Fire Erupts at Bangkok High-Rise Condo

A foreign tourist was rescued by marine police in Phuket after falling from a tour speedboat near Ratsada Pier on Tuesday morning. The incident occurred around 10:30 AM when the woman slipped while attempting to reboard the drifting vessel. Police responding to a routine patrol found the tourist in a dangerous position near the boat's propeller area. Following her rescue with minor injuries, officers discovered the boat captain operating without a valid license or competency certificate. The captain was arrested for violating maritime laws as authorities reinforced safety warnings to all tour operators.

The Department of Highways will open the entire 96-kilometer Bangkok-Kanchanaburi Expressway (M81) for a free trial period from October 10-14, 2025. All eight toll stations will be operational for the first time, offering completely toll-free travel during this long holiday weekend. The trial service is currently limited to four-wheel vehicles with an enforced 80 km/h speed limit due to ongoing system installations. This new expressway connects western provinces including Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, and Kanchanaburi, providing an important alternative to congested southern routes. The initiative aims to improve transportation efficiency while allowing the public to experience this significant infrastructure project.

Sky Angkor Airlines cancelled three flights between Bangkok and Phnom Penh today, significantly disrupting travel along this key Southeast Asian corridor. Flights SWM672, SWM673, and SWM675 were grounded while three other services experienced major delays, affecting approximately 30% of the carrier's daily operations. The cancellations created frustration at both Suvarnabhumi and Phnom Penh's Techo International Airport, stranding business and leisure travelers. The airline has not provided an official explanation for the disruption but is expected to offer rebooking or refunds to affected passengers. This incident highlights the vulnerability of regional air connectivity and could impact Cambodia's growing tourism sector.

Thai AirAsia will launch a new daily tri-city route connecting Bangkok, Luang Prabang, and Hanoi starting December 1, 2025. The service will operate using an Airbus A320 aircraft under fifth-freedom rights, marking the airline's first ASEAN fifth-freedom route outside Japan. This allows the carrier to transport passengers between Luang Prabang and Hanoi as part of the Bangkok-originating flight. The new connection aims to enhance regional tourism and meet growing travel demand between Laos' UNESCO World Heritage city and Vietnam's capital. Promotional fares start from 1.699 million Vietnamese dongs for bookings made through September 7.

Cannabis advocates are pushing Thailand's government to reverse restrictive new regulations that have severely damaged the industry. The group "Writing Thailand's Cannabis Future" has demanded the Ministry of Public Health revoke a 2025 order that classifies cannabis as a controlled herb and reinstate the more liberal 2022 rules. They also want to eliminate burdensome testing for certified growers and stop a draft rule that would restrict sales to medical clinics, a move they say would create a monopoly. The group has threatened to escalate the issue directly to the Prime Minister if their demands are not met within two weeks. In response, health officials have agreed to conduct a review of the regulations and submit recommendations.

Benjakitti Forest Park is a major green space in the heart of Bangkok, Thailand, created on the former site of a tobacco factory. Built on a limited budget and in just 18 months, the park has transformed a concrete, lifeless area into a vibrant, self-sustaining ecosystem. It serves as a new "lung" for the city, helping to regulate stormwater, cleanse contaminated water, and support wildlife while providing much-needed open space for the densely populated city.

The park is designed to be accessible and welcoming to everyone, incorporating aesthetics and features that appeal to both locals and visitors. It includes marshes, forests, and a network of walkways and skywalks, letting people enjoy nature, birdwatch, or exercise away from the city rush. There are spaces for urban activities, like workshops, sports, dining, and family gatherings, making it a lively community hub that honors its past with preserved elements of the old tobacco factory.

Benjakitti Park consists of several zones, each offering different experiences. Visitors can enjoy open green areas for picnics, wetlands and forests with cycling lanes, the original park space with its large lake, and, in the future, a museum and sports center. The park’s 6km of walkways and skywalks, jogging and cycling paths, and the beautiful lotus garden—best seen between December and April—offer something for everyone, making it a place to relax, play, and connect with nature in the middle of Bangkok.

Unsettled weather will continue across Thailand tomorrow due to the prevailing southwest monsoon, bringing fairly widespread thundershowers and isolated heavy rain to several regions. The Central, Eastern, and Bangkok Metropolitan areas are expected to see the most significant rainfall, while the South will experience rough seas with waves exceeding 2 meters in thunderstorm areas.

As of October 9, 2025, the Thai baht's rates against other top currencies are as follows: