Crossing the river tonight? Two Bangkok bridges will shut for Vijit Chao Phraya fireworks until 13 December

If you drive, ride or take a taxi across the Chao Phraya in the evening over the next month, check the date first. Bangkok's traffic police have ordered short, rolling shutdowns of Memorial Bridge and Rama III Bridge on fireworks nights during Vijit Chao Phraya 2026, and the first full weekend starts tonight, Friday 13 November.

The order, issued by the head of Bangkok's traffic officers under the Land Traffic Act and published in the Royal Gazette on 11 November, applies from 12 November to 13 December, according to the text reproduced by Bangkok Biz News. Metropolitan Police Division 8 announced the same schedule on 12 November, as reported by Thairath English and The Nation. Police vehicles on duty and vehicles authorised by traffic officers are exempt.

Memorial Bridge: closed 20:30 to 21:00

Memorial Bridge (Phra Phuttha Yodfa) closes to all vehicles in both directions from 20:30 to 21:00 on 13, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29 November, and 5, 6, 12 and 13 December.

Rama III Bridge: a lane all day, then a full stop

On Rama III Bridge, the leftmost inbound lane is coned off from noon to midnight on 13, 15, 20 and 27 November and 4, 5 and 11 December. The whole bridge then closes in both directions for half an hour: from 21:00 to 21:30 on 13 and 15 November and 5 December, and from 20:30 to 21:00 on 20 and 27 November and 4 and 11 December.

The tightest evenings are 13 and 15 November and 5 December, when the closures run back to back: Memorial Bridge from 20:30, then Rama III from 21:00. That leaves a full hour when neither crossing is open to traffic.

What it means for your evening

The order names only these two bridges, so other crossings stay open, though riverside roads are likely to be busy on show nights. Police have asked drivers not to stop or park on any bridge to watch the fireworks, to follow officers' instructions, and to note that times may change. Traffic information is on 1197.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand runs Vijit Chao Phraya from 13 November to 13 December along the river between Rama III and Rama VIII bridges, with free light shows at 17 riverside locations. Fireworks and drone shows run on selected nights only; MEM's Vijit Chao Phraya 2026 schedule guide sets out which evenings to pick.