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.
-
Sponsored Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
-
Man caught taking drugs inside a Bangkok police booth didn’t give a crap
You might think taking drugs inside a police booth toilet was a loo-dicrous idea. But a Thai man in the Tung Kru district in Bangkok didn’t give a crap and just rolled with it. A video of the man taking drugs in the police toilet went viral on Thai social media. It was posted on a local Facebook news page…
-
Swedish Embassy hailed for giving 6-month parental leave to Thai staff
The Swedish Embassy in Bangkok was praised by Thai netizens after providing six months of parental leave with full salary to its Thai male staff. Yesterday, the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok posted a story of a Thai embassy driver, Somchart Sucheephet, on Facebook revealing he receives the same welfare privileges as his Swedish counterparts. The embassy said… “It’s time…
-
Blaze at US office near German Embassy in Bangkok
A fire broke out last night at the US Security Assistance Organisation, or JUSMAGTHAI, on Sathorn Tai Road in Bangkok. The building is located near the German Embassy, but the office was reported to be safe from the blaze. Firefighters from Bonkai Fire and Rescue and Tung Mahamek Fire Station rushed to the scene at 7.35pm to suppress the blaze…
-
Drunk driver in 2 hit-and-runs drags motorbike taxi 300 metres
A drunk driver smashed into a motorbike taxi whose driver managed to jump to safety before the inebriated man pushed the bike 300 metres down the road. Photos were captured of the remarkable accident that miraculously ended with no fatalities or serious injuries, but looked like a scene from a slapstick comedy. Eyewitnesses to the event in Samut Prakan reported…
-
BTS is offering a free ride… with your mom
The Bangkok Mass Transit System has announced a special promotion for National Mother’s Day on August 12 where you can get a free ride… if you bring your mom. The BTS system has announced that those who bring their mother to the Skytrain will be allowed to ride for free in celebration of the Queen Mother’s birthday. The promotion had…
-
Fire at Energy Ministry’s compound in Bangkok
A fire broke out at the Energy Ministry’s compound in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district today. The blaze broke out on the 33d floor of Building A, a 36-storey building, the headquarters of PTTEP Plc. Luckily, firefighters quickly rushed to the scene and no injuries were reported. The firefighters were able to get the blaze under control in 10 minutes. The fire…
-
Bangkok taxi driver who snapped himself raping teen gets jailed
A Bangkok taxi driver who photographed himself raping a Burmese teenager in April has now been sentenced to jail by the Criminal Court. The driver, 39 year old Adirek Sae Bae, was initially sentenced on August 2 to 15 years in prison, however, his sentence was reduced to 13 years and nine months after he pleaded guilty. The victim, a…
-
Bangkok bootleggers face jail after 2 million baht of booze seized
Two bootleggers in Bangkok were arrested yesterday and 2 million baht of smuggled booze was seized as part of a successful joint police and Excise Department operation. The smugglers face four years in jail and a fine of up to 400,000 baht Police officer Somboon Tienkhao revealed officers were tipped off that an illegal alcohol operation was being exercised on…
-
Thai university students to hold protest on August 10 despite government ban
Students of Thammasat University will hold a protest on August 10 at the university’s Rangsit campus, just north of Bangkok in Pathum Thani province, despite the Thai government’s ban on protests. A new ban on public gatherings was published in the Royal Gazette on Monday to “prevent the spread of Covid-19.” The controversial ban on protests is permitted under the…
-
Survey names Lat Phrao as most desired district in Bangkok
A recent survey by Kaidee Property makes interesting reading for those interested in Bangkok’s real estate market. The online buying and selling platform revealed that during the first six months of this year Lat Phrao district was the most searched residential area in the capital, followed by Chatuchak, Bang Khae, Suan Luang, and Lat Krabang. Turns out these five areas…
-
5 slurp worthy bowls of ramen in Bangkok for 2022
Slurpable noodles, savoury broth, and flavourful toppings – nothing comforts the soul quite like a steaming bowl of ramen. Thankfully for those looking to slurp down delicious noodles in a flavourful soup, Bangkok is dotted with fantastic ramen restaurants. From high-end joints to chain restaurants, you’ll find lots of spots to enjoy this Japanese comfort food. Whether you like lean…
-
Details on Bangkok’s Green Line train contracts to be publicly disclosed
Details on contracts for Bangkok’s Green Line Train are set to be publicly disclosed, although it has not been announced when. Krungthep Thanakom has agreed to publicly disclose details of its contract and memorandum of understanding with Bangkok Mass Transit System PLC, more commonly known in the capital as BTS. The contracts are for the first and second extensions of…
-
Woman demands cash from Bangkok mall after being bitten by a venomous snake
A Thai woman complained on social media that a Bangkok shopping mall refuses to take responsibility after she got bitten by a venomous snake in the mall’s car park in the Bang Kae district. The woman posted her story on Facebook under the account name, Apple Samart, on July 31, where she uploaded pictures of the offending snake, a red…
-
New Bangkok tunnel closed on opening day due to flood
You couldn’t make this up. Finally, after 13 years of construction, the new Fai Chai Tunnel in Bangkok officially opened yesterday only to close due to a flood. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt last month visited the unfinished Fai Chai Tunnel to talk with the Director of the Public Work Department, Taiwut Khankaew, about the project’s delay. Chadchart made a few…
-
Bangkok chief says 300 water pumps need changing to fix floods
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt called upon the city’s private sector to help solve the capital’s age-old flooding conundrum. The 56 year old chief said he is determined to sort out Bangkok’s perpetual drainage system. He revealed that, after a thorough investigation, the city needs to replace about 300 water pumps that are over 15 years old. Last Friday, Chadchart inspected…
-
VIDEO: Rama II U-turn bridge collapses near Bangkok, killing 2
A U-turn bridge over the Rama II Road heading toward Bangkok collapsed yesterday at 8pm, falling onto four vehicles and killing two people. One passenger died at the scene and a construction worker who fell from the bridge later died in hospital from their injuries. Two more people were injured. The incident happened in front of Vibharam Hospital in Samut…
-
Bangkok learning centre to host award ceremony for board game competition
One Bangkok learning centre plans to host an awards ceremony for a recent competition it held. The ceremony will be held at TK Park, located on the eighth floor of Central World Bangkok on Rama I Road, from August 6-7. It will last from 10.30am to 5.30pm. TK Park, or The Knowledge Park, has libraries but it also has interactive…
-
Bangkok officials working to prevent river overflows
Bangkok officials are working to prevent overflows from the Chao Phraya River. This news comes after the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation warned last week that Bangkok and the other 10 provinces along the river needed to prepare for floods from July 28 until August 1 (tomorrow). Now, Bangkok’s governor Chadchart Sittipunt says the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is working…
-
10 million baht kidnapping of businessman by Chinese crooks is comedy of errors
The botched 10 million baht kidnapping of a Vanuatu businessman by three Chinese gangsters had the hallmarks of a blockbuster comedy movie stamped all over it. The hostage and ransom demand situation may not have been funny to the businessman and his girlfriend but the situation was pure slapstick and would not look out of place on the silver screen.…
-
Thailand’s second case of monkeypox recorded in Bangkok
A Thai man in Bangkok has tested positive for monkeypox, becoming Thailand’s second recorded case of the virus since the global outbreak began in May this year. At 2.30pm today, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul revealed that the positive result from Wachira Hospital in Bangkok had been confirmed by the Ministry of Health. The 47 year old Thai man started…
-
Flood warning to Bangkok & 10 provinces along Chao Phraya River
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation last night warned that Bangkok and the other 10 provinces along the Chao Phraya River need to prepare for the possibility of floods because of rising sea levels predicted from tomorrow until August 1. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported at 10pm that the water level of the Chao Phraya River was…
-
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…
-
Thai couple killed in drink driving incident in Bangkok
A Thai couple selling food on a footpath along Rama 3 Road in Bangkok were killed yesterday in a drink driving incident. The drunk driver was caught by residents while trying to flee the scene. The two deaths happened in front of a food court named I SEE SEE on Rama 3 Road at about 5pm yesterday. The couple who…
-
Thai university researchers test wastewater for monkeypox at Bangkok airport
Sewage at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is being tested for the monkeypox virus by researchers from Naresuan University in the northern province of Phitsanulok. The tests can detect traces of the virus in wastewater immediately – even before the infected person begins to show symptoms – and could be used as a “budget surveillance measure” to catch and control local outbreaks…
-
Pathum Thani Police nab 17 teen gang members after explosions
Gang violence in the Greater Bangkok province of Pathum Thani has escalated with 17 teenagers being arrested by police after throwing small bombs at each other. Thai news media reported that in the province to the north of Bangkok, on Soi Thammasuthee 23, Moo 5, in Muang district, explosions were heard three separate times related to gang wars. The first…
-
Irrigation department warn of flooding in central Thai provinces around the Chao Phraya River
Bangkok, and 10 other central Thai provinces, are being warned by the Department of Irrigation, of overflows from the Chao Phraya which will start tomorrow in the northmost provinces. The provinces affected are Uthai Thani, Chainat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Suphan Buri, Lop Buri, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, and Samut Prakan, and Bangkok. People living near the Chao Phraya River…
-
Bangkok police shoot out tyres in dramatic car chase
A video is going viral of Bangkok police officers shooting out the tyres of a fleeing car that did a runner at a checkpoint in Ekkamai. The incident took place last night when Thong Lor police attempted to stop a red Mitsubishi Mirage at a checkpoint, but the driver refused and tried to speed off. At around 8pm yesterday, officers…
-
Bangkok surges back above 10,000 Covid infections per day
Covid-19 infections have surged back to over 10,000 infections per day, in Bangkok alone. This time driven by the BA.5 sub-variant, and mostly identified through community testing and ATK results. Health officials also admit that many people are testing themselves at home, taking days off work and not registering their results with the health care system. Thailand’s last wave, driven…
-
Magnanimous governor accepts blame for Bangkok’s floods
It makes a refreshing change to hear a politician or a man in authority accept the blame for something which isn’t necessarily his fault. The rest of the world should sit up, listen, and take a leaf out of Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt’s book! The magnanimous 56 year old city chief absolved previous Bangkok governors and accepted the blame for…
-
Professor says Bangkok floods could escalate in September-October
One university professor is warning that Bangkok may not have seen the worst of its floods this year. The professor, Dr Seree Supratid, is the director of the Climate Change and Disaster Centre at Rangsit University. Seree said that Bangkok’s flooding could be worse in September and October due to high tides and water runoffs from the northern region during…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.