📅 Good morning! Thai PBS World is hosting a Bangkok election roundtable for foreigners living in Thailand on June 1; register here. Pride Parade 2026 is next Sunday; check out the route from Chong Nonsi to the National Stadium.

🔔 Old MRT top-up cards won’t work after next Sunday — use an EMV card instead.

🛂 Cabinet approved ending 60-day visa-free entry, with most countries reverting to 30-day stays, effective 15 days after Royal Gazette publication. Here are the countries affected.

Bangkok has 32 railway intersections cutting across city roads — crossings that trap rush-hour traffic on the rails and pose safety hazards, according to a former deputy governor.

Why it matters: After last week’s crash at Asoke-Makkasan, City Hall is targeting all 32 crossings with road design upgrades and adaptive traffic-light signaling.

Big picture: Nationwide, these intersections average 70 to 80 collisions a year. Roughly 85% are caused by drivers' attempts to cut in front of oncoming trains.

What to know: Thai law requires drivers to slow or stop at least five meters from a rail crossing, regardless of whether the crossing has barriers or warning lights.

After last week’s fatal Makkasan crash, officials are weighing a ban on trains entering inner Bangkok, while pressure mounts to fast-track the long-delayed Red Line’s Missing Link.

Why it matters: Experts said the crash exposed years of infrastructure failures: manual signals, unsynchronized traffic lights and chronic congestion at a crossing that had long exceeded safe engineering limits.

State of play: Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn ordered the State Railway of Thailand to study a possible ban on commuter trains entering inner Bangkok within three months.

Zooming in: These intercity diesel trains connect Bangkok to the provinces. A one-way ticket from Hua Lamphong runs 6 baht to Lat Krabang and 13 baht to Chachoengsao.

Yes, but… A passenger paying 11 baht from Chachoengsao to Sukhumvit 71 could face 80-150 baht daily after transfers — up to 3,000 baht increase per month, according to ThaiRath’s projections.

Meanwhile, some policymakers argue the Missing Link project is a better fix. The project is a 25.9-kilometer Red Line extension linking Bang Sue to Hua Mak and Hua Lamphong, with nine new stations.

Reality check: Cabinet approved the extension in 2016. It has sat idle because the route overlaps with the three-airport, high-speed rail project, whose delays and legal disputes have frozen everything tied to the Makkasan corridor.

What’s next: The SRT said it will accelerate its review of the extension project, targeting a revised Cabinet submission in 2028 and completion by 2034.

City Hall is piloting a pedestrian safety overhaul on Asoke Montri Road, targeting zero accidents.

Why it matters: More than 30,000 students, university staff and office workers walk the road daily, on a stretch known for gridlock.

By the numbers: The ThaiRoads Foundation found that only 8% of drivers stop for pedestrians in Bangkok.

Zooming in: Upgrades include red flags at crosswalks, raised crossings, push-button pedestrian signals and real-time arrival displays. More bike-share stations are planned.

The Democrat Party nominates Anucha Burapachaisri, a former two-term Bangkok MP with a party-hopping record, to challenge former Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt and the People’s Party in the June 28 election.

Why it matters: Bangkok was once a Democrat stronghold. The party dominated City Hall for a decade, winning four straight gubernatorial terms between 2004 and 2013.

Between the lines: Anucha worked under former Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha with the military-backed Palang Pracharath and United Thai Nation parties, then ran as a Bhumjaithai party-list candidate in 2026 without winning a seat.

State of play: Running under the slogan “City of Angels and More,” Anucha’s platform promises Bangkok that’s “clean, convenient and comfortable.” The party pledged to integrate AI into urban management and audit existing city concessions.

What they’re saying: Leader Abhisit Vejjajiva cited the Democrat record: Thonburi’s first electric train line, the Bangkok Art and Culture Center and the giant drainage tunnels were all built under Democrat governors.

Fifty first- and second-graders at Wat Mahannapharam School near Sao Ching Cha started the school year last Monday in a fully English-language classroom — except for the Thai language class.

Why it matters: It’s the launch of the city’s pilot for its international school curriculum, a potential blueprint for the city’s other 436 municipal schools.

Big picture: Unlike standard English programs using translated Thai textbooks, the curriculum follows a Cambridge framework, with five teachers from Turkey, South Africa, England and Russia.

What’s next: The city plans to add one grade level annually, aiming for full primary international school status by 2031.

We hosted our first community meetup yesterday across Benchakitti and Lumphini parks. Seeing so many of you connect in person and share your love and curiosity for Bangkok was the highlight. Thanks to everyone who showed up!

What’s next: I’m planning two potential events for June to bring our community offline. Keep an eye on your inbox.

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📧 Reach me at [email protected].