Transport News
Thailand transport news, infrastructure updates, public transit, and traffic reports—stay informed on groundbreaking developments and real-time travel updates. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for transport news in Thailand.
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Sponsored Digital nomading in Chiang Mai? What US$1,000 a month really gets you
Chiang Mai has become a popular destination for digital nomads due to its low living costs, rich culture, and active remote work community. The city offers affordable housing, tasty food, reliable internet, and many co-working spaces, making it a great...
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Ride a ‘floating train’ from Bangkok to the biggest reservoir in Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) invites you to ride the ‘floating train‘ from Hua Lamphong Station in Bangkok to Pa Sak Jolasid Dam – Thailand’s biggest reservoir – in Lop Buri province. The rot fai loi nam (train floating on water) will run every Saturday and Sunday for three months, starting on November 5. The train (no.921) will leave Bangkok…
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Suvarnabhumi Airport calls for more taxis amid surging queues
While most are elated to see tourism returning to Thailand and international flights picking up, there’s one thing virtually everyone can agree they did not miss: taxi queues. As flight arrivals ramp up, there’s a shortage of available taxis for incoming travellers. Officials at Suvarnabhumi Airport are putting out the call for more taxis to register for pick-ups as the…
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Thai car racing gangs of five or more warned of jail time if caught
Thai street car racing gangs of five or more are being warned that they will face jail time and large fines if they are caught gathering. The superintendent of Prachachuen police station sent out the warning, saying even if they have not started racing, those in groups will be arrested for illegal racing. Land Transport and Excise department officials accompanied…
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Manhole cover in Pattaya explodes, smashes into bus
Authorities are investigating the cause behind a freak accident in Pattaya that shot a manhole cover into the air and damaged a bus. The exploding manhole cover was captured on film yesterday as it popped several metres in the air and crashed down on a local baht bus. The driver of the bus was understandably shaken up by the incident…
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Thai Airways refunds possible, reorganisation approved
Thai Airways International’s revised business reorganisation plan was approved by the Central Bankruptcy Court. The plan was submitted last month and the airline will now start on a course of financial restructuring. Does this mean everyone waiting for a refund from the Covid-19 pandemic and before Thailand’s flagship airline declared bankruptcy will finally get their money back? It is reported…
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Free trial of Pink and Yellow monorail lines in December
Though not fully finished and operational, the Thai government declared that the Pink Line and Yellow Line of the monorail system in Bangkok will be opened for a free trial in December. More progress on the construction has been made on the new lines of the rapid transit system and the government hopes to show the public the lines in…
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Luxury yacht halts Bangkok traffic as Krungthep Bridge opens
Drivers were understandably miffed as a huge traffic jam built up when the Krungthep Bridge in Bangkok opened to let a boat through. It is common for the bridge to open a handful of times each month, but usually to let through a big vessel belonging to the Royal Thai Navy. This time though, cars along Rama III Road were…
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Change in plane direction surprises Bangkok residents
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… it’s… oh, wait, it *is* a plane. Residents in Bangkok have been complaining about a sudden increase in commercial planes buzzing low over their homes. Now they finally have an explanation for why they are seeing all these low planes – an airport direction change. The Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (AEROTHAI), the agency…
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Google Maps update makes it easy to find EV charging stations in Thailand
As more and more people opt for electric vehicles (EVs) in Thailand, Google Maps has added a feature to make it easy to find a place to charge your car. Google added the feature after searches for EV charging stations in the kingdom grew by 350% over the past year. Simply launch the app and search for EV charging stations…
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Thai AirAsia launches new routes from Bangkok to Bangladesh and India
Low-cost airline Thai AirAsia announced plans to launch direct routes from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport to Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh and to Lucknow in northern India. The airline’s Bangkok – Dhaka service will operate four times per week commencing November 24, 2022. The flight will depart from Don Mueang at 11pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and arrive…
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New MRT Yellow Line monorail train starts trial run today
The new MRT Yellow Line monorail train in Bangkok and Samut Prakarn province starts its trial run without passengers today and is expected to be fully operational by June next year. The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) announced yesterday that the new MRT Yellow Line would be on trial today from 10am to 5.30pm. The trial is running…
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Thai motorcycle taxi rider rips off Malaysian tourist
A Thai motorcycle taxi rider in the southern province of Songkla said he ripped off a Malaysian tourist because his washing machine was broken. The rider claims it is the first time he overcharged a customer after demanding 500 baht from the stranded tourist for a trip that is only two kilometres. A member of the Hat Yai Municipality Council…
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BMTA replaces mushroom seat on Bangkok public bus
UPDATE The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) today apologised to the city’s passengers after a story of mushrooms growing out of a public bus seat went viral on Thai social media. The picture of the mushroom-growing seat, posted by political activist Jatuporn “New” Saenueng, drew complaints from Thai netizens. The BMTA responded to the criticism on its official Facebook page…
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Room to shroom on Bangkok public buses
A fungi picture of mushrooms growing out of the seat of a public bus in Bangkok has gone viral on Thai social media. Some netizens made fun of pictures saying shitake happens while others were more serious saying enough is enough, time to refurbish Thai public buses. Political activist Jatuporn “New” Saeoueng posted the picture of the mushrooms growing out…
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Phuket taxis drivers promise to quit fighting rivals
Representatives of taxi drivers in Phuket met with provincial officials to acknowledge proposals to avoid fights recently reported in the media. Following a recent fight between a traditional taxi driver and an app-based driver in the Kamala district last weekend, Phuket authorities decided to host a meeting to urge local taxi drivers to focus on the reputation of the province.…
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Phuket taxis fined for yet another fight in front of customers
The battle between traditional taxis and ride-hailing app drivers seems to have reached a boiling point. Yet another fight between taxi drivers in front of customers took place in Phuket. It resulted in charges against both of the drivers and highlights the continuing problem Phuket and other tourist destinations in Thailand face with taxis. This incident took place at a…
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Thai Airways is recruiting a new CEO
Debt-ridden Thai Airways is looking to hire an “ethical” Chief Executive Officer to steer the airline in the flight direction. After a year without a CEO, the nation’s flag carrier posted a job advertisement on LinkedIn looking for a highly-qualified aviation expert to take on the tall order of getting THAI back off the ground. THAI needs a leader who…
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Face masks still required on public transport, in cinemas
Thailand recently celebrated lifting all remaining Covid-19 restrictions and fully reopening its borders to international travellers. But, while tourists can enter without proof of vaccination or negative tests, face masks are still mandatory on public transportation throughout the country. A deputy director of the Department of Health has explained that some Covid safety and prevention measures remain in place. In…
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Phuket Airport officials pulled tourist from van, insisted they use airport taxi
The Phuket taxi situation has been under a microscope recently after accusations of taxi mafias, bad behaviour by drivers, and several outright brawls between cab drivers in front of tourists have blemished the reputation of Thailand and Phuket in particular. Another recent incident at the Phuket International Airport went viral on social media when passengers were asked to get out…
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Police ignore cheating antics of drunk Bangkok cabbie
An outraged Thai woman took to social media after police refused to punish an allegedly drunk, chain-smoking Bangkok cabbie who guzzled alcohol while driving and overcharged her brother. Supunsa Hombanyen posted videos of the slovenly drunk taxi driver on her TikTok account, @mildhom, yesterday. She said… “On September 27, 2022, my brother took a taxi from Morchit in Bangkok to…
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Airports of Thailand reports 200% increase in traffic at Suvarnabhumi Airport
Thailand’s aviation industry is flying high, according to new data released by leading airport operator Airports of Thailand (AOT). Suvarnabhumi Airport has seen a 200% increase in traffic in the fiscal year 2022 when compared with the previous year. Between October 2021 – August 2022, Suvarnabhumi facilitated 168,421 flights, which is a 58.36% increase from the previous fiscal year. During…
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Thai Airways flying high at Skytrax Awards
Thai Airways (THAI) has been named the fourth best airline in the world for cabin crew while its staff was rated No.1 in Asia at the Skytrax 2022 World Airline Awards at The Langham hotel in London. The carrier also did well in Skytrax’s global rankings, coming eighth in the airport services category, eighth in economy class catering, and 10th…
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Thailand pays 3.8 billion baht for first train hub in hospital
A budget of 3.8 billion baht has been approved to build Thailand’s first train station inside a hospital. The train station is intended to serve as a transportation hub with a medical centre at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok. The deputy spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office, Ratchada Thanadirek, reported yesterday that the very first train station for health and public…
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Knife-wielding tuk tuk driver says he is the victim in brawl over passengers
An 84 year old tuk tuk driver claimed that he was attacked by younger drivers because of a row over passengers. The alleged offenders defended themselves saying they were threatened by a knife first. The elderly tuk tuk driver, Pichit Sawanwijit, filed a complaint at Mueng Udon Thani Police Station saying he was attacked by three younger tuk tuk drivers…
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American told to stop riding go-kart in Chiang Mai
Police and residents in Chiang Mai urged an American man to stop riding his yellow single-seat go-kart on a public road after highlighting the danger he poses to himself and others. A dash cam video of the yellow single-seat go-kart was uploaded to Thai social media on September 21. The kart is seen dashing down the left lane of the…
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Rail operators deny passengers were trapped for 4 hours
UPDATE Asia Era One’s Public Relations team denied any passengers were trapped in an Airport Rail Link train after a power failure last month. Asia Era One, who is responsible for the operation of the Airport Rail Link train, wants to clarify what happened when the power went down on Saturday, September 24. There were no passengers trapped inside the…
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BMTA bus driver brawls with motorcycle rider in Bangkok
A bus driver and a motorcycle rider got into a brawl on Phetchaburi Road in Bangkok last week after the former honked his horn at him. A video of the scrap between the driver from the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) and the motorcycle rider started circulating on Thai social media last Tuesday, September 20. The video shows a male…
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VIDEO: Taxi drivers fistfight in front of customers at Phuket shop
Several minivan taxi drivers got into a fistfight over customers outside Khun Mae Ju, a popular souvenir shop in Phuket. One man struck another in the head with an axe, and it was all caught on video. The video clip went viral on social media after people inside the shops filmed the taxi drivers exchanging punches and kicks through the…
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Six airlines offer 300 baht discount on domestic flights in Thailand
Get 300 baht off domestic flights in the Land of Smiles under the project “Discounts All Over the Sky, Fly All Over Thailand.” The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Thai Airlines Association jointly launched the special offer in the hopes of stimulating the economy through domestic tourism this high season. Six airlines joined the scheme to offer 300…
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4 taxi drivers fined for overcharging and refusing service
Tourist police arrested four taxi drivers in Bangkok after discovering they refused to offer a service to passengers and charged overinflated fares without using the metre system. Not only Thai passengers are being refused by Bangkok taxi drivers but tourists face the same issue. They too are ripped off and refused by drivers. Tourist Police Bureau of Thailand spokesperson Apichart…
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