Expats

Stay updated on the latest expat news and insights in Thailand with The Thaiger. Our all-inclusive coverage brings you vital information on residency, visas, work permits, property, healthcare, and other expat-related issues. Adapt to the Land of Smiles seamlessly with our advice, guiding you through various aspects of life as a foreign resident in this enthralling country.

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    Why is Bangkok's air quality so bad?

    Imagine waking up early in Bangkok and you see all the beautiful morning fog from your balcony, but as you sip your coffee you realise it's just Bangkok's air pollution that's making the sun rise aesthetic. Ranked as the 36th...

  • Expats want to leave Hong Kong- but that’s an expensive thing to do | Thaiger

    Expats want to leave Hong Kong- but that’s an expensive thing to do

    After two years of Covid-19 restrictions and political crackdowns in Hong Kong, expats there want to leave. But doing that costs a lot of money in shipping, and pet relocations. It’s not just finances that keep Hong Kong Expats from moving. People who move often have to wait months after shipping their belongings to actually receive them. Hong Kong has…

  • Travel Guide: Top places to retire in Asia 2022 | Thaiger

    Travel Guide: Top places to retire in Asia 2022

    Retiring in Asia is a dream for many, with fond memories of short or longer travel to some of the humid and exotic countries in the region. All that exquisite cuisine, diverse sceneries, fascinating histories, intriguing temples, tropical adventures, colourful nightlife, and markets and malls for shopping. Lots of shopping. So it’s easy to become enamoured with all things “Asia.”…

  • Thailand, post Covid. What needs to change? | Thaiger

    Thailand, post Covid. What needs to change?

    OPINION As Thailand starts to peer out from behind the Covid curtain, many expats and potential travellers are wondering if much will change after 2 years of lockdowns, closures re-openings and re-entry ‘plans’. Will we see changes in visas, property ownership, entry requirements and business laws? One of our YouTube commenters wrote in with his current ‘wish list’ (below). As…

  • Pattaya shop reports old foreign man dies during massage | Thaiger

    Pattaya shop reports old foreign man dies during massage

    While receiving a massage at a shop in the Pattaya area, an older foreign man died midway through. The incident took place yesterday in Bang Lamung at a massage shop in the late afternoon, and emergency responders were notified of an unidentified foreigner, believed to be an expat around the age of 70, who had passed away in the middle…

  • Popular “sexpat” blogger Stickboy leaves Thailand over dead nightlife, restrictions | Thaiger

    Popular “sexpat” blogger Stickboy leaves Thailand over dead nightlife, restrictions

    The popular redlight district blogger (and “sexpat”) Stickboy has left Thailand, apparently due to the lack of nightlife over the past two years. Stickboy, whose real name is Mike McKay, has been a long time expat in Thailand. He calls himself a “party animal with hollow legs” and is known for his posts of busty women mixed in with general…

  • Applicants for Thai citizenship must pass new Thai language test | Thaiger

    Applicants for Thai citizenship must pass new Thai language test

    The Thai government has introduced new regulations that require those who apply for Thai citizenship to pass a new Thai language test. According to a Bangkok Post report, government representative Rachada Dhnadirek says the fees for citizenship have also doubled. Up until now, Thai citizenship was based on regulations in place since 1967, which required applicants to speak and understand…

  • Family pleas for help repatriating British man who died in Thailand | Thaiger

    Family pleas for help repatriating British man who died in Thailand

    After a 44 year old British man died suddenly shortly after arriving in Thailand, his devastated family is trying to raise cash to pay his hospital bills and bring him home. Daniel Skipper came to Thailand with friends from his home town of Walton-le-Dale and Bamber Bridge in Lancashire, England and only a few days later he suffered a heart…

  • Bangkok is 4th best place to live in Southeast Asia, according to expat survey | Thaiger

    Bangkok is 4th best place to live in Southeast Asia, according to expat survey

    Bangkok has come in at number 4 in a survey ranking the best places to live in Southeast Asia. And the Thai capital has come in at number 11 out of 57 cities in the global rankings. This is a big jump on last year’s result, when it was ranked at number 30 out of 66 cities. According to a…

  • Bangkok ranked 68th of 80 best global cities for remote workers | Thaiger

    Bangkok ranked 68th of 80 best global cities for remote workers

    In a study that assesses liveability, living costs, infrastructure, and employment compliance, Bangkok was ranked 68th out of 80 cities around the world for remote working. The study was conducted by WorkMotion, an HR platform that helps match businesses with remote workers worldwide. Bangkok suffered low ratings in several key areas for remote work. They ranked 70th on housing access,…

  • Thailand requires 3 million baht insurance for ‘retirement’ visas | Thaiger

    Thailand requires 3 million baht insurance for ‘retirement’ visas

    In a revision to the rules for non-immigrant OA visas, foreigners will now be required to hold a minimum of 3 million baht in health insurance, for in-patient services, in order to be eligible for long-term stays in Thailand, 8 times more than the 400,000 baht that has been previously required. The OA visa is also known as the Retirement…

  • Nearly 70,000 foreigners register for vaccines on expatvac site | Thaiger

    Nearly 70,000 foreigners register for vaccines on expatvac site

    According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, almost 70,000 expat and foreign residents have signed up for Covid-19 vaccines using the expatvac website. The website was created by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, along with the Ministry of Public Health, and open to the public on August 1. The website was set up to help all the expats and foreigners that…

  • Court rules for Health Ministry, calls dual pricing beneficial | Thaiger

    Court rules for Health Ministry, calls dual pricing beneficial

    In a closely-followed court case, the Administrative Court in Phetchaburi ruled that multi-tiered “dual pricing” in Thai hospitals are not discriminatory as they benefit Thailand, according to the media outlet Coconuts Bangkok. Ewrin Buse, who sued the Ministry of Public Health after discovering he was being charged more for his cancer treatment as a foreigner, vowed to appeal the decision.…

  • Vaccine update: Pfizer available to American veterans, foreigners in Pattaya | Thaiger

    Vaccine update: Pfizer available to American veterans, foreigners in Pattaya

    The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine is now available to American veterans living in Thailand as well as foreign residents in Pattaya who are in the “at risk” groups, according to Democrats Abroad Thailand. The vaccine doses were donated to Thailand from the United States. Two doses of the vaccine are free under the Thai government’s mass immunisation campaign. Bangkok Hospital Pattaya…

  • 5.7% of foreign residents in Thailand have received a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine | Thaiger

    5.7% of foreign residents in Thailand have received a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine

    Around 5.7% of foreign residents in Thailand have been injected with at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine from March 12 to July 30, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Out of the 280,075 foreign residents vaccinated, only 74,587 of them have received both doses of the vaccine. Only 20,903 foreign residents ages 60 and above, a…

  • Vaccination registration open for foreign residents over 60 in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Vaccination registration open for foreign residents over 60 in Bangkok

    Vaccination registration for foreign residents aged 60+ only (born in or before 1961) residing in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces… Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon. Here’s the link… https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSf…/viewform SOURCE: NBT

  • Foreigners over 75 can get a vaccine at Bang Sue Bangkok | Thaiger

    Foreigners over 75 can get a vaccine at Bang Sue Bangkok

    Foreigners of a certain age got some good news today as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that expats over 75 years old living in Thailand are now eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine in Bangkok. The announcement made this evening goes into effect tomorrow when Bang Sue Central Station will begin to accept qualified foreigners living in Thailand for…

  • US is “unable” to provide Covid-19 vaccines to Americans who live overseas | Thaiger

    US is “unable” to provide Covid-19 vaccines to Americans who live overseas

    The United States Department of State is “unable” to provide Covid-19 vaccines to Americans who are currently overseas as the US government’s global vaccine effort focuses on distributing millions of vaccines to countries seriously impacted by the pandemic, the Embassy of the US in Thailand Charge d’Affaires Michael Heath wrote in a statement addressed to Americans in Thailand. The US…

  • Embassy of France in Thailand starts vaccine campaign for French nationals ages 55+ | Thaiger

    Embassy of France in Thailand starts vaccine campaign for French nationals ages 55+

    French nationals living in Thailand, who are 55 and older, can now register for a Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine. The Embassy of France in Thailand has organised a vaccination campaign for French nationals, providing the single-dose Covid-19 vaccine for free. The costs are subsidised by the French government. The campaign starts today and will end next month. Inoculations will…

  • Proposed start date now July 15 for “Samui Plus” reopening | Thaiger

    Proposed start date now July 15 for “Samui Plus” reopening

    The proposed reopening date for the “Samui Plus” travel scheme is now July 15. Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, islands in the Gulf of Thailand off the Surat Thani coast, are planned to reopen to travellers from overseas who are vaccinated against Covid-19. Initially called the “Samui Sealed Route,” the proposed travel scheme will allow those who are…

  • List: China has over 50% of all foreign-owned condos in Thailand | Thaiger

    List: China has over 50% of all foreign-owned condos in Thailand

    A list was recently released to the media regarding condo ownership in Thailand and from what countries condo owners originated. Foreigners have purchased approximately 1.4 million condominiums throughout the country. Of those, the top 10 list showed that over half of all foreign-owned condos in Thailand hail from China. Nearly 730,000 condominiums throughout Thailand are owned by Chinese nationals, just…

  • Thailand proposes digital nomad visa among others to benefit expats, economy | Thaiger

    Thailand proposes digital nomad visa among others to benefit expats, economy

    Thailand has always been a favourite of long-term travellers, and staying longer in the country may be getting easier. As the country was recently voted the best in which to live for digital nomads, allowing such workers to stay may be the key to boosting the economy. With pristine beaches, cheap living costs, and modern cafes with some of the…

  • Mass vaccination campaign starts today, first phase includes foreigners in “at risk” groups | Thaiger

    Mass vaccination campaign starts today, first phase includes foreigners in “at risk” groups

    “All foreign nationals on Thai soil are included in the national vaccination programme.” Thailand’s nationwide mass Covid-19 vaccination campaign officially started today. For foreigners living in Thailand, those who are 60 years old and above as well as those with certain underlying health conditions, will be given priority during this phase of vaccinations. In Phuket and Koh Samui, tourist destinations…

  • TAT proposes eased restrictions and 10 year visa to key groups | Thaiger

    TAT proposes eased restrictions and 10 year visa to key groups

    Key word – PROPOSAL. Perhaps tired of piecemeal baby steps to attract tourists while missing the bigger picture, The Tourism Authority of Thailand proposed a sweeping plan to give 4 target groups easy access to live, work and prosper in Thailand for a decade at a time. The radical proposal was presented to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha in a video conference…

  • Vaccination of foreigners kicks off next week | Thaiger

    Vaccination of foreigners kicks off next week

    It’s the moment you’ve all – okay, many of you – have been waiting for. The Thai government says that from Monday, foreigners living in the Kingdom who have registered for Covid-19 inoculation, will start to receive the vaccine. It’s been a long road of anxiety, confusion, and chaos to get to this point and there are probably many who…

  • Survey ranks Taiwan as top country for expats in 2021 | Thaiger

    Survey ranks Taiwan as top country for expats in 2021

    Spoiler alert: Thailand isn’t in either the top 10 or the bottom 10 lists. A survey of 12,420 expats ranked Taiwan the best place to live and work abroad in 2021, the 3rd year in a row the country won the top spot. InterNations, a 4-million member expat community based in Germany, conducted the survey that ranked different aspects of…

  • Thai PM puts a halts to walk-in vaccine registrations | Thaiger

    Thai PM puts a halts to walk-in vaccine registrations

    Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is putting a halt on walk-in services for vaccines, causing worry among foreigners as to when they will be able to receive a Covid-19 vaccine. The news has confused those who were following the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s announcements that stated foreign residents will be able to take part in the government’s mass vaccination program. But…

  • Australian arrested in southern Thailand on suspicion of international criminal activity | Thaiger

    Australian arrested in southern Thailand on suspicion of international criminal activity

    Officers from the Royal Thai Armed Forces have arrested an Australian national in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat on suspicion of international criminal activity. 47 year old Samuel James Norton Cook was arrested when his Toyota car was stopped in the Nai Muang sub-district on Monday night. Security force officers cooperating with immigration officials and the local police…

  • Phuket police search for foreigners who were seen drinking beer at a restaurant | Thaiger

    Phuket police search for foreigners who were seen drinking beer at a restaurant

    Phuket officials are serious about disease control orders banning parties and gatherings with friends, especially when alcohol is involved. They’re so serious, that apparently they’re searching for 4 foreigners who were seen drinking beers at a restuarant in Rawai. Police raided the restaurant yesterday at a complaint from a woman who works for the local district office. She was out…

  • Pineapple defamation case finally dismissed for activist Andy Hall | Thaiger

    Pineapple defamation case finally dismissed for activist Andy Hall

    After fighting multiple defamation charges for nearly 10 years, British activist Andy Hall has been finally cleared of the last pending charge. Hall had lived for 12 years in Thailand before leaving in 2016 after fighting charges brought by the pineapple company Natural Fruit in Prachuap Khiri Khan when he had reported on their poor work conditions. In 2012, Hall…

  • Can foreigners get vaccines in Thailand? | VIDEO | Thaiger

    Can foreigners get vaccines in Thailand? | VIDEO

    There is a lot of confusion about the vaccination of foreigners in Thailand. Tim Newton tries to paint the current picture for you. Thailand reaching a 70% level of vaccination, I think is more wishful thinking than anything else. Even in the US it appears very unlikely they will be able to reach the 70% immunisation level. In some states…