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 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....
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Red Bull heir at centre of corruption case as verdict nears
A major corruption case involving Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya reaches its climax today, April 22. The court will deliver a verdict on allegations of evidence tampering in the 2012 hit-and-run that killed a police officer. The case, number 131/2024, sees former Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, Police General Somyot Pumpanmuang, and Net Naksuk, the former Deputy Public…
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Executives sought in Thailand building collapse probe
Three executives from China Railway No.10 (Thailand) Co. are being sought by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) in connection with the collapse of the State Audit Office building in Bangkok during an earthquake on Friday, March 28, which resulted in the deaths of numerous workers. The DSI revealed the search following the arrest of Zhang Chuanling, a Chinese executive…
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Paetongtarn urges stronger regional ties to tackle shared troubles
Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra called for urgent cross-border cooperation to tackle the world’s shared challenges, from climate change to geopolitical tensions, during the 81st session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Speaking in the capital today, April 21, the Bangkok-born PM addressed ministers from across Asia and the Pacific, stressing that regional unity…
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Transport worker arrested for stealing amulets worth 16 million baht
A 36 year old employee of a transport company was arrested for stealing sacred Ai Khai amulets worth 16 million baht. Trusted with keys to a storage room, he allegedly took the items to sell last year. Yesterday, April 20, at 4pm, Police Lieutenant General Siam Boonsom, along with other senior officers, reported the arrest of Thanaphat at his residence…
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Over 8,000 Chinese food items seized for lacking FDA approval
Over 8,000 pieces of noodles, mala soup, and dried bean curd worth more than 300,000 baht were seized in Bangkok for lacking Thai FDA approval. These goods, originating from China, were set for distribution to local restaurants. Yesterday, April 20, Police Major General Tasanapoom Charupradit, Commander of the Economic Crime Suppression Division, directed Police Colonel Narupon Karuna and Police Lieutenant…
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Bangkok man arrested for drug sales from rental room
Police in Chokchai district apprehended a 29 year old man for operating a daily rental room used for selling e-cigarettes and illegal substances, including ketamine pods and methamphetamine. Police discovered financial transactions totalling 1 million baht (US$29,985) over six months. The suspect, , Wanakaset “Film” Wattanakaset, faces four serious charges. Today, April 21, police officials, including Police Lieutenant General Siam Boonsom,…
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Woman finds husband with mistress at Bangkok resort, fatal altercation ensues
A woman discovered her missing husband with his mistress at a resort in Min Buri district, Bangkok, yesterday, April 20, leading to a violent altercation. The confrontation resulted in the mistress’s death at a hospital, while the wife later surrendered to the police. Police Lieutenant Colonel Banlu Phloetnok of Min Buri Police Station received a report about a fatal altercation…
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City Hall pledges extra funds for earthquake repair after criticism
City Hall has responded to criticism regarding the inadequacy of compensation offered for home repairs to earthquake victims, stating that additional funds may be allocated in exceptional circumstances. The compensation issue was addressed during a press conference on earthquake relief, led by Deputy Bangkok Governor Tavida Kamolvej, after a public outcry was triggered by a complaint posted on Facebook by…
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Bangkok to receive 500 electric buses in clean energy transition
The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) plans to replace its natural gas-powered (NGV) buses with an all-new lineup of electric-powered (EV) air-conditioned buses, beginning with a delivery of 500 EV buses this year. BMTA Director Kittikan Chomdoung Charuworapolkul provided an update on the agency’s progress in leasing electric buses, marking a transition from NGV buses to cleaner energy alternatives. The…
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Escalators in Thailand to follow new earthquake safety standards
The Office of Industrial Product Standards is set to classify escalators and moving walkways as controlled products, ensuring they meet safety standards, including earthquake resistance. This new regulation is expected to take effect in October 2025, with non-compliance resulting in legal consequences. Escalators and moving walkways, commonly found in public spaces such as shopping malls, airports, and train stations, are…
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Dust levels at Chatuchak building site exceed safety limits
The Department of Health has reported that tests on the site of the collapsed SAO building show levels of heavy metals and asbestos within the normal range, but PM10 dust levels exceed standards, potentially requiring long-term monitoring. Yesterday, April 18, Dr Amporn Benjapolpitak, Director-General of the Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health, revealed that a team from SEhRT was…
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Bangkok tests mobile alert system for emergency warnings
Telecom operators and regulators successfully tested a comprehensive virtual cell broadcast entity (CBE) mobile emergency alert system in Bangkok. The test involved Advanced Info Service (AIS), True Corp, and the state-owned National Telecom, alongside staff from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). It confirmed that alerts could be sent to both Android and iOS smartphones, following Apple’s inclusion of…
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‘Someone will pay’: Arrests looming over Bangkok building collapse
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra vowed justice after a deadly building collapse in Bangkok, warning that arrest warrants are coming soon for those responsible. The dramatic statement from the 38 year old PM came today following high-level meetings with government agencies over the collapse of the 30-storey State Audit Office (SAO) building in Chatuchak district. The disaster, triggered by the March…
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4 Indian nationals rescued from kidnapping gang in Bangkok
Police today successfully rescued four Indian nationals from a kidnapping for ransom operation carried out by fellow countrymen at a house in Bangkok. An Indian man named Sanjeeve Kumar filed a complaint with officers at Yannawa Police Station on Wednesday, April 16 after learning that his two friends, Ramesh Sharmar and Amandeep Kajal, were detained by a criminal gang. Sharmar’s…
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Quake-hit Bangkok site turns crime scene as 2 more bodies found
Bangkok’s construction site tragedy has taken a darker turn, as rescue teams recovered two more bodies from the wreckage of the collapsed State Audit Office, nearly three weeks after the building came crashing down in the aftermath of an earthquake in neighbouring Myanmar. With the death toll continuing to rise and serious allegations of corruption and negligence emerging, investigators are…
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Bangkok set for major law shake-up after 40 years
Is Bangkok finally getting the makeover it desperately needs? The capital is set for a long-overdue shake-up, as officials prepare to modernise the decades-old law that governs the city, and it could change how Bangkok is run for generations to come. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced plans to revise the BMA Act 1985, a 40 year old law that…
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Bangkok airport security guard strikes gold but gives it back
A female security guard at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok is winning praise nationwide after discovering a bag filled with gold necklaces and pulling off a high-speed mission to return it to its owner, just minutes before his flight back to India. CCTV footage from Gate 8 on the 4th floor of the departure terminal shows the heartwarming moment today,…
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Dead baby on street: Thai woman claims she mistook labour for urge to urinate
A Thai woman, who gave birth and left her newborn to die on a street in Bangkok during the Songkran festival, claimed she took drugs and mistook the signs of labour for the need to urinate. The 27 year old woman, Piyathida, shocked the public when her newborn daughter’s body was discovered on a street outside a village in Bangkok’s…
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Bangkok and 46 provinces brace for thunderstorms and heavy rain
Weather forecasts indicate that 47 provinces in Thailand will experience thunderstorms and strong winds, with Bangkok likely to see heavy rainfall from the afternoon into the evening. Residents are advised to remain cautious, especially in southern regions where rain is expected to cover 60% of the area. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) predicts that the upper part of the country…
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Lawmakers grill auditor over quake-hit billion-baht building collapse
What started as a natural disaster may have shaken loose something even bigger — the truth behind a billion-baht state building in Bangkok that crumbled under pressure. Thailand’s House Anti-Corruption Committee has summoned Auditor-General Monthien Charoenpol to appear before Parliament on April 30, following the dramatic collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building during a powerful earthquake in Myanmar…
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Thai woman gives birth on street, leaves newborn to die to celebrate Songkran
A Thai woman gave birth on a roadside in Bangkok and abandoned the newborn to die before returning to celebrate the Songkran Festival with her friends on Monday, April 14. The tragic incident came to light after the Facebook news page, เจ๊ม้อย v+ (Jmoi v+), shared a photo of the dead baby along with a brief report yesterday, April 16. The…
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Motorcyclist dies in tragic hit-and-run on Bangkok overpass
A motorcyclist tragically died yesterday after being hit by a car and falling from the Bang Prakaew overpass in Bangkok. The collision involved a BMW, which fled the scene, leaving debris behind. Police Lieutenant Colonel Suvijak Noisri of Bang Mod Police Station received a report of a road accident at 7.30am, yesterday, April 16, involving a motorcycle and a car on…
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Thailand pioneers 3D-printed titanium hip socket surgery
Siriraj Hospital at Mahidol University has achieved a world-first by developing and implanting a 3D-printed, customised titanium hip socket for a patient. This advancement marks a significant step forward in orthopaedic surgery and highlights Thailand’s medical innovation. Apichat Asavamongkolkul, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, shared insights into this pioneering procedure during a press conference titled World…
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DSI digs deeper into deadly ‘pancake’ Bangkok building collapse
Investigators are piling pressure on firms behind the deadly State Audit Office building collapse, as the case takes a darker turn with forgery claims, phantom contractors, and a “pancake” tragedy that’s left dozens dead and scores missing. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is ramping up its probe into the catastrophic collapse of the State Audit Office building in Chatuchak,…
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Strong winds cause glass collapse at Thai Air Force canteen
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) spokesperson has explained the recent incident where strong winds caused a glass partition to collapse in a Bangkok canteen. The event, involving an elderly woman with a cane, occurred at the Jantharubeksa Sports Stadium canteen on April 13. She fell backwards when a sudden storm with strong winds blew through, causing the glass partition…
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Thailand investigates construction firms in collapsed building case
Thailand’s Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) visited the collapsed site of the new State Audit Office. The visit today, April 16, aimed to gather further evidence related to nominee cases involving four contracts with two major construction companies. The DSI is coordinating with the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate potential collusion, and the commerce…
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70 year old woman told to leave concert due to leg pain (video)
A 70 year old woman attended a Lamyai Haithongkham concert at Sanam Luang but was unexpectedly asked to leave by security after requesting a brief sit down due to leg pain. A young woman intervened to assist her. The incident, yesterday, April 15, captured by TikTok user @mamprapa, led to numerous discussions online. In the shared video, the elderly woman,…
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State Audit Office families to get 100,000 baht quake compensation
As the death toll from the collapsed State Audit Office building rises to 44, heartbroken families are being offered compensation while rescuers race against time to find dozens still buried beneath the rubble. The Interior Ministry announced that it will pay 100,000 baht to the families of each victim killed in the State Audit Office building collapse in the Chatuchak…
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Laotian woman drowns in Bangkok restaurant pool during Songkran
A 37 year old Laotian woman, named Noi, tragically passed away after losing consciousness in a pool at a restaurant in Taling Chan district, Bangkok. The incident occurred yesterday, April 14, around 9.28pm. Despite efforts from rescue personnel to revive her, she was pronounced dead at 11pm. The restaurant owner revealed that the establishment was closed for the Songkran festival…
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Bangkok Songkran draws 360,000, 10 killed in traffic accidents
Songkran festivities in Bangkok attracted a global audience, with over 360,000 people attending events on Silom and Khao San roads during the opening two days of the holiday, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). From April 12 to April 13, Silom Road hosted 165,239 visitors at celebrations held from noon until 10pm, while Khao San Road saw 197,314 people…
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