Wednesday 20 May 2026

Good morning Bangkok. Happy Wednesday.

🌡️ Weather: 28-31°C (82-88°F). Cooler and cloudy again today with scattered showers across Bangkok through tomorrow. A genuinely pleasant morning to be outside before the afternoon rain builds. Bring an umbrella if you are heading out after 2PM.

🌫️ AQI: 68-138 (Good to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Wide range. At the lower end the rain continues to clean the air nicely. At the upper end, check your local sensor. Morning is the better window.

Chadchart Sittipunt officially stepped down as Bangkok's governor yesterday, ahead of his four-year term expiring tomorrow, May 21. The BMA Permanent Secretary has taken over as acting governor until a new election is held. After resigning, Chadchart announced he would travel to the United States to take a break and attend his son's bachelor's degree graduation, and that he is expected to return in time to register as a candidate on May 28. The offices of deputy governors, advisers and the governor's secretaries have already begun packing up their workplaces at Bangkok City Hall. On his way out, the outgoing administration completed a draft expenditure budget for fiscal year 2027 worth approximately ฿93 billion, ready for submission to the Bangkok Metropolitan Council under whoever wins the next election, so that budget disbursement can begin from October 1.

Candidate registration runs May 28 to June 1, with voting day confirmed for Sunday, June 28. The People's Party has already launched its campaign and announced its candidate. Chadchart won the previous election with a record-breaking margin and remains the clear frontrunner, but the political landscape has shifted since then: a new prime minister, a reshuffled coalition, the Makkasan crash investigation, the energy crisis and the cost-of-living pressure have all changed what voters are thinking about. For expats, the Bangkok governor is the elected official who most directly affects daily quality of life. The governor controls roads, waste collection, flooding response, public parks, bus stops, footpaths and city services. National politics gets the headlines. The governor's office is what you feel when you step outside your front door.

Bottom Line: Mark June 28. If you are a Thai citizen registered to vote in Bangkok, this is the election that matters most to your morning commute. If you are an expat who cannot vote, the result still matters to you, because whoever wins will determine whether the infrastructure improvements, hawker centre model, bus stop upgrades and street-level changes of the past four years continue, accelerate or change direction. Chadchart's decision to attend his son's graduation before re-entering the race is, incidentally, the most human thing a politician has done all month.

If you've been considering braces or clear aligners in Bangkok, here's the one thing worth knowing before you book anywhere: not every clinic uses actual orthodontist specialists.

At Bangkok International Dental Center (BIDC), every single orthodontic case is handled by certified orthodontist specialists, not general dentists who took a weekend course. That distinction matters more than most people realize, especially when you're committing to a treatment plan that lasts 12-18 months, and make sure you get results you’ll love.

BIDC's dental group has been an Invisalign Diamond Provider for the past 10 years, placing more than 300 clear aligner cases annually. Diamond status is earned by volume and results, it's not something you can buy. With locations at Siam Paragon, EmQuartier, Ratchadapisket, and Chiangmai, there's a branch near wherever you are.

Right now they're running a student promotion that's worth flagging: Invisalign treatment booked before June 30 comes with a free gift set for teens plus a promotional coupon. If you've got a teenager who's been asking about aligners, or you're a university student yourself, the timing is right.

TIP: Book a consultation at whichever location is closest to you. The orthodontist will assess your case, show you a digital preview of the expected results, and walk you through the timeline before you commit to anything.

📍 BIDC Locations:

🌐 BangkokDentalCenter.com 📞 02692 4433 | WhatsApp: +66 83 272 2235

🎓 Invisalign Student Promo — Free gift set for teens + coupon. Valid until June 30, 2026.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, in collaboration with Mayday, Grab and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, is modernising 1,100 of the city's 5,199 bus stops across two formats: 500 stops will receive digital screens displaying live GPS-tracked bus arrival times, and 600 will get redesigned physical structures with slimmer profiles that free up footpath space for pedestrians. The digital stops will pull real-time data from the transport system and display actual arrival times rather than the hopeful estimates that have defined Bangkok bus waiting for decades. Plans are also in place to eventually connect the screens with navigation apps. Each upgraded stop will display information on more than 30 nearby landmarks and attractions within walking distance, making the stops useful even if you are not catching a bus.

The first upgraded stops began rolling out in May, with the full project targeted for completion by the end of 2026. The redesigned physical structures were developed in collaboration with Navamindradhiraj University's City Lab and come in two sizes: Type M (2.3m x 3m, three seats, ฿230,000 per unit) and Type L (2.3m x 6m, six seats, ฿320,000 per unit). Governor Chadchart defended the cost when it was questioned publicly, noting that each installation requires pavement removal, relocation of underground utility and electric cables, and reconnection, work that is significantly more complex than it looks. The broader context is that of Bangkok's 5,199 bus stops, only 2,520 currently have a permanent structure with a roof. The rest are makeshift markers, often nothing more than a pole with a route number on it.

Bottom Line: This is the kind of quiet, practical improvement that does not generate headlines but changes how the city feels to use every day. Real-time arrival data at the bus stop is something most major cities have had for years. Bangkok is catching up, and the fact that 500 stops will have it by end of year is genuine progress. Not many expats take the bus but if you do, the difference between "a bus might come" and "the 206 arrives in four minutes" is the difference between frustration and a functioning commute.

Gallery Drip Coffee sits inside the BACC (Bangkok Art and Culture Center), and the combination of where it is and what it does creates one of the best Wednesday afternoon experiences in central Bangkok. The cafe specializes in hand-drip single-origin coffee, prepared with the kind of attention that makes you aware you are watching someone who cares about the process, not just the result. Each cup is brewed individually, which means you wait a few minutes longer than you would at a counter service spot, and the wait is the point: it slows the afternoon down in exactly the way a good cafe should. The BACC itself is one of Bangkok's most respected cultural spaces, with rotating exhibitions across multiple floors that you can walk through before or after your coffee, making the visit feel like a genuine cultural afternoon rather than a caffeine stop. The location near BTS National Stadium also places it directly next to the Jim Thompson Art Center, meaning you can pair Gallery Drip with the "Living in an Elastic Time" exhibition that has been one of the strongest shows in the city this year, and build a proper art-and-coffee afternoon for under ฿400 total. The interior is minimal, quiet and work-friendly, with enough space to settle in with a laptop or a book without feeling like you are taking up someone's table. For a Wednesday when the rain has cooled the city and you want something that feels considered and calm, this is the call. With a 4.6 on Google with 943 reviews this place is worth checking out. Click the title or photos for directions and more.

TIP: Order the single-origin drip and ask the barista what they recommend today. The rotating selection means the best cup changes week to week. Pair with a visit to the BACC galleries upstairs, which are free.

See you tomorrow morning.

— Devon