Police have deployed a heavy security presence after a group protesting the IMF–World Bank meetings gathered and marched toward the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center before settling at the Rama IV intersection to stage their demonstration.

Timeline of events

At approximately 9:00 a.m. on October 15, 2026, members of the People's Network Against the World Bank and IMF gathered and marched on foot from Na Ranong intersection toward the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.

The group intended to protest the 2026 IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings, which Thailand is hosting at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. Numerous high-ranking representatives from countries around the world are attending the event.

The protesters carried signs and attached banners displaying their demands to a pedestrian overpass as a symbolic expression of their opposition to the meetings.

Police block protesters from proceeding

When the march reached the Rama IV intersection, officers from Tharuea Metropolitan Police Station moved to block the group. They displayed warning notices and read out the regulations governing public assemblies.

Police reaffirmed their order that the network would not be permitted to continue toward the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. However, the protesters insisted on using the route to reach their intended destination.

The confrontation led to negotiations between the two sides. Subsequently, the protesters decided to remain at the intersection while waiting for their negotiating team to meet with police again.

The protesters maintained their original position, insisting that they must be allowed to proceed to the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, the destination specified in their assembly notification.

Police increase security and announce road closures

Police have maintained a heavy presence to ensure security and public safety.

Authorities also announced traffic closures covering the route from Asok Montri intersection on Sukhumvit Road to the Rama IV intersection on October 15–16, 2026.

Recommended alternative routes

Motorists are advised to consider the following alternatives:

• Rama IV Road and Sukhumvit Road.
• Wireless Road and Sarasin Road.
• Use the BTS Skytrain or MRT subway and allow extra time for travel.

Hello everybody! Im on Koh Phangan for January and February 2027 and Im wondering if there is any run club or maybe even a race in that time frame on Phangan or Samui?

All the best

600 Protesters Head Toward Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Causing Heavy Traffic on Outbound Rama IV Road and Sunthon Kosa Road

October 15: The Royal Thai Police and the Department of Highways have issued traffic alerts advising motorists in Bangkok to avoid routes around Na Ranong Intersection toward the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center after approximately 600 protesters were spotted marching on foot and occupying the entire roadway, causing severe traffic congestion.

According to news reports, the group of approximately 600 protesters began gathering and marching from Na Ranong Intersection, proceeding along Sunthon Kosa Road toward the outbound lanes of Rama IV Road, with plans to turn into the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center area.

The march quickly slowed traffic along Sunthon Kosa Road and outbound Rama IV Road, with long queues of vehicles building up. Traffic police were dispatched to manage traffic and assist motorists, advising the public to use nearby alternative routes to minimize disruption and avoid travel delays.

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พลังแห่งการตีพ่อตีแม่ ช่วยโลกใบนี้ไว้

Hi everyone,

Compared to other SEA countries, Thailand is a super diverse country and a lot of people have non-100% Thai roots (Thai Chinese are super assimilate in Thailand compared to Malaysia or Indonesia). Like you can find two Thai guys born and raised in Bangkok. One looks so much like your stereotypical dark skin Southeast Asian and another one looks like stereotypical Chinese or Korean guy, yet speak Thai with Bangkok/Central accent.

So I am wondering if Thailand were European country, would it be comparable to France? For example, the very Southern part of the country, (particularly Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat) are obviously culturally closer to Malaysia/Indonesia than Northeast Thailand (Isan) that is closer to Laos just like Southern France is culturally closer to Spain, Portugal, and Italy than Eastern France that is closer to Germany/Switzerland. Bangkok is like Paris where there is still hidden "bourgeoisie" culture especially for locals Bangkoker that don't have root from outside Bangkok.

I understand my questions are super vague but any answers or resources you can provide would be much appreciated.

a lot of international coverage still leans on familiar images of thailand: temples, traditional festivals, street food and nightlife.

but younger generations have their own online communities, music scenes, fashion trends, slang, hobbies and ideas about what a good life should look like

which parts of modern youth culture in thailand are most different from the image outsiders tend to have? i'm especially interested in things that are popular locally but barely discussed in english-language travel content

I'm looking for advice regarding an ongoing issue with a townhouse my family is renting in Bangkok.

We've been experiencing repeated water intrusion throughout the house when it rains.

Water has been leaking through the ceilings and walls, pooling in certain areas, and even running down the stairs.

We've also noticed what appears to be mold spreading across several walls, including in the bedrooms and living room.

The landlord has attempted repairs on multiple occasions, but the underlying issues haven't been resolved. In some areas, the water intrusion has continued or worsened despite these repairs.

The affected areas aren't places we can simply avoid, as they include our main living and sleeping spaces.

Given the ongoing issues and unsuccessful repair attempts, could persistent water intrusion and suspected mold be grounds for terminating a lease early without forfeiting the security deposit?

Has anyone experienced a similar situation with a rental property in Thailand?

Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

I'm looking for recommendations for a great dentist who specializes in composite bonding to close a tooth gap. (Diastema)

I want to go the direct bonding route rather than crowns or veneers, but I have one major requirement: it needs to look 100% natural.

I absolutely hate that blindingly white, "piano keys" look where teeth look super fake and unnatural.

I want it to blend in seamlessly with my real teeth so nobody can ever tell anything was done.
If you've had a great experience getting subtle, hyper-natural composite bonding done in Bangkok, which clinic or dentist did you go to?

Any recommendations (or places to avoid) would be hugely appreciated!

Hope someone in a similar boat could help.

Currently hold both UK and Thai passports, based in London. In case if I have to stay above the visa-free period on my UK passport, should I fly out with the UK one and enter with my Thai one? And exit vice versa?

I have concern since airline would require you to submit only one document. By mismatching the entry passports, would that mark me as a red flag? An acquaintance of mine got detained for questioning for hours by doing that in South Africa.

Hey everyone
I recently got a Sak Yant tattoo from ajarn in
Bangkok, and something a Thai local told me afterward has been bothering me. I’m hoping someone familiar with Sak Yant, Thai Buddhism, Khom script, or traditional Thai spiritual practices can shed some light on this.
My experience with the Ajarn:
I visited a ajarn and was allowed to look through a catalogue of Sak Yant designs and choose whichever one I wanted.
I specifically didn’t want anything aggressive or associated with domination, violence, or warrior energy. I wanted something positive that would help me in life.
I chose a design, which has five vertical spires, a central circular symbol, and sacred writing Pali script underneath.
The ajarn didn’t ask me any personal questions or try to select a design for me. He was pretty relaxed and transactional throughout the experience.
After completing the tattoo, he performed a prayer/chant, sprinkled water on me, and said he had bestowed a blessing.
He explained afterward that my particular Sak Yant was for discipline, luck, prosperity, and success.
I didn’t bring any traditional offerings, gifts, or extra money. I simply paid the agreed price. He didn’t seem offended or upset, and he never gave me any rules to follow afterward.
Before I left, he casually said, “I’ll see you again.”
At the time, I thought nothing of it. I was happy with my tattoo and went on with my life.
Then I met a Thai local who really worried me.
She noticed my Sak Yant and started asking questions about it.
She asked whether the Ajarn had asked when I was coming back. I told her he hadn’t, but that he had said, “I’ll see you again.”
She seemed concerned.
She then told me that some Ajarns initially give people spiritual protection for the first year or two, but afterward supposedly begin introducing problems into their lives through spirits attached to the yantra.
According to her, this can eventually make people spiritually dependent on the Ajarn, almost like becoming a “spiritual slave.”
She said that only the Ajarn who performed the original tattoo could reverse the yantra.
She also examined my tattoo and physically touched the back of my neck. She said something along the lines of “the spirit is strong on your neck.”
She asked whether I experienced headaches at the back of my head or around my temples.
I told her no, apart from occasional headaches after working long hours.
She then asked whether I had disturbing dreams. I told her that I sometimes do, but I’ve experienced those since before getting the tattoo.
She seemed genuinely concerned and told me, “I’m scared for you,” and suggested I should go back to the Ajarn.
She also pointed out that I didn’t actually understand what the Ajarn was chanting during the blessing, so I couldn’t know what he had said.
For context, she didn’t know the specific ajarn, She was speaking about Ajarns and spiritual practices more generally.
My questions:
Is there any established tradition or occult folklore in Thailand about Ajarns initially giving protection and later spiritually binding people through their Sak Yant tattoos? Or is this a misconception?
Also if anyone could recognize the specific yantra in my tattoo, and its traditional Thai name and accurate translation of the Pali inscriptions, especially the two bottom lines. I can send photo in private message.
Is there any particular significance to the tattoo being placed on the upper back near the neck and spine?
Is it normal for an Ajarn to let someone choose a design without asking personal questions, and to perform the blessing without explaining the chant?
Are offerings and rules mandatory in every Sak Yant lineage? Should I have been given specific instructions?
Has anyone received a Sak Yant from a traditional ajarn in Thailand and What was your experience?
Is there any cultural significance to an Ajarn saying “I’ll see you again,” or is that simply a normal farewell?
I’m not claiming that I’ve been cursed or that anything supernatural has happened to me. I understand that spiritual beliefs and verifiable evidence are different things.
I was genuinely happy with the tattoo and didn’t have any concerns until this woman approached me.
I’m mainly interested in understanding the actual traditions, the meaning of my specific yantra, and whether there’s any historical or cultural basis for what she told me.
I’d especially appreciate input from Thai people, Sak Yant practitioners, or anyone who can genuinely read Khom/Pali inscriptions.
Thanks in advance. I’ll attach a close-up photo of the tattoo.

1. The (daily) lowest temperature is under the "cold weather" criterion of below 23℃
2. Northeasterly or easterly winds have covered Thailand
3. The distribution of rain in Upper Thailand decreases continuously

Note: Normally winter in Thailand lasts from mid-October to mid-February

On October 13, Immigration Bureau Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Noppasilp Poolsawat, Deputy Commissioner Pol Maj Gen Thanit Thaiwatcharamat, Immigration Division 6 Commander Pol Maj Gen Chutharet Yingyongdamrongsakul, and Investigation Subdivision 6 Superintendent Pol Col Wutthiphat Napachot jointly ordered officers to investigate the case.

Officers from Immigration Division 6’s investigation unit inspected a well-known restaurant in Ko Kaeo Subdistrict, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket, after an investigation revealed that a foreign woman had been living in Thailand illegally since 2021 without her original passport. She had only a photo of it stored on her mobile phone.

A biometric check identified her as a Portuguese national who had entered Thailand through Suvarnabhumi Airport on March 20, 2020, on a 30-day visa-exemption entry. She had subsequently been granted an extension of stay by Phuket Immigration, which expired on January 11, 2021. She had not applied for any further extension since then.

Her total overstay amounted to 1,807 days, or nearly five years.

Question: is it normal for Thai-based companies to not adhere to the standards of an offer letter?

Context: A Vietnamese friend being offered a job from a Thai-based company. The owner is North American, I believe. My friend asked for an official offer letter, which should include salary, schedule, responsibilities, amongst other things.

However, their offer letter didn't include compensation and a few other things. They seemed like they were in a hurry to hire and wants him to start soon. My friend has done his due diligence and feels like it's a decent company, but the CEO responded with a email, making it look like my friend was being weird for asking for the basics of an offer letter. Not sure if he's being paranoid and it's just a one-off or if this a legit red flag.

Question: What are standard employment/hiring practices in these situations?

Do jobs allow that? Can I have a mon-fri job with work permit and a permit also for weekend work at a centre?

I'm a foreigner, I'm trying to find the song that I listened around 2010 2011 and only thing I remember vividly is its music video. The music video is about a guy who works as a street statue performer to earn money to support his girlfriend. One day while working, he sees his girlfriend comes with another man. He cries under his sunglasses but still keeps performing. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

So I’m weighing the long-term stay options in Thailand, and I keep hitting a psychological wall with the Elite Visa. The idea of dropping 600k to 900k+ THB (or more for the higher tiers) on something that is essentially a non-refundable entry ticket just rubs me the wrong way.

That naturally makes the 3 Million Baht Property Investor Pathway look tempting on paper. At least with a condo, your core capital is locked into an asset. Sure, it might depreciate, you'll pay transfer fees, and you might take a loss when you sell, but mathematically you're usually getting a massive chunk of your principal back compared to an Elite membership fee.

Is anyone here actually doing the 3 Million condo route mostly as a visa vehicle while quietly dreading the actual realities of property ownership? Did you regret trying to outsmart the Elite Visa fee, or do you find the ownership headache worth knowing you didn't just hand the government a pile of non-refundable cash?

Hi all,

My wife is Thai but lives in Belgium and has no income in Thailand. She will open a KBank savings account in her own name and buy a house there. The funds (around €100k, roughly 3.9M THB) would come from her bank account in Belgium (EU) by SWIFT in EUR. The KBank branch hasn’t given us a clear answer on documentation, so I’d like to hear from anyone who has done something similar recently:

1. Did KBank ask for the purpose of the transfer or proof of source of funds? At this amount (~€100k), did it trigger extra checks or the FET form, and from what amount does that start?
2. Which documents did they request? (Bank statements, ID, proof of the house purchase, etc.) Did it matter that she has no Thai income?
3. If bank statements: how many months back, and did they need to be originals or stamped by the bank?
4. Were English statements enough, or did Dutch originals need translation? If so, certified/sworn, and was Thai MFA legalisation required?
5. Where did you get translations done (Pattaya, Bangkok, online) and what did it cost?
6. Did the Land Department or the developer ask for extra proof of the origin of the funds?
7. Was the paperwork needed before the transfer or only after the money arrived? Any tips so the funds aren’t held?

Thanks!