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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    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....

  • Silicone strips seized stopping safety-sacrificing surgeries

    Silicone strips seized stopping safety-sacrificing surgeries

    Officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) teamed up with police on a raid of several plastic surgery clinics and a manufacturer’s warehouse to confiscate a large number of counterfeit silicone pieces. The joint operation was announced on Monday by the FDA Secretary-General and the Deputy Chief of the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD). Previous raids had been carried…

  • Mentally ill Bangkok man allegedly brutally murders his mother

    Mentally ill Bangkok man allegedly brutally murders his mother

    A mentally ill Bangkok man allegedly brutally murdered his mother, Thai media reported. Lat Krabang Police arrested the suspect, 37 year old Noi Chanprem, on Sunday. Police were alerted about the incident and rushed to the victim’s four-story apartment building. Officers found the body of Noi’s mother, 61 year old Chai Chanprem, covered in blood in a room on the…

  • Bus hits overpass injuring student footballers aboard

    Bus hits overpass injuring student footballers aboard

    A school football team and their coaches were left reeling after their bus met with a shocking accident while transporting them from the Nong Chok district of Bangkok to a field in the Bang Sao Thong district, Samut Prakan. The bus slammed into the top of a motorway overpass, causing the roof to cave in and injuring 13 of the…

  • Bangkok kids suffer food poisoning after eating free noodles for Children’s Day

    Bangkok kids suffer food poisoning after eating free noodles for Children’s Day

    Bangkok kids suffered food poisoning, photo by Amarin TV. A group of Bangkok kids suffered food poisoning after eating free noodles on Friday for Children’s Day. Over 10 ambulances rushed to Wat Naknimit School on Soi Suksawat 14, Suksawat road, to help the 30 kids. Reports said the children suffered nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and headaches. One female student said someone…

  • Chinese business leaders to gather in Bangkok

    Chinese business leaders to gather in Bangkok

    Around 4,000 Chinese business leaders are set to gather in Bangkok in June to meet entrepreneurs from around the globe at the first World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention since the pandemic and the 16th since it was launched in 1991. Today, WCEC is the biggest forum for connecting Chinese entrepreneurs with international partners. Narongsak Putthapornmongkol, president of the Thai-Chinese Chamber of…

  • Bangkok’s electric tuk tuks to triple this year

    Bangkok’s electric tuk tuks to triple this year

    MuvMi, Bangkok’s electric tuktuk operator, will nearly triple the number of Bangkok’s electric tuk tuks this year, from 350 to 1,000. Krisada Kritayakirana, CEO of Urban Mobility Tech, said Friday that demand for rides in Bangkok’s electric tuktuks is growing. Krisada said… “Our initial goal is to provide environmentally friendly vehicles for city dwellers who struggle to find public transportation…

  • Bentley driver’s blood test reveals methamphetamine use

    Bentley driver’s blood test reveals methamphetamine use

    Police today revealed that the Bentley driver who caused a three-car crash was not only under the influence of alcohol but drugs were also found in his system. Police confirmed to the media that a drug test discovered methamphetamine and another unidentified narcotic in his blood system. More updates are expected to be announced this evening. The Bentley driver, Suthat…

  • Bangkok taxi fare increase effective today

    Bangkok taxi fare increase effective today

    Bangkok taxi fares will increase to a minimum fare of 40 baht today after staying at 35 baht for 30 years. The increased fare, which applies to Bangkok registered taxis with no more than seven seats, is effective today according to its announcement in the Royal Gazette yesterday. However, passengers may not notice a rise in fares straight away as…

  • Bentley driver charged with drunk driving granted bail at 100,000 baht

    Bentley driver charged with drunk driving granted bail at 100,000 baht

    Under pressure police finally charged a Bentley driver with drunk driving for causing a three-car crash. After much public criticism and deliberation, police charged the driver because he refused to take a breathalyser test in the first place. The driver was reported to have been granted bail of 100,000 baht yesterday. Suthat Siwapiromrat, the millionaire Bentley driver who caused the…

  • Watchdogs call for investigation into ties between Myanmar arms broker and junta leader

    Watchdogs call for investigation into ties between Myanmar arms broker and junta leader

    Watchdog groups are calling for an investigation into the relationship between an arrested Burmese businessman in Thailand and Myanmar’s junta leader. The campaign group Justice for Myanmar, and other similar groups, are calling for a probe into their ties and to block their access to Thailand’s financial system. The calls come after arms broker Tun Min Latt, 53, and three…

  • 11 victims injured in collision after car drives against traffic flow

    11 victims injured in collision after car drives against traffic flow

    A 21 year old man caused a six-car collision on a road in Bangkok by driving his Volvo hatchback against the flow of traffic and crashing into a pickup on Christmas Day. Eleven people were injured as a result of his actions. The result of the suspect’s alcohol and drug test has not been made public. Pattheera Datepae, a relative…

  • Thais pay respect to albino buffalo sculpture toppled by drunken Englishman

    Thais pay respect to albino buffalo sculpture toppled by drunken Englishman

    The atmosphere is sombre outside Samyan Mitrtown in Bangkok where buffalo enthusiasts and art lovers laid bouquets of flowers to pay their respects to the toppled albino buffalo sculpture which was ruined by a drunk English tourist who attempted to mount it on the weekend. “Kwai: Calm” (buffalo: calm) the fibreglass albino buffalo remains in a sorry state on its…

  • Bangkok’s controversial Bang Sue Grand Station name change on hold

    Bangkok’s controversial Bang Sue Grand Station name change on hold

    Bangkok’s controversial Bang Sue Grand Station name change is on hold after it received heavy backlash for its US$1 million price tag. When His Majesty the King renamed Bang Sue Grand Station, “Krung Thep Abhiwat Central Terminal,” in September, some questioned the need to spend such an amount in taxpayers’ money. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Transport Minister Saksayam…

  • Bentley driver cleared of being drunk at the wheel in three-car smash

    Bentley driver cleared of being drunk at the wheel in three-car smash

    The blood alcohol test of the Bentley driver, who caused a three-car collision last Sunday, reveals he was not drunk at the time of the pile-up. But, the investigating officer from Expressway Police Station 1 has been criticised for not making the driver take a breathalyser test immediately after the incident. Suthat Siwapiromrat crashed his grey Bentley sedan into a…

  • Bangkok City Hall assesses Covid readiness

    Bangkok City Hall assesses Covid readiness

    With travel increases to Thailand, and with the reopening of China, comes the risk of spreading Covid-19. Bangkok City Hall is taking steps to ensure that visitors can enjoy their stay while keeping themselves and others safe as they brace for an influx of tourists. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt tasked his deputy governors with conducting a full assessment of the…

  • Fans boo Thai royal anthem at Blackpink concert

    Fans boo Thai royal anthem at Blackpink concert

    K-pop band Blackpink kicked off their world tour in Bangkok on Saturday to a chorus of boos. Thai media reported video clips released on social media shows fans booing as the Thai royal anthem played on stage as the words “Please pay your respects to His Majesty the King” appeared on the screen before the band took to the stage. Prachatai English…

  • Drunk British tourist allegedly destroys prized albino buffalo sculpture in Bangkok

    Drunk British tourist allegedly destroys prized albino buffalo sculpture in Bangkok

    A drunk, British tourist allegedly destroyed a giant albino buffalo sculpture exhibited in the Sam Yan area of Bangkok at the weekend. At 2am on Saturday, a group of drunk British and German tourists passed by the Bangkok Art Biennale 2022 art exhibition outside Samyan Mitrtown in Bangkok. This year, the concept of the exhibition is “CHAOS: CALM” and features…

  • Delivery driver beaten by students over shoe colour

    Delivery driver beaten by students over shoe colour

    A misunderstanding over the colour of his shoes allegedly led to a food delivery driver in Bangkok being beaten by a large group of teenage students. The incident took place last month on Thursday, December 22 but has come to light as the driver was so traumatised by the attack he is afraid to go back to work in the…

  • Volvo solar charging stations, charging free of charge

    Volvo solar charging stations, charging free of charge

    Volvo solar charging stations have been installed at four Volvo Car Thailand dealerships, where customers can charge their cars for free. As the number of electric vehicles (EVs) in Thailand is rising, however slowly, the demand for electricity from charging stations is growing along with it. More EVs means more power generation, which usually involves other fossil fuels that create…

  • Bangkok mother claims murder, dismisses ‘playing Russian roulette’

    Bangkok mother claims murder, dismisses ‘playing Russian roulette’

    The Bangkok mother of the 16 year old boy who died “playing Russian roulette” last week has spoken out, claiming that her son may have been murdered. Waraporn Tumgen dismissed testimony given by six teens who witnessed her son’s death. Waraporn said… “Our family would like the police to consider all options, and not rule anything out.” Wongsatorn “Bee” Tumgen…

  • Monk accused of raping his daughter

    Monk accused of raping his daughter

    A 42 year old monk in Samut Prakan has been arrested for raping his daughter after visiting her for New Year blessings. On December 28, Naen, a 14 year old girl from a family with a history of sexual abuse, was violently raped by her father, Wirachai, a monk at a temple in the Greater Bangkok area province of Samut…

  • Etihad Airways doubles flights to Bangkok

    Etihad Airways doubles flights to Bangkok

    Etihad Airways is doubling its flights from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok this year. The United Arab Emirates flag carrier will fly twice a day, making 14 nonstop flights between Abu Dhabi International Airport, and Suvarnabhumi Airport, starting Sunday, March 26. Business and Economy Class cabins will be available to passengers. Etihad Airways Chief Revenue Officer Arik De said he is delighted…

  • Sign of corruption? Bangkok station’s US-million name change

    Sign of corruption? Bangkok station’s US$1-million name change

    When His Majesty the King renamed Bang Sue Grand Station, “Krung Thep Abhiwat Central Terminal,” in September, some quiet questions were asked if the Bangkok station’s US$1-million name change was really necessary. Yesterday, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob has been obliged to assure a puzzled public that an investigation into the 33 million baht (US$1 million) cost of the new nameplate…

  • Thailand’s long-distance trains to relocate to new Bangkok rail hub from January 19

    Thailand’s long-distance trains to relocate to new Bangkok rail hub from January 19

    The State Railway of Thailand is relocating 52 train services from Hua Lampong Station to Bangkok‘s new central rail hub – Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (formerly Bang Sue Junction) – from January 19. Passengers catching long-distance, rapid and express train services will depart from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district from this date onward. Inbound trains…

  • Video of alleged Chinese Triad drug raid in October released

    Video of alleged Chinese Triad drug raid in October released

    A new video has surfaced of a drug raid at Jinling nightclub in Bangkok from October that was part of a crackdown on illegal Chinese triad activity. The video was released by controversial politician and soapy massage pioneer Chuwit Kamolvisit who has been active in efforts to curb Chinese gang activity in Bangkok. The raid in October nabbed 104 people…

  • Reckless driver surrenders to police after running over taxi rider

    Reckless driver surrenders to police after running over taxi rider

    A reckless sedan driver fled from the scene of a deliberate crash after smashing into a motorcycle taxi rider and dragging him about five metres on a road in Bangkok. The motorcyclist was injured in the collision but miraculously survived. Another motorcycle rider chased after the negligent motorist but could not catch him. CCTV at the Phasi Charoen Canal Intersection…

  • Thailand records a drop in the sale of used homes

    Thailand records a drop in the sale of used homes

    A survey by Thailand’s Real Estate Information Center (REIC) revealed there was a drop in the sales of used homes throughout the kingdom in the third quarter of last year. REIC acting director-general Vichai Viratkapan reckons the decrease is down to the cut in transfer and mortgage fees, the easing of loan-to-value (LTV) limits, and an increase in second-hand home…

  • Furious passengers on Thai Smile Airways flight grounded for 2 hours

    Furious passengers on Thai Smile Airways flight grounded for 2 hours

    Furious Thai Smile Airways passengers filed a complaint with the Airport of Thailand (AOT) after they were made to wait on a plane at Suvarnabhumi Airport for two hours because of a lack of shuttle buses and drivers. One of the passengers, Amornrat Viriyaroj, shared her experience on Facebook. On Monday, Amornrat travelled from Chaing Rai to Bangkok with Thai Smile…

  • 16 year old boy dies after playing Russian roulette

    16 year old boy dies after playing Russian roulette

    A 16 year old boy was found dead at an abandoned house in the Nong Chok district of Bangkok. The teenage boy’s two friends said they were playing Russian roulette and he shot himself. Officers from Lam Hin Police Station and a rescue team were notified about the shooting at 10.40pm last night and rushed to the abandoned house situated…

  • Temple new year coffin ceremony lets you be reborn

    Temple new year coffin ceremony lets you be reborn

    After partying hard on New Year’s Eve, many of us start the year feeling pretty dead. But for one temple on the far edges of Bangkok, they take that feeling to the next level. A New Year’s Day tradition sees temple followers crawl into coffins to invite good luck and rid themselves of bad luck for 2023. Wat Takian, in…