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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  • British man fined for overstay after being forced into Bangkok quarantine

    British man fined for overstay after being forced into Bangkok quarantine

    You take your PCR test after your stay in Thailand, before you return home to the UK. You test positive and are confined in a Bangkok hospital for 10 days. Then, to add insult to injury, you’re fined 4,000 baht for overstaying your visa when you go through immigration… purely because you were confined in hospital. This is the sad…

  • Hungarian wanted overseas arrested in Bangkok, overstayed visa by 10 years

    Hungarian wanted overseas arrested in Bangkok, overstayed visa by 10 years

    Thai Immigration police arrested a 48 year old Hungarian suspect who is wanted in his home country for alleged insurance fraud and has been staying in Thailand illegally for more than 10 years. Immigration police say the man is on 4,254 days overstay after entering Thailand in 2010 on a 60 day tourist visa. Officers say the man was arrested…

  • Chinese New Year on Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road cancelled again due to Covid-19

    Chinese New Year on Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road cancelled again due to Covid-19

    Chinese New Year is expected to be celebrated on February 1 to welcome the Year of the Tiger. But with the raising Covid-19 infection rate, especially in Bangkok, the Chinese New Year event on the Yaowarat Road, known as Chinatown, is cancelled again this year. The Royal Jubilee Gate, or Odeon Gate, will still be decorated, and people are allowed…

  • Transport minister says Suvarnabhumi Airport expansion will begin in July

    Transport minister says Suvarnabhumi Airport expansion will begin in July

    Plans to expand Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport will kick off in July, according to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob. The so-called East Expansion project is expected to take around 2 and a half years to complete, at a cost of 7.8 billion baht. The project will begin in July with a bidding process to appoint a contractor. The plans have already been…

  • Suvarnabhumi Airport’s passenger terminal to be extended for future tourists

    Suvarnabhumi Airport’s passenger terminal to be extended for future tourists

    In the next 10 years, Thailand could rank as the world’s ninth busiest travel hub welcoming 200 million passengers each year, according to a forecast from the International Air Transport Association. To prepare for the anticipated post-pandemic uptick, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is extending its east side of the main passenger terminal. The government approved an initial budget of 7.8 billion…

  • Teenagers arrested for allegedly stealing batteries, steel railings from a train station

    Teenagers arrested for allegedly stealing batteries, steel railings from a train station

    Two 19 year olds were arrested and charged for allegedly stealing batteries from trucks who also admitted to stealing stainless steel railings from a train station in Samut Prakan yesterday. Following the warrant issued by the district court, police stopped the motorbike of two suspects on Soi Dan Samrong 24/66 in Muang district’s tambon Samrong Nuea and arrested them at…

  • Bangkok field hospitals fill with patients, Prayut urges Thais not to let their guard down

    Bangkok field hospitals fill with patients, Prayut urges Thais not to let their guard down

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is urging Thais to not lower their guard when it comes to Covid-19, especially the new variant Omicron, and follow the universal measurements strictly, according to a government spokesperson. The reminder came after 2,611 new patients flocked to field hospitals in Bangkok over the weekend. Government Spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says the prime minister expressed his concern about…

  • Cobra Gold military exercise downsized this year due to Omicron spread

    Cobra Gold military exercise downsized this year due to Omicron spread

    Thailand’s annual Cobra Gold military exercise, where Thai soldiers train the US and other foreign troops on jungle survival skills, is being scaled down this year due to the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. The large, multinational military exercise has been known for its snake decapitating demonstration where soldiers drink the fresh blood from the headless snake before…

  • Teachers in Bangkok mark Teachers Day by making 7 demands of government

    Teachers in Bangkok mark Teachers Day by making 7 demands of government

    Teachers in Bangkok have marked National Teachers Day with a 7-point manifesto that calls for reform of the education system. National Teachers Day was first celebrated in 1945 and is held every year on January 16. Yesterday, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha marked the day with the slogan, “Develop teachers, develop children, learn for the future.” However, from a Nation Thailand report,…

  • Woman stole 59b of food, stabbed Mini Big-C staff to escape

    Woman stole 59b of food, stabbed Mini Big-C staff to escape

    A woman was caught when she stole 59 baht worth of snack items at a Mini Big C in Nontha Buri, but things escalated quickly when she stabbed the employee that caught her to make her escape. The sad story took place on December 29, but after a warrant was issued for her arrest, police just managed to track the…

  • Bangkok reports surge in Covid cases linked to restaurant/bars, student dorms

    Bangkok reports surge in Covid cases linked to restaurant/bars, student dorms

    Health officials say there has been a surge in infections in Bangkok, linked to restaurant/bars and other crowded places, such as student dorms. According to a Bangkok Post report, 939 new cases were reported in the capital yesterday, 45 of which were imported. Dr Suthas Chottanapan from the DDC says 300 of the local cases were contracted in restaurants operating…

  • 5 criteria set for hospitalising Covid-19 patients in Bangkok

    5 criteria set for hospitalising Covid-19 patients in Bangkok

    In Bangkok, officials are attempting to take some of the guesswork out of dealing with Covid-19 infected patients while also streamlining the process when someone tests positive for the virus. New guidelines were set forth to assess the level of symptoms and infection and route people either to a hospital or other medical facility or refer them to home isolation.…

  • Omicron cases rise, Bangkok residents flock to Bang Sue Vaccination Centre

    Omicron cases rise, Bangkok residents flock to Bang Sue Vaccination Centre

    Following an uptick in Omicron Covid-19 cases, Bangkok’s major inoculation centre at Bang Sue Grand Station was packed with those waiting to get vaccinated. Individuals who haven’t received their vaccine are welcome at Bang Sue Station with a walk-in service, while those who want a second or third dose need to register through a mobile network, either AIS, TRUE, DTAC,…

  • Bangkok opens new Covid-19 testing centre amid surge in infections

    Bangkok opens new Covid-19 testing centre amid surge in infections

    A new Covid-19 testing centre, capable of conducting up to 1,000 tests a day, will open in Bangkok tomorrow, as the capital grapples with a surge in new cases. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says it will be on the first floor of Car Park Building B at the government complex on Chaeng Watthana Road. According to a Bangkok Post…

  • Nonthaburi to give free vaccines for Thais as 3rd and 4th booster

    Nonthaburi to give free vaccines for Thais as 3rd and 4th booster

    Get your booster shots! Officials in the Nonthaburi Health Office announced that they would be offering free third and fourth vaccines as booster shots to all Thai people on January 13 and 14. The vaccines will be offered for free, but those who want to take advantage of the vaccination must register in advance for the shots. Vaccines will be…

  • Bangkok to begin Pfizer vaccines for children 5-11 next month

    Bangkok to begin Pfizer vaccines for children 5-11 next month

    The next round of the vaccine rollout is being prepared now by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and aims to use Pfizer vaccines for children under 12 years old. The rollout will be launched next month and will allow children between the ages of 5 years old and 11 years old to get vaccinated with the mRNA vaccine. While children over…

  • Security guard wanted in Bangkok condo rape case arrested in Sa Kaeo

    Security guard wanted in Bangkok condo rape case arrested in Sa Kaeo

    The Bangkok security guard wanted by police for allegedly raping a Bang Khae condominum resident three days ago surrendered to police in the eastern Sa Kaeo, bordering Cambodia. The head of security at the Bangkok condominium, 40 year old Montri Yaikrathog, allegedly went into a tenant’s room, handcuffed her, and sexually assaulted her. The 36 year old woman told police…

  • Tourism officials warn that 7 billion baht could be lost due to suspension of Test & Go

    Tourism officials warn that 7 billion baht could be lost due to suspension of Test & Go

    Tourism officials warn that at least 7 billion baht of revenue will be lost in Thailand’s tourism sector this month if the suspension of the “Test & Go” scheme continues. The president of the Tourism Council of Thailand says that putting a hold on the scheme will not only have an effect on tourism in the short term, but it…

  • Bodies of Thai model and unidentified woman found in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River

    Bodies of Thai model and unidentified woman found in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River

    The bodies of a Thai model and an unidentified woman were found in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River by two of the capital’s most popular shopping centres. The model’s body was found by the Asiatique: The Riverfront Pier while the woman’s body was found by the ICONSIAM Pier. Thai model Kendo Kullapat was reported missing on Tuesday. Some Thai designers and…

  • Mother tries to give away baby, then abandons by Bangkok canal

    Mother tries to give away baby, then abandons by Bangkok canal

    A baby that was abandoned by the side of a canal in Greater Bangkok after the mother could not give her away has now been safely handed over to a state orphanage. The baby is an 11-month old girl and was left next to Bang Bua Thong district canal in the Bangkok suburb of Nonthaburi. The mother of the baby…

  • Kids ride free on BTS and MRT trains for National Children’s Day

    Kids ride free on BTS and MRT trains for National Children’s Day

    National Children’s Day is coming up on January 8 and if you’ve got no plans for it, how about taking the kids for a free ride on Bangkok’s BTS and MRT trains? To celebrate the holiday, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand will allow children under the age of 14 and under the height of 140 centimetres to ride…

  • Soi Nana announces Covid-19 free zone, vaccine or test required

    Soi Nana announces Covid-19 free zone, vaccine or test required

    Without explaining how they managed to open when bars and entertainment nightlife venues are still supposed to be closed throughout Thailand, the bars of the Chinatown hotspot Soi Nana have announced their creation of a Covid-19 free bar area where patrons must be vaccinated or tested. Soi Nana is an alley linking Maitrichit Road and Rama IV Road in Bangkok’s…

  • Massive LED billboard cluster causes sleepless nights in Thong Lor

    Massive LED billboard cluster causes sleepless nights in Thong Lor

    Sleepless in Sukhumvit. A massive clump of LED billboards in Bangkok’s Thong Lor district has been such a nuisance to residents across the street, with many complaining they’re losing sleep, that an official complaint filed with local police and the district office could succeed in its removal. Thong Lor is known for its nightlife, with numerous clubs, pubs, restaurants –…

  • Khao San Road closed for 3 days after Covid-19 outbreak

    Khao San Road closed for 3 days after Covid-19 outbreak

    As could be predicted after massive New Year’s Eve parties in tourist hotspots around the country, many Covid-19 outbreaks and clusters have been identified throughout Thailand. One such cluster of 10 tourists with Covid-19 was identified on the backpacker hub of Khao San Road in Bangkok, leading to a 3-day closure for sterilisation. The world-famous street in Phra Nakhon district,…

  • Khao San Road getting cleaned, staff tested after 11 partygoers test positive for Covid-19

    Khao San Road getting cleaned, staff tested after 11 partygoers test positive for Covid-19

    Bangkok’s Khao San Road is in for a big cleaning after the New Year weekend where 11 people tested positive for Covid-19. Authorities are now urging those who partied on the street on December 30 and 31 to get tested and to monitor their health. The nightlife walking street, known as a backpacker’s mecca with cheap drinks, laughing gas balloons,…

  • Trip to Thailand turned sour for Love Island star after testing positive for Covid

    Trip to Thailand turned sour for Love Island star after testing positive for Covid

    A trip to Thailand went sour for an Australian star of the reality show Love Island after she and her boyfriend tested positive for Covid-19. The couple has been sent to a “hospital hotel” in Phuket to isolate themselves. 29 year old Australian model and Love Island winner, Anna McEvoy, has been documenting her trip and her isolation experience on…

  • Hua Lamphong and Mor Chit offer free Covid-19 testing today

    Hua Lamphong and Mor Chit offer free Covid-19 testing today

    Free Covid-19 testing is being offered today in Bangkok at Hua Lamphong railway station and Mor Chit bus terminal. The free testing programme was launched to try to identify Covid-19 infections and curb spread as people return to Bangkok after travelling on holiday or to family over the New Year’s weekend. Department of Disease Control Director-General Control Dr Opas Karnkawinpong…

  • POLL: Chadchart still the lead candidate for Bangkok Governor

    POLL: Chadchart still the lead candidate for Bangkok Governor

    In the most recent NIDA Poll, Chadchart Sittipunt still holds a commanding lead in the candidate field for the Bangkok Governor election coming up later this year. Chadchart has been favoured in the election for months and is running as an independent having served previously in the government of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in the role of Minister of…

  • Bangkok revises closure order, bars and nightclubs to stay closed until January 15

    Bangkok revises closure order, bars and nightclubs to stay closed until January 15

    Bangkok officials revised its provincial closure order and extended the date the order is in effect to January 15, requiring bars and entertainment venues to remain shut for at least the next two weeks, which is in line with government’s nationwide closure order. Approved New Year countdown events still can continue under the “Covid-19 Free Setting” measures, which require proof…

  • 51 electric motorbike taxis go for a test run, project by Electricity Generating Authority

    51 electric motorbike taxis go for a test run, project by Electricity Generating Authority

    Thailand’s future in transportation looks electric. Motorbikes that run off a three-kilowatt battery are being tested with hopes that the electric bikes will be used as taxis in the future. Off a single charge, each bike can go around 100 kilometres. The bikes can reach a speed of 80 kilometres per hour and hold 150 kilograms. Each electronic motorbike costs…