Expats
Thailand expat news, visas, work permits, property, and healthcare—stay informed with essential updates and insights for foreign residents. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for expat news in Thailand.
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Sponsored Where to travel in Thailand in July [2025]
This month, I want to invite you to wander through art spaces, misty hills, and garden paths, where the only thing on the itinerary is to linger. Let’s take a slower route, one for the dreamers, the journal keepers, and...
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Thailand’s taxi troubles: Tourists slam overpriced rides and shoddy service
Thailand‘s taxi services have received a poor rating in a recent survey conducted by the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), with foreign tourists slamming the country’s taxis for overpriced fares and shoddy service. The survey, which was conducted on 200 foreign tourists during the final quarter of 2022, showed a rating of just 3.5 out of 5 for taxi services…
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Is kaeng som the worst dish in Thailand?
Is an innocent soup, kaeng som, really the worst dish in Thailand? Thai foodies have, once again, taken the bait set for them by another bizarre “Best of” listicle generated by the unsupervised children working at Taste Atlas. This week’s deliberately insulting clickbait is a listicle called 100 Worst-Rated Dishes in the World, and the chosen dish of despair for…
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Appeal of Petr Donatek heard in Paris
The appeal of Petr Donatek, a 46-year-old Czech man accused of hiring thugs to attack Thai refugees in Paris, has finally opened and closed. In his testimony, Donatek pleaded that he did not plan the attack. He was convicted in absentia for having hired two Czechs – Jakub Hosek and Daniel Vokal – to attack Thai trans activist Aum Neko…
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French ‘mafia’ boss extorts money from foreigners in Pattaya, claims ties with Big Joke
Police arrested a wanted French ‘mafia’ boss in Bangkok on Tuesday after a group of farangs in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, claimed he extorted money from them in exchange for police protection. The fraudster claimed to have ties with “Big Joke.” Yesterday, high-profile police officer Pol. Lt. Gen. Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn revealed that police arrested 58 year old Herve Christian…
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Thai supremo cancels Leicester City’s 7.8 billion baht debt
Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha revealed his long-standing commitment to Leicester City Football Club by cancelling the club’s enormous debt. Aiyawatt, the Leicester chairman, yesterday announced he has cleared the £194 million (7.8 billion baht) debt the Foxes owe to its parent company King Power International (KPI). This was accomplished through a debt-to-equity transfer to KPI, freeing Leicester from its outstanding liabilities. The…
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Crazy Russian bites off British woman’s finger in Ko Pha Ngan bean bag row
A leisurely stroll on a Thai beach with two friends and a dog bizarrely evolved into a scene from a horror movie after a crazy Russian woman went berserk, chomped on a British woman’s finger and spat it out. The British woman was walking her dog with a German friend on a beach on Ko Pha Ngan Island when they…
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Koh Samui booms as over 200,000 tourists visit the popular island in January
The picturesque island of Koh Samui in Surat Thani province, Thailand, has seen a remarkable turnaround to its economy in the first month of 2023 with over 200,000 tourists visiting in January alone. After a year of uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the arrival of over 200,000 tourists has been a welcome sight for the island’s local economy. The…
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Birmingham to Bangkok: British poker player wins big and moves to Thailand
A Brummie lad won £3.6 million (145.5 million baht) playing online poker and is now “having the time of his life” in Thailand. An Englishman, 31 year old Richard Sheils, swapped Birmingham for Bangkok after becoming a professional poker player from his bedroom. Now, Sheils is living a life of partying and trips to the beach. Sheils revealed that he…
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Guards: it wasn’t us who attacked the Indian “tourist”
New information about an Indian tourist who was allegedly attacked by club guards on Pattaya Walking Street yesterday calls into question what really happened. The nightclub guards who were accused of the assault met with Pattaya Police to provide their side of the story. According to the guards, the victim was not a tourist, but an ex-pat and former club…
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Harley-Davidson celebrates 120th birthday with new bikes
Iconic US motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson plans to enjoy the ride and celebrate its 120-year birthday in style with a range of new motorbikes for 2023. The Milwaukee-based luxury motorcycle manufacturer is celebrating its 120th anniversary by releasing six limited-edition bikes, including the CVO Road Glide Limited Anniversary, which features exclusive commemorative paint, finishes, and details. The company also announced updates…
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British Bentley plugs into Thailand’s luxury car market with record sales
British elite motor vehicle maker Bentley plugged into Thailand’s luxury car market last year and recorded record sales. Most orders (81) placed in the Land of Smiles were for hybrid vehicles. The Flying Spur Hybrid was the most sought-after model, making up 49% of orders in Thailand with 40 cars sold. The Bentayga Hybrid followed closely behind with 35 orders and…
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Belgian man turns to garbage collecting to be with Thai boyfriend
A Belgian man spotted collecting garbage on the roadside in Sara Buri province in central Thailand told reporters he is trying to make money so he can stay with and support his Thai boyfriend. Yesterday, reporters happened to come across a 61 year old man, of Belgian nationality, collecting bottles and leaves on the side of the Asian Highway, reports…
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Walk-in driving license services now available in Thailand
Obtaining a new driving license or renewing an old one just got easier in Thailand. Walk-in services are now available at transport offices nationwide without the need to book an appointment, according to the Department of Land Transport (DLT). Anyone wanting to renew their Thai driving license can obtain an ‘eLearning’ theoretical training certificate through the DLT’s website, which also…
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Rescue team ends search for Romanian diver missing off Phuket
A rescue team ended its search for a Romanian diver who went missing at sea off Phuket on January 8. The diver, 46 year old Sebastian Emil Somesan, went missing off the coast of Promthep Cape. Yesterday, Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos announced that the search was wrapping up. This was after rescuers worked intensely for nine days to find Somesan,…
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Warning Thai people: Don’t be a nominee for foreign business
The Director-General of the Business Development Department in Thailand announced that Thai citizens who allow their names to be used by foreigners to open businesses that are reserved for Thai nationals may face penalties. The punishment can include hefty fines starting at 100,000 baht and climbing as high as 1 million baht. Violators could also face imprisonment for up to…
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Bossware is coming to Thailand: Digital nomads, beware
Bossware is coming to Thailand to ruin the digital nomad lifestyle. The kingdom’s attempts to introduce digital nomad visas have been widely mocked and dismissed, but Thailand remains a big draw for digital nomads, even if they can only stay for a couple of months. Digital nomads looking for a more laid-back, less expensive option love Thailand. It offers a…
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Govt to introduce 300 baht tourist fee in June
The government announced plans to introduce its long-mooted 300 baht tourist fee for foreign visitors in June. The tourism fee was originally planned to be imposed on foreign travellers at the beginning of last year but the idea was put on hold after the spread of the Covid-19 Omicron variant and details of how the government planned to collect the…
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Tips for riding motorcycle in Thailand
PLEASE NOTE: We’re not recommending that you should ride a motorbike or motorcycle in Thailand but, if you do, these tips will help… Riding a motorbike in Thailand is a great way to get around, especially in heavy traffic where it’s often the quickest option. While some may warn against it, those who avoid hopping on a 110cc scooter miss out on…
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Two Thailand population reports reveal conflicting data
Statistics provided by the Central Domicile Registration Office revealed that on December 31, 2022, Thailand’s official population stands at 66,090,475. The Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data contradicts this however, saying it is over 70 million residents. Last year, an announcement formally published in the Royal Gazette stated that the official population of Thailand as of December 31,…
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Man bites dog: Dog-eating Thai man gets three months
A dog-eating Thai man has been sent to prison for three months for killing, cooking and eating his pet dogs, according to the Soi Dog Foundation. The charity said on Facebook yesterday that concern was raised by Soi Dog mobile clinic staff who encountered a puppy in the Chalerm Prakiat district of Nakhon Si Thammarat with a deep laceration to…
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Island redemption: Stray human saves himself through stray dogs
A stray Northern Irish entrepreneur is now looking after stray dogs in Koh Samui, but only after nearly drinking himself to death. Niall Harbison founded successful Irish social media companies Simply Zesty and Lovin Dublin before selling them for seven-figure sums, according to Belfast Live. Niall moved to Brussels at an early age where his father was a diplomat and…
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Prince Harry’s admiration for Jeremy Corbyn vilified by British establishment
The vilification of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle by the British tabloids continues to gather pace on the back of a new book written by the Duke of Sussex with the revelation that he backed former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Led by the Daily Mail, which has a particular axe to grind after the High Court in…
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US Mega Millions jackpot close to US$1 billion
As the Mega Millions jackpot closes in on US$1 billion, with an estimated US$940 million in its next draw, after another draw without a grand prize winner. The lack of a winner of an estimated US$785 million (27 billion baht) jackpot Tuesday means there have been 23 straight draws without a winner. The new jackpot is the sixth-largest in US…
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Flights between Shanghai and Phuket, Guangzhou and Chiang Mai resume
Flights between Shanghai and Phuket, and Guangzhou and Chiang Mai, will resume this month says Shanghai-based Spring Airlines. The budget airline also revealed that flights from Shanghai to Hong Kong, and Taipei, will also be relaunched in January while the resumption of flights between the metropolis and Singapore is being considered. Another Shangai-based airline, Juneyao Air, announced late last month…
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Chinese tourists banned from entering Morocco
Thailand may have stretched out its welcoming arms to China but the same can’t be said of other countries, especially Morocco which has banned all mainland tourists from entering the African country. Thailand Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn on Saturday was quoted as saying that his ministry was “very pleased to learn that China will implement new border control…
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Indian passengers to be charged over air rage incident on Bangkok-Kolkata flight
Police in India reported that two of the men involved in the air rage incident on a flight from Bangkok to Kolkata will be charged. Bidhannagar City Police, in Kolkata, drew up a First Information Report and slapped an Indian Penal Code charge on the men of assault, wrongful restraint, and criminal intimidation, after a complaint by the Bureau of…
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Andrew Tate spat with Greta Thunberg leads to his arrest in Bucharest
A spat with Greta Thunberg last night led to the arrest of controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate as part of an investigation into alleged human trafficking in Romania. The former British-American kickboxer and his brother, Tristian, were detained in Bucharest where they will be held for questioning for up to 24 hours. Romanian television last night showed the 36…
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Scottish man fights for his life in Thai hospital
A Scottish man is fighting for his life in a Thai hospital after a virus triggered a respiratory disease and rendered him unconscious while on holiday. Robert Kessell flew to Thailand on November 24 for a three-week holiday but was struck by illness on Thursday, December 8. The 66 year old, from Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, was rushed to Pattaya…
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Tasteless Thai food humbled by American culinary excellence
Thai food was humbled by American when TasteAtlas announced their top 50 best cuisines from around the world, and almost everyone was offended. While some obvious countries made it into the top spots, not everyone agreed with the breakdown. Taking the top three spots were Italy, Greece and Spain, who were joined by the likes of Japan, India, Mexico and…
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Best Christmas Movies, Ever!
The Thaiger is following up on the success of its Best Christmas Singles, Ever! This time the team selected its favourite Christmas movies. With so many films to choose from many readers may disagree with our choices and be disappointed to discover that their favourite Xmas flick is missing from the list. But it’s always a great topic to debate…
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