Thursday 18 June 2026

Good morning Bangkok.

🌡️ Weather: 27-36°C (81-97°F). Hot and humid through the afternoon. Scattered thunderstorms possible late afternoon. Another gorgeous morning to be outside.

🌫️ AQI: 24-50 (Good). Bangkok's cleanest air streak continues. If you have been putting off that morning run, today is the day.

Unusually low water levels in a Kanchanaburi reservoir have exposed a long-submerged railway station linked to Thailand's historic Death Railway. The structure, normally hidden beneath the water's surface, has emerged clearly enough for visitors to walk around and photograph it. The station was part of the Thailand-Burma Railway built during Japanese occupation in 1942-43 using forced labor from Allied prisoners of war and Asian civilians. An estimated 12,000 POWs and up to 100,000 Asian laborers died during its construction.

The emergence is drawing photographers, history enthusiasts and curious tourists to the site. Thai authorities are now considering whether to pursue World Heritage status for the Death Railway, though any proposal would require joint surveys and careful consideration of its significance as both a historical site and a war memorial. The low water levels that exposed the station are themselves part of the climate story this newsletter has been tracking all year: the El Nino-driven rainfall deficit, the drier-than-normal rainy season and the reservoir storage pressures that have affected agriculture across the country. A structure that was meant to stay hidden is now visible because there is not enough water to keep it submerged.

Bottom Line: If you are planning a Kanchanaburi trip, this is a rare window. The station will disappear again when water levels rise. The Bridge on the River Kwai, the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum and the Allied War Cemetery are all nearby. A day trip that connects Bangkok's present to one of the most significant chapters in the region's history.

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Keep Your Cool

Russia's Foreign Ministry issued a travel advisory on June 12 specifically targeting Russian nationals who may be subject to legal action sought by US authorities, citing concerns over extradition arrangements between Bangkok and Washington. The advisory did not tell all Russians to avoid Thailand. It specifically warned those who believe they could face criminal prosecution by the United States. The implication is clear: Russia considers Thailand's cooperation with US law enforcement reliable enough that a wanted person is no longer safe here.

For the expat community, the advisory is significant because it signals how deeply Thai-US law enforcement cooperation has developed. Bangkok has historically been a regional hub where people from many countries operate with relative anonymity. The past three months of this newsletter have documented a pattern of intensifying enforcement: nominee crackdowns across five provinces, a Chinese trafficking gang leader arrested at a Bangkok hotel, a Nigerian drug network leader taken down at a luxury condo, 121 unauthorized workers detained at a construction site, and a South Korean fraud suspect caught on an Interpol Red Notice. Russia's advisory is essentially confirming what those arrests have been demonstrating: Thailand is no longer a place where international fugitives can assume they will be left alone.

Bottom Line: This is not a story that affects the average expat. It is a story about what kind of country Thailand is becoming in terms of international law enforcement cooperation. For anyone who chose Bangkok partly because of its "live and let live" reputation, the enforcement landscape is tightening. For everyone who chose Bangkok because it is a well-connected, well-governed city that takes security seriously, the same story reads as reassurance.

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There are three Supanniga locations in Bangkok, but the one at Tha Tien is the one you go to first. The reason is the view. The restaurant sits directly on the Chao Phraya River with Wat Arun glowing across the water, and the combination of classic Thai food served at this level with that view at that price point is one of the best dining propositions in the city. The menu covers the dishes that make Thai cuisine famous: green curry, tom yum goong, crab curry, pad thai with crabmeat, and a mango sticky rice with organic coconut ice cream that has appeared in enough reviews to qualify as a pilgrimage dish. Pailin Chongchitnant, the Thai chef behind the popular Hot Thai Kitchen YouTube channel, listed Supanniga as a top recommendation from her local Bangkok contacts, noting it is "always a hit" when hosting foreign guests.

The 4.5-star rating across 2,707 Google reviews tells you this is not a hidden secret. It is a well-known restaurant that consistently delivers. "Food, cocktails, service and atmosphere were all excellent and worth the price," one reviewer wrote. The grilled prawn with spicy curry sauce is the dish reviewers keep coming back to. Reservations recommended, especially for riverside seating at sunset.

TIP: Book a riverside table for sunset. Arrive by 5:30PM for the best light on Wat Arun. The crab curry and the mango sticky rice are the two orders that define the experience.
Address: 392, 25-26 Soi Phen Phat 2, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200. Near Tha Tien Pier. Phone: 092 253 9251. Hours: Daily 11AM-10PM. Rating: 4.5 stars, 2,707 Google reviews. Price: ฿600-1,600 per person.

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Have a nice Thursday, and see you tomorrow morning.

— Patrick