Bangkok

  • EventsRoyal Barge Procession on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya postponed to December 12

    Royal Barge Procession on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya postponed to December 12

    PHOTOS: AFP His Majesty the King has ordered the Royal Barge Procession to be postponed to December 12, originally scheduled for October 24, as recommended by the organising committee chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngarm told Parliament yesterday about the official postponement. After ten rehearsals and one dress rehearsal, he said the organising committee agreed that, if the…

  • HealthTop 5 reasons why Aussies choose medical tourism in Thailand

    Top 5 reasons why Aussies choose medical tourism in Thailand

    “With more than 15,000 Aussies travelling to Thailand each year for medical tourism, the country is a burgeoning market for cosmetic procedures. There are numerous Thai doctors who already have more than a 90% Australian client base. The landscape is certainly changing when it comes to price, surgical quality, convenience and post-recuperation.” Darren Lyons from medical information site MyMediTravel has…

  • World NewsBangkok and Nonthaburi to get 2 extra holidays during ASEAN summit

    Bangkok and Nonthaburi to get 2 extra holidays during ASEAN summit

    November 4 and 5 have been approved as official holidays for Bangkok and Nonthaburi as a result of the 35th Asean Summit and Related Summits being held at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani in Bangkok. Deputy government spokeswoman Traisulee Traisoranakul confirmed yesterday that the measure was being taken in an effort to alleviate traffic problems in both areas during the…

  • Tourism NewsFinance Ministry approves stimulus package to spur tourism

    Finance Ministry approves stimulus package to spur tourism

    PHOTO: Among other things, the TAT are organising some big concerts over the last three months of 2019. Some of the 50,000 that attended the BTS ‘Love Yourself’ stadium concert in Bangkok in April 2019. The Finance Ministry has now approved a stimulus package for the last three months of the year to boost Thailand’s tourism sector. The aim is…

  • Environment NewsSolving Thailand’s smoke haze problems. “Use shorter or smaller joss-sticks.”

    Solving Thailand’s smoke haze problems. “Use shorter or smaller joss-sticks.”

    Just checking that it’s actually October 1, not April 1… Thailand’s deputy public health minister has, without a hint of irony, suggested a way to alleviate the haze blanketing parts of Thailand, including swathes of the South and Bangkok. Use shorter or smaller joss-sticks during the current Vegetarian Festival. Dr Satit Pitutacha has made the directive and was explained to…

  • Tourism NewsEconomic ministers to meet next Monday for economic and tourism ‘Council of War’

    Economic ministers to meet next Monday for economic and tourism ‘Council of War’

    The council of economic ministers will meet next Monday, on October 7 in Bangkok, to discuss the current economic and tourism situation. Kobsak Pootrakool, the deputy secretary-general to the PM for political affairs, says the meeting will confront obstacles facing the country’s tourism industry. “The ministers will also discuss the country’s export situation”. The Nation reports that the Commerce Ministry…

  • Transport NewsBangkok bus union is opposing plan for private sector operation

    Bangkok bus union is opposing plan for private sector operation

    PHOTO: Daily News The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority labour union is voicing its strong objection to the Transport Minister over his plans to contract private companies to operate the city’s bus services, and the shelving plans to procure a fleet of 3,000 new buses. Thai PBS reports that the union president, Veerapong Wongwaen, says that the union will submit a…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok municipality workers told to smarten up their act

    Bangkok municipality workers told to smarten up their act

    PHOTO: www.wikiwand.com The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has received several complaints about its employees acting inappropriately, the Bangkok Post reports. The complaints have led the BMA to tell workers to get their act together. An anonymous BMA source says City Hall has sent letters to all relevant offices, asking municipality officers to refrain from behaviour that might jeopardise the organisation’s…

  • Bangkok NewsBritish Instagrammer locked up in “filthy Bangkok cell’ over missing passport pages

    British Instagrammer locked up in “filthy Bangkok cell’ over missing passport pages

    A British model has had a “misunderstanding” with Thai immigration officials after being locked up for 24 hours when it was discovered there were two pages missing from her passport. The model departed Scotland last Sunday for a flight to London before heading to Bangkok. According to mirror.co.uk, Lacey Montgomery-Henderson, from Glasgow, says she was treated ‘like an animal’ during…

  • Politics News“We could move the capital”, says Thai PM

    “We could move the capital”, says Thai PM

    PHOTO: Bangkok.com PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says that one possible solution to overcrowding in Bangkok would be to move the capital. He floated the idea yesterday, while speaking at a seminar called, “Connecting Thailand with the World”, hosted by the Office of the National Economics and Social Development Council in Muang Thong Thani, just outside Bangkok. “There are two possible approaches…

  • Tourism NewsThai poll favours new airport in Nakhon Pathom, west of Bangkok

    Thai poll favours new airport in Nakhon Pathom, west of Bangkok

    Sanook report that most Thais are in favour of building a new airport in Nakhon Pathom, 57 kilometres west of the capital Bangkok. The old Don Mueang airport is to the north of Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi, to the east. In a Nida Poll 65% of respondents thought the new airport in Nakhon Pathom was a good idea citing benefits to tourism and the…

  • Thailand Weather UpdatesWarnings out for bad weather in central and southern provinces

    Warnings out for bad weather in central and southern provinces

    PHOTO: The Nation The Thai Meteorological Department says people in the lower Northeast, the Central region, including Bangkok and its vicinity, the East and the South (Andaman coast) should brace for more heavy rains and dangers from accumulated rainfalls today. The warning comes as five northeastern provinces remain submerged and 42 rural roads remain impassable due to floods. The department…

  • Bangkok NewsTerracotta Warriors coming to Bangkok

    Terracotta Warriors coming to Bangkok

    PHOTO: Coconuts.co China’s renowned Terracotta Warriors will wow Bangkok in an exhibition at the city’s National Museum running from Sunday until December 15. The 2,700 year old works of art are being put on display in Siwamokkhaphiman Hall, in an exhibit entitled, “Qin Shi Huang: The First Emperor Of China And Terracotta Warriors”. The Bangkok Post reports that more than…

  • Thailand NewsThai-Australian singer “Pookie”’ to testify at September 17 hearing into alleged drug trafficking

    Thai-Australian singer “Pookie”’ to testify at September 17 hearing into alleged drug trafficking

    PHOTO: YouTube.com Former singer Prissana or Priscilla “Pookie” Gemelli will testify at a hearing into alleged drug trafficking offences on September 17, along with four accomplices, one of whom is her husband, Cholawit Keetatrakul. A judge at Ratchadapisek Criminal Court postponed the hearing yesterday to ensure all defendants would be present. The 40 year old singer and her 49 year…

  • Bangkok NewsImmigration police conduct spot-check of Nana area of Bangkok

    Immigration police conduct spot-check of Nana area of Bangkok

    PHOTOS: Naew Na Immigration police headed to the Nana area of Bangkok to inspect businesses and operators last night in the popular market zone. The ‘walk thru’ started at 8 pm as Immigration police visited Sois 3 – 5 along Sukhumvit Road checking on foreign workers and work permits. Immigration officials say there were no arrests during their unannounced visit.…

  • Bangkok NewsDengue fever in Thailand: 3 dead in Bangkok since January 2019

    Dengue fever in Thailand: 3 dead in Bangkok since January 2019

    PHOTO: Tripsavvy.com Bangkok Metropolitan Administration governor Aswin Kwanmuang says 4,903 residents have been infected with the dengue virus so far this year, with 3 deaths. In 2011, there were 10 deaths, with 8,699 having contracted the virus, so while there has been noticeable improvement, the current rate of infection is still worrying. Governor Aswin says that the areas which have…

  • Transport NewsAir Asia flight, from Maldives to Bangkok, returns to Male after engine explodes

    Air Asia flight, from Maldives to Bangkok, returns to Male after engine explodes

    A Thai AirAsia Airbus A320-200, flying as FD-178 from Male in the Maldives to Bangkok’s Don Mueang, had just taken off out of Male’s runway 18 when an engine started making “banging noises” and streaks of flames were coming from the engine, prompting the crew to stop the climb at 5000 feet, shut down the engine and return to Male…

  • Bangkok NewsYoung Bangkok boy has lucky escape after finding glass in food

    Young Bangkok boy has lucky escape after finding glass in food

    A young boy has had a very lucky escape after finding glass in the food he was eating at a restaurant in Central Plaza, in the Ladprao district of Bangkok. The boy had the food in his mouth at the time and cut his tongue on the glass. In a post on Facebook, his father says his son was incredibly…

  • Bangkok NewsGrab rider ‘Pop’ explains what happened when the Bangkok mum stopped him on the motorway

    Grab rider ‘Pop’ explains what happened when the Bangkok mum stopped him on the motorway

    PHOTO: Sanook.com The Grab Food motorcycle rider who stopped to help a mother take her sick son to hospital Bangkok’s heavy traffic on Tuesday has given some more details about his good deed. The child, Nong Pla Wan, is now being treated in hospital and expected to fully recover from the ordeal. Read yesterday’s story and watch the dramatic video HERE. Recalling the…

  • World NewsBangkok is the world’s most visited city again, fourth year in a row

    Bangkok is the world’s most visited city again, fourth year in a row

    Bangkok is again the world’s most-visited city for the fourth consecutive year, beating out Paris and London. The rankings are compiled annually by Mastercard. Welcoming around 22.7 million international visitors, Bangkok ranked as the top destination for global travellers this year. Many of Bangkok’s visitors originate from these top five destinations, listed in order: Mainland China, Japan, South Korea, India…

  • Bangkok NewsSick child rushed to Bangkok hospital by a passing Grab Food motorcycle rider

    Sick child rushed to Bangkok hospital by a passing Grab Food motorcycle rider

    A Grab Food motorcycle came to the rescue and helped a frantic mother rush her sick child to hospital yesterday. Her car’s dash cam video (below) captures the mother’s desperate please as her son, Pla Wan, was foaming at the mouth and losing control of his movements. Daily News reports the the mother’s car was stuck in traffic and unable to…

  • World NewsAirAsia X orders 42 new long-haul Airbus jets

    AirAsia X orders 42 new long-haul Airbus jets

    PHOTO: AirAsia’s new generation A330neo will be based at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport – Bernama AirAsia X, the long-haul part of the AirAsia Group, has now finalised a major order with Airbus for 12 more A330-900 and 30 A321XLR aircraft. The contract was signed today by Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, chairman of AirAsia X, along with Guillaume Faury, CEO…

  • Crime NewsLarge heroin bust announced in Bangkok

    Large heroin bust announced in Bangkok

    PHOTO: Naew Na The deputy national police has announced the arrest of two suspects in two large drug seizures. Heroin weighing 100 kilograms, plus one and a half kilograms of cocaine were seized. Deputy chief Pol Gen Chalermkiat Srivorakhan made the presentation to the media at the Crime Suppression Division headquarters in Bangkok. The media conference went through the long list of…

  • HealthOver 77,000 Bangkok residents living with HIV

    Over 77,000 Bangkok residents living with HIV

    Atachai Phunkron gets ready to serve his clients as a trained HIV counselor at the SWING drop-in centre in Bangkok – Richard Nyberg, USAID, 2016 Authorities estimate that 77,500 people are living with HIV in Bangkok, 1,190 of them contracted the virus this year, according to deputy Bangkok governor Pol Lt Gen Sophon Phisutthiwong. 628 of the 1,190 identified this year…

  • Tourism NewsThai tourist numbers recover mid-year after a shaky few months in Q2

    Thai tourist numbers recover mid-year after a shaky few months in Q2

    After a few dips in April and May, tourists to Thailand flocked back, up 4.72% for July compared to a year earlier. Tourist arrivals in June were up a much more modest .89%. 3.33 million tourists visited the country during July and spent 167.3 billion baht (USD5.47 billion), up 3.11% from a year earlier. Visitors from China, where there’s been…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok motorcyclist lucky to be alive after water pipe falls right in his path

    Bangkok motorcyclist lucky to be alive after water pipe falls right in his path

    PHOTOS: Thai Residents and Chaimongkol Khantura A Bangkok motorcyclist is lucky to be alive after a long section of pipe fell from an overpass on Rama 9, directly into his path. Chaimongkol Khantura was clearly still shaken when he posted about his lucky escape on Facebook. “Who would have thought? Even in my dream, I’m still shaking. I saw Buddha…

  • Bangkok NewsPlans to ease Arrivals congestion at Bangkok’s airports

    Plans to ease Arrivals congestion at Bangkok’s airports

    PHOTO: Bangkok.com The government has ordered an increase in the number of check-in counters and officials at Bangkok’s Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports from next month. It’s understood that the move is a result of severe overcrowding, as both airports struggle to cope with the growing number of tourists in need of visas on arrival. A government spokesperson says the…

  • Business NewsMinister calls for probe on legality of the new Central Village luxury mall at BKK

    Minister calls for probe on legality of the new Central Village luxury mall at BKK

    PHOTO: Under construction at the time and now ready to open, but… It’s bright and shiny, it’s new, it promises discounts on luxury goods, it’s next to the airport, it was set to open this Saturday, but is it legal? The Department of Provincial Administration Department has been asked to investigate the legality of the new Central Village ‘Bangkok Outlet…

  • Crime NewsBig drug seizures across the country continue

    Big drug seizures across the country continue

    PHOTO: The Nation Over 10 million methamphetamine pills and more than 36 kilograms of crystal methamphetamne (ice) have been seized in raids around the country. Police, soldiers and Office of the Narcotics Control Board officials arrested 46 people, a cache of illegal drugs and guns during raids in nine provinces this week. The raids took place in Bangkok suburbs, and…

  • Bangkok NewsMotorbike riders on Bangkok sidewalk told where to go

    Motorbike riders on Bangkok sidewalk told where to go

    Internet users in Thailand are cheering a Japanese student, currently studying at Kasetsart University in Sakon Nakhon province, north-east Thailand, who stood up to two motorbikes trying to make her move out of the way so they could continue driving on a sidewalk whilst she was in Bangkok. On Wednesday, a Facebook video went viral showing the student waiting on…