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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Regular street racing crackdown nets 79 motorbikes
FILE PHOTO Police arrested 83 motorcyclists and seized 79 motorcycles in this week’s regular crackdown on the streets of Bangkok. The motorbikes were found to have been illegally modified for road racing. 4 of the arrested were of people under the age of 18 and one was arrested over illicit drug abuse. Pol Maj Gen Nithitorn Jintakanon, traffic police chief…
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Sacred waters begin their journey to Bangkok for Royal Coronation
PHOTOS: Phuket – Kritsada Meuanawong Thailand’s 76 provinces have taken part in a nationwide ceremony to draw sacred water from 108 water sources to be used during the Coronation of HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn on May 4. The ceremony began in all provinces at the same time of 11.52am. The only exception was Bangkok where the same ritual will be held on April 12 at the Haw Sastrakhom, inside…
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Surachate Hakparn “transferred”? No joke.
Various media are reporting that immigration chief and “Batman” of the Thai police Lt -Gen Surachate Hakparn has been transferred to RTP headquarters. Sanook reports there are no official written confirmation of the news under their headline “Lightning Transfer”. Thai media report say he had been transferred “until further notice”, according to Sanook. Surachate’s Facebook page and the Thai Immigration Facebook…
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Six arrested for drug use after raid on illegal Bangkok pub
Six customers have been arrested in a raid early today after troops and police, led by the Internal Security Operations Command, raided a Bangkok pub. The 2.30am raid on the New Jazz 2 pub in the Bangkok Noi district was made following complaints that it violated closing hour law and disturbed the neighbourhood. The six customers were arrested on drug charges.…
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Bangkok’s bye bye to Boyzone and hello to BTS
by Kitchana Lersakvanitchakul and Tim Newton In a stark reflection in the massive changes in musical tastes, music business models and the spread of world music in the last 20 years, Bangkok has witnessed the passing of one boyband icon and welcomes the next frenzy, all within 10 days. In both cases, Irish crooners Boyzone and South Korea’s BTS (Bangtan…
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Bangkok officials promise to move the communication cabling underground, again
The BMA (Bangkok Metropolitan Authority) says it will again attempt to clear the ubiquitous tangled mess of cables that hang over BKK streets. But this time they are saying they are going to put the communication cabling underground only, not the power supply. Bangkok Gov. Aswin Kwanmuang says the administration is working with the national broadcasting regulator (NBTC) to move…
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No foam parties for Songkran
by Suriya Patathayo, Jessada Chantharak Songkran foam parties are being banned this year in the interest of public safety. The announcement today from the national police deputy commissioner Pol General Chalermkiat Srivorakan.Chalermkiat says there had been several deaths and injuries by electrocution at foam parties during previous Songkran festivals. Police have also been instructed to provide security at Songkran celebration…
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Losing face: ‘Face Off’ Dr Xeping charged with fraud
PHOTO: Bangkok Post Beauty expert Xeping Chaiyasan has been charged with fraud but continues to deny any wrongdoing claiming the allegation has been brought against her by people with malicious intent. Xeping is known as “Dr Xeping”, although she is not a medical doctor, became famous for the so-called Face Off cosmetic surgery services she promoted. Her arrest, along with…
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KL Cobras capture top tier in Land of Smiles ice-hockey tournament
PHOTOS: Naratip Srisupab The New Delhi Sacred Bulls, the Shanghai Red Guard and 22 other teams competed in the City of Angels Ice Classic held March 27-30 in Bangkok at the Rink, Grand Central Rama IX. The Kuala Lumpur Cobras shut-out the Dubai Mighty Camels 3-0 to win the top tier in the tournament. Cobra captain Rich Hutson brought in…
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Swiss/Thai children run away from home claiming Thai mother beats them
PHOTO: The Nation Two children, who fell off a drying rack at a Bangkapi apartment block last May, have now run away from home saying their Thai mother had been beating them. Their remaining sibling is staying with the mother. One of the four siblings, a boy, died in the fall that happened when their mother was out at work…
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Bangkok woman arrested over credit-card scam
A Bangkok woman has been arrested for allegedly impersonating a bank officer to steal credit card information for online shopping. Police from the Economic Crime Suppression Division arrested 24 year old Manaswi Chanruang at her house on Sukhapibal Road 5 in Bangkok’s Sai Mai district this morning. She was arrested under an arrest warrant issued by the Phra Khanong Court…
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Activist’s car torched – Election Commission impeachment petition damaged
PHOTO: Thai PBS A car belonging to one of the activists campaigning for impeachment of the Election Commissioners at a rally in Rajaprasong intersection, Bangkok on Sunday, has had his car torched this morning, the second time in a week. Aekkachai Hongkangwan claims in a Facebook post today that his car was burnt beyond repair and some of his documents,…
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Canadian woman rescued from air-conditioning shaft at luxury Silom hotel
PHOTO: Daily News A 76 year old Canadian woman, missing since last Thursday in Bangkok, ended up spending 12 hours trapped in an air conditioning shaft at a luxury Silom hotel before she was finally found and rescued. Daily News reports that 76 year old Siona Aloni, who suffers from Alzheimers, went missing from her room at the hotel on…
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Bangkok Motor Show opens as Thai car sales move online
PHOTO: New Nissan all-electric LEAF, on display at the Bangkok Motor Show by Kingsley Wijayasinha “Despite the increase in sales online, including new automobiles, we’re not worried that fewer people will show up at the event to purchase vehicles.” More than 1.6 million visitors are expected at this year’s Bangkok International Motor Show, which kicks off today at IMPACT Muangthong…
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New airport duty free bid split into two
The Government has insisted that the AoT rejig its awarding for the concession of duty-free shops at its airports. Up to now King Power Duty Free has had a monopoly on the lucrative duty free concessions. So the Board of the Airports of Thailand Company has now decided to split the concession to operate airport duty-free shops into two contracts – one for Suvarnabhumi…
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Wife of ‘lovely motorcycle taxi driver’ has her say
There’s always two sides of a story. This time the wife of the ‘lovely’ motorcycle taxi driver who had his ‘heart-breaking’ story posted all over social media on Tuesday, is having her say. The man, at the time, claimed that he had paid the mortgage for eight years but the house was in her name and she now had another man. So…
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Three Samut Prakan residents arrested with 868 kilograms of marijuana
Three men have been arrested with a whopping 868 kilograms of marijuana hidden in two houses in Samut Prakan, south-east of Bangkok. Police held a media conference to announce the arrest of two 33 year olds, Somporn Kimya and Supachai Neesungnone along with an 18 year old Thawatchai (surname withheld). Metropolitan Police Lt Gen Sutthipong Wongpin says police seized the…
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Police hunting for murder killed and buried man in cement in Bangkok
PHOTOS: Siam Ruamjai Pu-in Foundation Police are hunting for a suspect who killed a man and buried him in cement in a drum in Bangkok. They say they’re seeking a 47 year old caretaker of a construction business in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district following the Tuesday night discovery of the body of his 38 year old distant relative and colleague…
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Anti-Junta bloc announces coalition with at least 255 seats
by Kas Chanwanpen The Pheu Thai Party’s de facto leader Sudarat Keyuraphan has announced this morning that an ‘anti-junta’ bloc had mustered at least 255 MPs from seven parties to form a coalition government. She said their shared aim was to stop the military junta from retaining power. She also said that negotiations are still underway for more parties to…
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Woman survives eight floor plunge into a condo car park
A woman has been injured after her car plunged from the eighth floor of a condo car park in Bangkok’s Bang Koh Laem district. The car had fallen from the nine-floor car park building of the Phraram 3 Residence condominium on Rama III road around 11pm last night (Monday). The driver was identified as 40 year old Rungthip Thongchanreed. Daily News…
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Immigration staff on alert after Thai jeweller bludgeoned to death in Bangkok
PHOTO: Thai Rath Thai border staff have been alerted after a female Thai jeweller was found bludgeoned to death in a Lat Phrao hotel room yesterday, in the northern Bangkok suburbs. CCTV indicates that a likely suspect is a South African man seen going into the woman’s room. Thai Rath reports that 35 year old Susama Reunrit from Kanchanaburi was found…
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UPDATE: Election results – what it all means
The Election Commission says the official results of the Thai general election will be announced today. By the close of counting last night around 92% of the votes had been counted. The bleary-eyed commission decided to delay the announcement until this afternoon. The EC chairman says the announcement of winners in each constituency had to be deferred because expat’ votes…
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Counting continues today. Phalang Pracharat and Pheu Thai lead the way.
Pheu Thai and Phalang Pracharat were running neck-and-neck last night as ballots were counted around the country. The major parties swapped poll position as the night went on. As of 10.30pm, with 92 per cent of the votes counted, the pro-junta Phalang Pracharat appeared to have beaten Pheu Thai with a total of 147 seats – 92 constituency MPs and…
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UN election monitors spread across Bangkok and beyond
PHOTOS: The Nation Foreign observers representing the United Nations have fanned out across the capital and its outskirts today to monitor the long-delayed election. Today’s national election, the first since 2011, is also the first since the military-backed NCPO seized power in May 2014. Four four-member teams wearing pale-blue vests were assigned to polling stations in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Pathum…
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94 motorcycles seized, 88 arrested – BKK road racing clampdown
Police have arrested 88 motorcyclists and seized 94 motorcycles last night for illegally modifying their bikes for road racing. Pol Maj Gen Nithithorn Jintakanon, traffic police chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, called a late night media pack at the Metropolitan Police Division 3 at 11.30pm to announce the arrests. Police set up road checkpoints in Metropolitan Division 3 last…
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“X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner” arrest numbers hit 8,400
by Kittipong Maneerit More foreigners detained and likely to be deported. Seems to be a never-ending supply of illegal foreigners hiding in Thailand. X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner has been an almost weekly campaign to round up and deport overstaying and illegal foreigners over the past two years. Another 490 foreigners were caught this week in the latest Immigration Police dragnet involving…
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Earth Hour next week, everyone invited to join Bangkok by switching off lights
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is inviting Bangkokians to join in “60+ Earth Hour 2019”, by turning off electrical appliances and lights for one hour from 8.30-9.30pm on Saturday, March 30. The rest of Thailand is also invited to join in the annual environmental initiative. The BMA has participated in Earth Hour since 2008 by encouraging Thais to switch off lights to…
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Summer storm cell hits Bangkok
PHOTO: @fm91trafficpro A sudden and brief summer storm swiftly passed through Bangkok’s Lak Si and Don Mueang areas yesterday afternoon. The storm left some damage in its trail, including toppled small trees on Soi Vibhavadi 60, clogged drains and an under-construction Vibhavadi-Rangsit pedestrian bridge’s metal scaffold falling onto a car at Lak Si Intersection. The stormy weather took place around…
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Grab rider attacked by local motorcycle taxi driver – police admit the law is not clear
MONTAGE: Facebook/Patiharn Sarikapun Police near Khao San Road admit the law regarding the use of Grab Bike and similar ‘disrupting’ public transport services, is still unclear. They are calling on motorcycle taxis drivers, Grab riders, taxi drivers and Uber to keep calm and contact police if there are any disputes rather than taking matters into their own hands. Daily News…
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75 year old mauled to death by pitbulls in Nonthaburi
PHOTO: Sanook A family have returned home to find the 75 year old Grandmother had been attacked and mauled by the family’s six pit bull terriers. The woman, named Iat, was lying in a pool of blood outside the house in Bang Bua Thong, Nonthaburi, on the west side of the Chao Phraya, Bangkok. Sanook reports that she had been…
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