17,669 new Covid-19 cases were recorded today, including 3,963 in Bangkok, the epicentre of the latest and most severe wave of infections. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has recorded a total of 561,030 confirmed Covid-19…
- Thailand News
BMA plans to open 53 “community isolation centres”
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has announced their intentions to open 53 “community isolation centres”…early next month. The centres will be for people who Covid and are waiting to be admitted to a hospital, says governor Aswin Kwanmuang, today. It is reported that City Hall is hoping to open 23 centres “right away”. There will be 3,390 beds for people who…
- Thailand News
New Covid-19 response teams to be dispatched to 69 Bangkok communities
In an effort to contain the Covid-19 outbreak in Bangkok where the highly transmissible Delta variant, said to now be the dominant strain, 69 response teams have been set up to conduct rapid Covid-19 tests in high-risk communities to quickly detect infections and contain the virus. Governor Aswin Kwanmuang says the so-call “Comprehensive Covid-19 Response Teams,” or CCRTs, which are…
- Covid-19 News
“We’ll do better on vaccines, there’s loads more on the way” – Anutin
Thailand’s Public Health Minister has pledged to do better on vaccine rollout, saying many more doses are coming soon. Anutin Charnvirakul says 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived yesterday, with another 1 million arriving tomorrow. The Bangkok Post reports that yesterday, Anutin visited the vaccination centre at Bang Sue Grand Station in the capital, where he met with some…
- Covid-19 News
Confusion, delayed appointments, and finger pointing: Thailand’s vaccine rollout in disarray
It seems it’s all turned into a bit of a shambles. Only a week after the government’s national vaccine rollout kicked off to great pomp and ceremony at Bangkok’s Bang Sue Grand Station, it has already run into problems. The Bangkok Post reports that both public and private hospitals are postponing appointments, saying they haven’t been given enough vaccines. The…
- Bangkok News
Thai government allegedly ticked-off with Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
The government is becoming increasingly irritated by the Bangkok Governor and his administration, according to a Thai Enquirer report. The media outlet says senior officials at the Public Health Ministry and at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration are critical of the governor’s random handling of the pandemic and its associated restrictions. The report is based on feedback from an…
- Bangkok News
Stricter Covid-19 rules for Bangkok area construction sites
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has set out instructions to large construction companies and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to implement stricter regulations to curb Covid-19 in worker housing facilities. The decree comes after clusters of outbreaks were found at housing facilities at construction sites in the Wattana and Laksi districts. The CCSA spokesmen cited cramped living conditions and a…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok sets goal to vaccinate 70% of population by the end of the year
With Bangkok as the epicentre of the recent Covid-19 outbreak, infecting over 10,000 people in the capital since April 1, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says they now aim to vaccinate 70% of Bangkok residents by the end of the year. Since Thailand started its national Covid-19 vaccination plan in late-February, just 1.4 million doses have been inoculated. Priority was initially…
- Covid-19 News
More staff to man Covid-19 hotlines after complaints of unanswered calls
Thousands of people have been calling Thailand’s Covid-19 hotline each day and many calls from those seeking hospital beds, medical attention or ambulance services are going unanswered. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha even called 2 of the hotline numbers and he says no one answered his calls. Now the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration plans to revamp the emergency call centre with plans to…
- Covid-19 News
Bangkok prepares to open field hospital as officials warn of a rapid rise in infections
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is considering opening a field hospital in preparation for a rapid rise in Covid-19 infections that could overwhelm medical facilities in the capital. Thai PBS World reports that the PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has instructed the BMA and the Ministry of Interior to arrange space in which a field hospital could be set up. The PM says…
- Environment News
Earth Hour on Saturday, Bangkok to join global “lights off” hour
The city of Bangkok will go dark for an hour on Saturday, joining thousands of cities across the globe for Earth Hour, an annual initiative where lights are turned off to raise awareness about protecting the planet. The deputy governor of Bangkok, Sopon Pisuttiwong, says lights be off from 8:30pm to 9:30pm on Saturday, joining 7,000 other cities in darkness.…
- Covid-19 News
6,000 people to be vaccinated in Bangkok’s Bang Khae after cluster of infections
Following the recent cluster of Covid-19 infections in Bangkok’s Bang Khae district, city officials plan to vaccinate 6,000 people in the area who are at risk of infection. Starting tomorrow, 500 to 600 people in the district will be vaccinated against the coronavirus each day, according to Bangkok Metropolitan Administration spokesperson Pongsakorn Kwanmuang. Inoculations will take place at hospitals and…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand in negotiations to purchase another 5 million doses of Chinese vaccine
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says Thailand is in talks about purchasing an additional 5 million doses of China’s Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine. The announcement comes as the government postpones administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine over blood clotting concerns. However, without further explanation, Anutin also states on his Facebook page that inoculation using the AstraZeneca jab will begin next week. According…
- Covid-19 News
Health officials move to quell panic over new Covid cluster in Bangkok
With proactive testing in Bangkok revealing a new cluster of 96 infections in the Bang Khae district, health officials have moved to allay fears of another wave of the virus. Between March 7 and 13, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration tested 4,046 people at various markets in Bang Khae, with 96 testing positive and the remainder still waiting on results. Opas…
- Covid-19 News
Celebrity’s birthday “Covid-19 cluster” organisers and partygoers may face charges
With more infections linked to the “birthday party Covid-19 cluster” and some concealing their timeline, the Disease Control Department is urging the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to take legal action against people involved. Thai media are calling it a “super spreader” party. So far, 26 cases are linked to the birthday event for the 33 year old Thai actor Techin Ploypetch, aka…
- Bangkok News
No dine-in service at Bangkok restaurants after 9pm
Bangkok officials announced a ban on dine-in services at restaurants after 7pm, but PM Prayut Chan-o-cha quickly changed the order to allow people to eat at the restaurants until 9pm, saying an earlier-hour ban would have a negative impact on the restaurant owners and the economy. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration had announced this morning that restaurants in the capital would only…
- Covid-19 News
Bangkok schools, nurseries, close for 12 days in bid to curtail Covid spread
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has closed all 437 municipal schools and 292 nurseries in the capital, amid confirmation of an additional 121 cases of Covid-19 in Samut Sakhon. The central province has become a hotspot of local transmission, with infection primarily concentrated on its migrant worker population. BMA spokesman Pongsakorn Kwanmuang adds that most city officials have been ordered to…
- Environment News
Bangkok officials launch “big cleaning” attack on air pollution | VIDEO
If all else fails, spray water at it … That seems to be the motto of officials in Bangkok, who have resorted to spraying large plumes of water into the air, in an effort to rid the capital of the smog that has plagued it for months now. Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang has launched the “Bangkok Big Cleaning Day”, in…
- Covid-19 News
Bangkok officials relay additional info on infected healthcare workers
With the announcement of a sixth Bangkok nurse testing positive for Covid-19, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration have provided more details of the timelines around the first 5 infections. All of the patients are healthcare workers at alternative state quarantine facilities. Pongsakorn Kwanmuang from the BMA says it’s believed they became infected in the course of their work, adding that their…
- Thailand Protest News
Toilets might be a problem at tomorrow’s pro-democracy rally
The pesky issue of student’s Numbers 1s and Number 2s has become a potential problem for protest organisers. Toilets might be hard to find at tomorrow’s pro-democracy rally. Activists say the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is refusing to provide mobile toilets for the rally at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument. (Although in the past, protest organisers have arranged the toilets for their events.)…
- Bangkok News
Little has changed: 9 years after devastating floods, Bangkok remains defenceless
Parts of Bangkok remain at risk of catastrophic floods, as happened in 2011, when thousands of people were displaced and homes partially or totally destroyed. Now, 9 years later, a report in the Bangkok Post says city officials have made little progress in shoring up the capital’s flood defences, and the upper-eastern area remains as exposed as ever. Back in…
