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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    Why traders in Thailand are choosing EC Markets for gold and forex trading

    Gold and forex trading have long been favourites among investors in Thailand, but why are so many traders now turning to EC Markets? The answer lies in a combination of tight spreads, ultra-fast execution, Thai baht (THB) deposit support, and...

  • Bangkok Governor: NO reopening October 15 despite PM plans

    Bangkok Governor: NO reopening October 15 despite PM plans

    As any well-informed reader of the news in Thailand knows, Bangkok will definitely be reopening on October 1. Also, it won’t be. It will be pushed back 2 weeks to October 15, the definitive date of Bangkok’s reopening for sure. Or… not. The Governor of Bangkok avowed today that despite the national government’s ever-changing and lofty plans, Bangkok will NOT…

  • Desperate hotel operators look to Bangkok re-opening for signs of hope

    Desperate hotel operators look to Bangkok re-opening for signs of hope

    Even with plans still up in the air and nothing confirmed, Thai hotel operators are pinning their hopes on Bangkok’s proposed re-opening next month. The president of the Thai Hotels Association says that while hotels don’t expect a huge uptake in bookings immediately, they are hopeful that average occupancy might reach 15 – 20% in the last 3 months of…

  • Re-opening of Bangkok pushed back 2 weeks to reach 70% vaccination goal

    Re-opening of Bangkok pushed back 2 weeks to reach 70% vaccination goal

    Following a meeting between the Bangkok governor and the tourism minister, officials have decided to delay the re-opening of the capital by 2 weeks. Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the capital’s re-opening will be pushed back to October 15, as most residents are still waiting for their second vaccination. Currently, just 37% of residents are fully vaccinated. The Bangkok Post…

  • Bangkok police arrest 12 year old and others at Din Daeng intersection for violating curfew

    Bangkok police arrest 12 year old and others at Din Daeng intersection for violating curfew

    Bangkok police continue to wield the merciless hammer of law and order. They brought it down last night on a 12 year old, arresting the child for allegedly violating curfew at the Din Daeng intersection. The minor was riding his bike to observe a protest, says a group of lawyers and activists. At least 11 other people were also arrested.…

  • Police say Din Daeng protests will end by next month

    Police say Din Daeng protests will end by next month

    The daily protests at the Din Daeng intersection will end by October, says the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau. The police did not specify how the protests would end. The daily demonstrations have been held since last month. They have been organised by locals, who call themselves “ThaluGas”, as well as protests by Ratsadorn Taliban, and Ramkhamhaeng for Democracy. There have…

  • Student launches campaign to stop demolition of iconic Bangkok cinema

    Student launches campaign to stop demolition of iconic Bangkok cinema

    A campaign to save Bangkok’s iconic Scala Cinema and prevent its demolition to make way for a shopping centre is garnering significant online support. The Bangkok Post reports that many netizens are backing the campaign started by a student and his friends. Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal launched the campaign following news that the Scala was to be demolished to make way for…

  • Police arrest 78 protesters, bystanders, medics and minors

    Police arrest 78 protesters, bystanders, medics and minors

    Last night, protesters and crowd control police met at Din Daeng in a heated confrontation that resulted in 78 people being arrested including bystanders, volunteer medics, and even underage people. Those who were taken into custody were held in several different police facilities, and the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights observed and reported on the arrests. They said 20 people…

  • Study shows 99.7% of Bangkok wearing masks properly

    Study shows 99.7% of Bangkok wearing masks properly

    While anti-mask sentiment can seem widespread and popular on social media, a new survey shows that, in Bangkok at least, almost 100% of people are wearing their masks. The surprising “AI Mask” project by the Ministry of Higher Education Science Research and Innovation found that 99.7% of Bangkok residents were not only wearing their masks but wearing them correctly. The…

  • “Dark red” zone curfew, other rules remain until the end of the month

    “Dark red” zone curfew, other rules remain until the end of the month

    The nightly curfew for the 29 provinces classified as “dark red” zones for high Covid-19 infection rates will remain in place, at least until the end of the month. Those in Bangkok and other “dark red” provinces must stay home from 9pm to 4am, unless travel is essential. In a Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meeting today chaired by PM Prayut…

  • Officials to review curfew, Covid-19 restrictions in dark red provinces today

    Officials to review curfew, Covid-19 restrictions in dark red provinces today

    The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meets today to review the curfew in place in dark red provinces, and to discuss the easing of some restrictions. However, Dr Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says the CCSA will be asked to keep the 9pm – 4am curfew as is until the end of this month. While the hours…

  • Vulnerable Bangkok students to receive Pfizer vaccines later this month

    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…

  • Protesters at Bangkok’s Asok intersection call on PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to resign

    Protesters at Bangkok’s Asok intersection call on PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to resign

    Protesters gathered at Bangkok’s Asok interaction yesterday, calling on PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to resign. For the past year, pro-democracy groups have been pushing for the prime minister to step down, but with the latest wave of Covid-19 surpassing more than 1 million infections, along with a limited supply of vaccines, protesters now say Prayut should resign due to mismanagement during…

  • More protests planned for Bangkok today as activists continue fight to remove PM

    More protests planned for Bangkok today as activists continue fight to remove PM

    Anti-government protesters are planning another “car mob” rally in Bangkok today, as they continue their bid to remove the Thai PM from office. The Bangkok Post reports that yesterday, Red Shirt activist Nattawut Saikuar addressed a rally at the Asoke intersection in the capital, vowing to lead a bigger protest from the Ratchaprasong intersection to Asoke today. According to the…

  • 17 protest leaders named in complaint with Lumpini police

    17 protest leaders named in complaint with Lumpini police

    Legal action is being pursued by a legal activist against 17 leaders of pro-democracy protests that took place on September 3 and 4. The complaint was filed with the Lumpini police, today. The protests in question took place at the Ratchaprasong intersection and were set up by the United Front of Thammasat, the Thalu Fa group, and the Re-Dem group.…

  • Department stores follow strict Covid-19 safety to remain open

    Department stores follow strict Covid-19 safety to remain open

    In Bangkok and other dark red provinces across Thailand, department stores have finally been allowed to reopen and it seems that many are bending over backwards to follow Covid-19 safety measures in an attempt to assure they remain open. Department stores have been closed or severely restricted for months due to the Emergency decree and protective measures the government has…

  • The future of Covid vaccine ‘passports’ in access to services | VIDEO

    The future of Covid vaccine ‘passports’ in access to services | VIDEO

    Tim Newton speaks to Bangkok lawyer Benjamin Hart from Integrity Legal (link below). Ben is concerned at recent mutterings from the Thai government which may have insisted on proof of covid vaccines for any number of services, from simply eating to domestic travel. There is currently an instance on proof of vaccines for any provincial travel in Thailand in and…

  • Bangkok ranked #1 best “workation” city in the world, Phuket #10

    Bangkok ranked #1 best “workation” city in the world, Phuket #10

    Bangkok has been ranked as the number one city in the world for a ‘workation’ – a portmanteau combining work and vacation – with Phuket also ranking in the top 10. The two Thai destinations ranked among the top cities in the world where people can get a break from their office life and have a holiday while still actively…

  • Suvarnabhumi’s ranking plummets in World’s Best Airports index

    Suvarnabhumi’s ranking plummets in World’s Best Airports index

    The results of this year’s World’s Best Airports awards are in, and in the last 10 years, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi has taken a nosedive from number 13 to 66. The awards, voted for by passengers, are run annually by UK consultancy, Skytrax. This year’s results were decided by an online survey that ran for a 12-month period between August 2020 and…

  • PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says lifting the nightly curfew is under consideration

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says lifting the nightly curfew is under consideration

    Ending the nightly curfew in “dark red” provinces is under consideration, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced today before Parliament during the second day of the censure debate against his government. 29 provinces, including Bangkok, are classified as “dark red” zones under maximum control to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, following a meeting chaired by prime…

  • Woman and child plunge from Bangkok condominium

    Woman and child plunge from Bangkok condominium

    A woman and her child plunged from the 9th floor of their condominium to their death in Bangkok, early this morning. Lumpini police were alerted to the deaths around 6:30am. The woman and her baby were found on an overhang on the second floor. Police say the unnamed 37 year old woman and 8 month old child lived on the…

  • More anti-government protests in Bangkok today, day 2 of no-confidence debate

    More anti-government protests in Bangkok today, day 2 of no-confidence debate

    Police in Bangkok are preparing for more anti-government protests today, with 2,250 officers on duty to patrol rallies by 3 different groups. Today is day 2 of the no-confidence debate against the government, with protests planned by Ratsadorn Taliban, Ramkhamhaeng for Democracy, and Thalugas, with each group meeting in different areas of the capital. According to a Bangkok Post report,…

  • Parks, sports fields and other venues allowed to reopen in Bangkok

    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…

  • Anti-government protesters arrested after police officer injured at weekend rally

    Anti-government protesters arrested after police officer injured at weekend rally

    Following Sunday’s anti-government protest in Bangkok, 2 activists have been arrested after video footage allegedly showed them injuring a police officer. The Bangkok Post reports that the pair are among a total of 27 protesters arrested, according to Pakapong Pongpetra from the Metropolitan Police Bureau. He says 13 of the detainees are minors and 2 are women. Sunday’s rally began…

  • Covid UPDATE: 264 deaths, provincial totals

    Covid UPDATE: 264 deaths, provincial totals

    16,536 new infections over the past 24 hours across Thailand. New infections in Bangkokl continue to drop although other provinces are still worrisome for officials, including Samut Prakan, Chon Buri and Rayong, to the east of the city. In the southern region, Phuket features with the province having the most new infections, over 200 new cases for the first time…

  • NACC investigating cars and wealth of fugitive Chief Joe

    NACC investigating cars and wealth of fugitive Chief Joe

    As the story of the 7 police officers accused of suffocating a man to death while trying to extort him for 2 million baht continues to unfold, 2 of the officers are currently fugitives, including Pol Col Thitisan “Chief Joe” Utthanaphon whose incredible wealth and fleet of cars has come under intense scrutiny. Now the National Anti-Corruption Commission has launched…

  • Thai Vietjet to resume flights to Singapore and Taiwan starting October

    Thai Vietjet to resume flights to Singapore and Taiwan starting October

    Thai Vietjet will resume international flights to and from Taiwan and Singapore starting on October 20 and 21 respectively. Flights from Singapore will have routes to Bangkok and Phuket. Sealed domestic flights connecting for those entering under the Phuket “Sandbox” will be available for those on the Taipei-Bangkok flights. Passengers are required to comply with immigration regulations and are liable…

  • 7 police officers face charges relating to suspect’s death in custody

    7 police officers face charges relating to suspect’s death in custody

    Arrest warrants have been issued for seven police officers who were allegedly involved in the incident where a plastic bag was put over a drug suspect’s head before he was beaten, allegedly by officers demanding a 2 million baht bribe. Reports say the man died from suffocation, but officers wrote the death off as a drug overdose. As of this…

  • 7 teenagers arrested for allegedly planning to use small bombs at protest

    7 teenagers arrested for allegedly planning to use small bombs at protest

    Police arrested seven teenagers for allegedly possessing ping pong bombs with plans to use them at an upcoming protest in Bangkok. Officers raided a home in Nakhon Pathom, right outside the capital, at around 3:30am yesterday and seized 18 ping pong bombs. The teenagers at the home, ages 12 to 19, were arrested. Police also confiscated 3.69 grams of marijuana,…

  • Bangkok Sandbox: open businesses to vaccinated customers

    Bangkok Sandbox: open businesses to vaccinated customers

    Perhaps feeling a bit jealous of more easily isolated tropical islands with their Sandboxes, who are reopening despite their own rising Covid-19 infections, the private sector has proposed its own reopening in the capital they are calling the Bangkok Sandbox. A “Factory Sandbox” has already been put into use in the industrial sector that maintains safety and confidence in the…

  • Wanted police superintendent has mansion, 13 luxury cars

    Wanted police superintendent has mansion, 13 luxury cars

    The appalling story of the Mueng Nakhon Sawan Police suffocating a man to death while trying to extort him for 2 million baht continues with more and more shocking turns. Now details are emerging of the accused police station superintendent Pol Col Thitisan Utthanaphon’s luxury house on a large plot of land in Bangkok with 13 high-end cars. First, the…