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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    Planning to extend your Thai visa? Why health insurance is more important than ever

    If you plan to stay longer in Thailand, having health insurance is now more important than ever. Thai immigration often asks for proof of medical coverage when you apply to extend your visa. This applies to many types of visas,...

  • Public bus hits motorbike stopped for pedestrians at zebra crossing in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Public bus hits motorbike stopped for pedestrians at zebra crossing in Bangkok

    A motorbike driver who stopped at a zebra crossing to yield pedestrians the right of way was hit from behind by an oncoming public bus. Thais on social media have been sharing a CCTV video clip of the accident. Pedestrian safety has been in the spotlight in Thailand after the fatal accident last month where a police officer sped and…

  • Saudi Arabia will have flights to Thailand available starting February 28 | Thaiger

    Saudi Arabia will have flights to Thailand available starting February 28

    After Thailand and Saudi Arabia patched things up last month after decades of cold relations, flights from Saudi Arabia to Thailand will be available starting on February 28. Thai International Airways also plans to have direct flights between Bangkok and Riyadh in May. Thai tourism authorities have set a lofty goal of 20 billion baht from an expected 200,000 Saudi…

  • Jaguar car explodes into flames on Bangkok expressway | Thaiger

    Jaguar car explodes into flames on Bangkok expressway

    Bangkok police are investigating why a black Jaguar car exploded into flames on the Charlerm Maha Nakhon Expressway last night. The driver and passengers escaped and weren’t physically hurt, but they were traumatised. The driver said they smelled diesel fumes, then saw smoke, and then the car lit on fire. He said he didn’t leave the car in any suspicious…

  • Launch of Bangkok’s two new electric rail lines delayed | Thaiger

    Launch of Bangkok’s two new electric rail lines delayed

    Due to construction material complications, the debut of Bangkok’s two new electric rail lines, the Yellow and Pink lines, scheduled for later this year, is likely to be pushed back until no later than next year, according to Bangkok Mass Transit System. The delay will give contractors extra time to deal with obstacles and hurdles in importing construction materials from…

  • Public Health Ministry opens sexual health centre in Bang Rak, Bangkok | Thaiger

    Public Health Ministry opens sexual health centre in Bang Rak, Bangkok

    In the midst of a rise in STD infections, Thailand’s Public Health Ministry held an opening ceremony yesterday for a new sexual health centre in Bang Rak district in Bangkok. The centre, called Bang Rak Medical Centre Building, is part of Bang Rak Hospital complex on Sathorn road. Some of the centre’s services will include test-and-go services for STIs, and…

  • 3 workers killed in structure collapse at One Bangkok construction site | Thaiger

    3 workers killed in structure collapse at One Bangkok construction site

    Three workers were killed and four others injured when a structure collapsed at a construction site for the luxury complex One Bangkok, which is said to be the biggest real estate project in Thailand with a budget of more than 120 billion baht. The massive project has paused construction following orders from the Bangkok Labor Protection and Welfare Office and the…

  • Bangkok officials set up another 1,000 isolation beds amid surge in infections | Thaiger

    Bangkok officials set up another 1,000 isolation beds amid surge in infections

    As Covid-19 infection numbers surge in Bangkok, officials have set up another 1,000 beds in isolation facilities across the capital. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has instructed all 50 district offices to create more community isolation facilities. Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang says the additional isolation facilities will help ease the burden on hospitals and the…

  • Bangkok to be officially named “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon” | Thaiger

    Bangkok to be officially named “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon”

    The official for Thailand’s capital is in the process of being changed to its more formal name “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon,” but its common name “Bangkok” will still be recognised. The Thai Cabinet approved the name change in principle, but the order still needs to be vetted by government officials. Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, or “Krung Thep” as most Thais…

  • Bangkok’s crazy cables and wires to go underground, project starts this year | Thaiger

    Bangkok’s crazy cables and wires to go underground, project starts this year

    Bangkok’s cables and wires, looped haphazardly above the city’s streets, is known not only to be an eye-sore, but also an electrician’s nightmare. Now, the capital’s officials are planning to get around 1,400 kilometres of electrical cables and communication lines underground within the next three years. Work for the project will start this year. This year, 450 kilometres of communication…

  • Two people hit, one killed by motorbikes driving through zebra crossings in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Two people hit, one killed by motorbikes driving through zebra crossings in Bangkok

    CORRECTION: Previous reports said that two people died. Only one person died, the other was hospitalised. Thai police are reporting two more crosswalk accidents in Bangkok amidst a nationwide effort to improve pedestrian safety initiated after the deadly crosswalk accident where an eye doctor was hit by a police officer who sped his Ducati motorcycle through a zebra crossing. Over…

  • Thailand-based natural gas company stalls move on Myanmar following coup | Thaiger

    Thailand-based natural gas company stalls move on Myanmar following coup

    Following the withdrawal of its French and US partners from a gas production project in Myanmar, Thailand’s PTT Exploration and Production Plc is stalling its next move by saying that it will make an official announcement early next month on whether to keep ties with the military in Myanmar or not. US-based Chevron Corp and France-based Total Energies both announced…

  • Studio Ghibli exhibition at Central World in Bangkok starts today, lasts until late March | Thaiger

    Studio Ghibli exhibition at Central World in Bangkok starts today, lasts until late March

    The trendy clothing store Uniqlo is hosting a Studio Ghibli exhibition that starts today at Central World in Bangkok and will run until March 27. The exhibition will display a giant Totoro and the cat bus from the movie My Neighbor Totoro. At the exhibition, people can order special T-shirts only available in Thailand. The T-shirts have photos and drawings by…

  • Take a healthy bite of hipster paradise with plant based ‘smoothie bowls’ at Paco Club Bangkok | Thaiger

    Take a healthy bite of hipster paradise with plant based ‘smoothie bowls’ at Paco Club Bangkok

    Looking for a boutique cafe that offers a unique blend of delicious and decor? Check out Paco Club Bangkok. With an artsy design and all natural, plant based desserts called “smoothie bows,” this colourful hole in the wall will rock your hipster socks off. Not smoothies in the traditional sense, their signature creations are comprised of your choice of fresh…

  • 28 year old woman’s body parts found in canals off Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River | Thaiger

    28 year old woman’s body parts found in canals off Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River

    Human body parts, including a head, were found in canals connecting to Bangkok’s Cha Phraya River yesterday. Investigating officers say the body is believed to be a 28 year old woman who went missing on Monday. Officers initially launched a murder investigation, but have since said the death was suicide after reviewing CCTV footage which showed a woman jumping off…

  • Thailand’s retail giant Central plans 100 billion baht investment by 2026 | Thaiger

    Thailand’s retail giant Central plans 100 billion baht investment by 2026

    Over the next 5 years, Southeast Asia’s largest retailer plans to invest 100 billion baht to grow its business even more. The Thailand-based Central Retail Corporation Pcl, which has more than 20 department stores and shopping centres across Thailand as well as two outlets in Indonesia, says the investment, which is around US$3.03 billion, is aimed at increasing revenue and…

  • Bangkok man who poured beer over female kickboxer loses his job (VIDEO) | Thaiger

    Bangkok man who poured beer over female kickboxer loses his job (VIDEO)

    A man who poured beer over a woman who turned out to be a professional boxer, has just been fired from his job at a top Bangkok hotel. Not a good week for the unnamed perpetrator, who hit the headlines thanks to the power of social media and a video that went viral. The incident occurred at a food court…

  • One Night in Bangkok: Top 5 hotels to wine and dine your dinner date for Valentine’s Day 2022 | Thaiger

    One Night in Bangkok: Top 5 hotels to wine and dine your dinner date for Valentine’s Day 2022

    With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, choosing the perfect place to celebrate with your current or soon-to-be significant other can be quite the challenge. Fortunately, for those living in the Big Mango, there are numerous hotels offering a delectable array of luxurious menus and memorable views — at unforgettable (i.e. exorbitant) prices. So here’s a shortlist of our Top…

  • Tinder Thailand launches Valentine’s campaign at Bangkok shrine of love | Thaiger

    Tinder Thailand launches Valentine’s campaign at Bangkok shrine of love

    If the god of love is too busy to fulfil love wishes, Tinder might be able to help. The dating application Tinder Thailand is collaborating with CentralWorld in Bangkok to launch the Valentine’s Day campaign LOVE destiNATION right in front of a popular shrine where many go to pray for love. In front of the Trimurti Shrine by the shopping…

  • Democrat politician jumps ship to join Move Forward Party | Thaiger

    Democrat politician jumps ship to join Move Forward Party

    A prominent MP, formerly part of the Democrat Party, has resigned and joined the opposition Move Forward Party. The MP, Tawil Praisont, said he had been considering leaving the Democrat Party for quite some time because it didn’t want to decentralise local administrative organisations, especially after Thailand’s 2019 general elections. Tawil said he started to regularly meet with a Move…

  • Female boxer fights back after man pours beer over her for refusing to drink with him | Thaiger

    Female boxer fights back after man pours beer over her for refusing to drink with him

    A Bangkok man got more than he bargained for when he poured beer over a woman who turned out to be a Muay Thai boxer. A video of the incident, in which 24 year old Pareploy Saeaia can be seen kicking and shoving the perpetrator, has since gone viral. In the clip, Pareploy can be seen in a wet dress…

  • Food delivery driver attacks pedestrian on sidewalk in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Food delivery driver attacks pedestrian on sidewalk in Bangkok

    A food delivery driver riding his motorbike on the sidewalk nearly hit a man walking out of a shop. The pedestrian says he yelled and the driver then got off his bike and attacked the man on the sidewalk, video footage shows. Thai media identified the man as Boonrit, or “Tao Titan Face” for his face tattoos that resemble a…

  • Man allegedly attacks neighbour in Bangkok, claiming revenge for black magic | Thaiger

    Man allegedly attacks neighbour in Bangkok, claiming revenge for black magic

    A 47 year old man from Sri Lanka was arrested after he allegedly attacked a neighbour, smashing a glass bottle on his head and then stabbing him with the broken glass. Reports say he claimed the victim had used black magic against him to cause him pain. The victim, who is also 47 years old, says he was eating dinner…

  • Maharaj Tunnel opens in Bangkok, pedestrian underpass to the Grand Palace | Thaiger

    Maharaj Tunnel opens in Bangkok, pedestrian underpass to the Grand Palace

    A new pedestrian underpass in Bangkok officially opened yesterday, with a small exhibition along the underground route to the Grand Palace. In addition to easing traffic problems in the heart of the city, the Maharaj Tunnel offers an exhibition showcasing the history of Bangkok as well as Thai architecture. It also provides clean toilets for those walking throughout the city.…

  • Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital performs knee joint surgery using robotic-arm technology | Thaiger

    Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital performs knee joint surgery using robotic-arm technology

    Robotic surgeries have been around for a while, but at Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital, doctors announced that for the first time, they replaced an entire knee joint on an elderly patient using the Stryker’s Mako robotic arm. The robotic-arm assisted surgery was developed for knee replacements. It does a CT scan of the patient, creating a 3D image and helping surgeons…

  • China proposes to donate two used submarines to Thai Navy after problems in purchase deal | Thaiger

    China proposes to donate two used submarines to Thai Navy after problems in purchase deal

    The Royal Thai Navy is reportedly in talks with China about receiving two decommissioned military submarines. But apparently, the offer is on the table because there was a problem with ordering parts for the submarine currently being assembled by China for Thailand, according to the Bangkok Post. The used submarines would be used for training while Thailand waits for its…

  • In Bangkok, almost 90% of cars, motorbikes, public vehicles still don’t stop at zebra crossings | Thaiger

    In Bangkok, almost 90% of cars, motorbikes, public vehicles still don’t stop at zebra crossings

    A health organisation and a road safety organisation teamed up to study how many cars, motorbikes, and public vehicles stop for pedestrians at 12 zebra crossings in Bangkok. They found that altogether, 89% wouldn’t stop. For motorcycles, the rate was 92% of 6,449 motorcycles that wouldn’t stop. For cars, the rate was 86% of 7,619. For public vehicles it was…

  • Ex-deputy attorney general from Red Bull case applies join NACC | Thaiger

    Ex-deputy attorney general from Red Bull case applies join NACC

    The controversial ex-deputy attorney who chose not to indict the Red Bull heir who killed a policeman in a hit-and-run accident in 2012 applied for a seat on Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on Thursday. The former attorney general, Nate Naksuk, told Thai PBS in an interview that he wants to prove his innocence, and spend the rest of his…

  • Thai staffer arrested after secret cameras found in female toilets at Bangkok’s Australian Embassy | Thaiger

    Thai staffer arrested after secret cameras found in female toilets at Bangkok’s Australian Embassy

    Thai police have now arrested a former staff member at Australia’s embassy in Bangkok. The arrest follows the discovery of of hidden “spy” cameras in the embassy’s female bathrooms. The former embassy staffer was arrested last month. At this stage it is not known how long the cameras had been in place, what they recorded or whose privacy has been…

  • Mother of eye doctor killed at Bangkok zebra crossing calls for justice | Thaiger

    Mother of eye doctor killed at Bangkok zebra crossing calls for justice

    Justice is being called on Thailand’s traffic laws system by the mother of the doctor who was fatally hit by a police officer’s Ducati while walking on a zebra crossing in Bangkok’s Phaya Thai area 2 weeks ago. A petition was sent to a parliamentary law committee yesterday. The appeal was addressed to the House law committee by the mother of…

  • Calls for investigation into Bangkok governor candidate’s “unusual wealth” | Thaiger

    Calls for investigation into Bangkok governor candidate’s “unusual wealth”

    The candidate running for Bangkok governor, who drew attention when he claimed to have studied engineering under Albert Einstein’s grandson, is now in the spotlight for his “unusual wealth,” according to Thai media reports. An anonymous person leaked information showing that the candidate’s assets increased to 245 million baht within one year. The House Anti-Corruption and Misconduct Committee, led by…