Guides
Discover the ultimate Thailand Guides from The Thaiger, your one-stop resource for all things Thailand. Immerse yourself in local culture, explore breathtaking nature, indulge in vibrant cuisine, and learn to navigate the country’s lifestyle with ease. Find informative articles to help plan your unforgettable journey to Thailand – from top destinations and hidden gems to visa information and essential tips. Our in-depth guides are expertly crafted and regularly updated to provide you with the latest insights. Experience Thailand like never before with our guides that cater to seasoned travellers and first-timers alike.
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Sponsored Top 10 reasons for expats to get a comprehensive health insurance in Thailand
Moving to Thailand offers plenty of excitement and adventure, but the local healthcare system can be complex to navigate as an expat. From unique health risks to high costs at private hospitals, having a comprehensive health insurance plan is essential....
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The Great Convenience Store Gourmet Challenge l Chef Belinda Tuckwell
The Thaiger caught up with some great local chefs to see what they could put together after 5 minutes in a convenient store with 1,000 baht budget. Not only did they come up with some surprising ideas, they tasted DELICIOUS! Join Tim Newton as he learns more about the chefs, their inspirations and how they ended up in Thailand. Our…
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Global medical tourism in 2020 and the impact of Covid-19
2020 was a tough year for business, unless you’re Amazon or Zoom! But certain industries were hit harder by the impact of Covid-19 than others, with the Tourism Industry taking one of the heaviest blows of them all. Hospitality and airlines are the industries we mostly hear about, with the niche tourism sectors not getting much of a mention. One…
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Starbucks Thailand to make drinking and shopping a “thing”
Thanks to Starbucks, it may now be possible to drink and shop at Bangkok’s Iconsiam mall, as long as the government grants its approval. The US company has introduced its first store in Thailand to offer an alcoholic beverage menu, one that surely will help visitors to the mall relax a bit. The managing director of Starbucks Coffee Thailand, Nednapa…
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Visa extensions in Thailand for stranded tourists, February 2021 | VIDEO
Stranded foreign tourists, either genuinely stuck in Thailand since April 2020, or stuck here by choice, are able to stay in Thailand until May 30. The order from the immigration department empowers local officers to grant a 60 day visa extensions from January 29 up to May 30. The order coincides with the world’s Covid-19 situation getting worse and more…
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Visa Emergency Extension extended to May 30 this year for stranded tourists
Stranded foreign tourists, either genuinely stuck in Thailand since April 2020, or stuck here by choice, are able to stay in Thailand until May 30, according to an order signed by the Immigration Bureau last week. The order empowers local officers to grant a 60 day visa extensions from January 29 up to May 30. The order coincides with the…
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Koh Pha Ngan partygoers and organiser get a fine and suspended sentences
109 partygoers who attended a party at cliff-top bar on Koh Pha Ngan, including 89 foreigners and 22 Thais, have received suspended jail terms and fines for breaking Thailand’s emergency decree and Covid-19 restrictions. A judge sentenced each of the attendees to 1 month in jail, suspended if they have a good behaviour record for a year. He also fined…
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The Koh Pha Ngan party kept rolling at the local police station
Police have arrested 89 foreigners on the Gulf island of Koh Pha Ngan, breaking any number of laws related to the emergency decree about crowds, mask wearing and current restrictions. They raided a party at the ThreeSixtyBar. 22 Thais were also detained in the raid on Tuesday night after the well-publicised event attracted plenty of local party-goers. Koh Pha Ngan is…
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Thai herb studied for alternative Covid-19 treatment
A study on the efficacy of a Thai herb for treating Covid-19 will move forward after a trial which alternative medicine officials say had promising results. Although, the trial was basic and only involved 6 people. Initial results show that the herb “andrographis paniculata,” or “fah talai jone” in Thai, can improve patients’ conditions and relieve symptoms without major side…
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Thailand Retirement and Digital Nomads – Missed visa opportunities | VIDEO
Two visas Thailand should be promoting right now! If there were two more groups, more perfect suited for the Thai lifestyle, I don’t know what they are. Thailand’s immigration laws for long-stays have always been a challenge, retirement is just one of those categories. It would seem like a perfect win win situation to invite people to come and live…
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Make an appointment online for tourist visa extensions – Thai Immigration
For those who need to extend their tourist visa, the Thai Immigration Bureau asks that applicants make an appointment online to reserve their spot in line. The bureau says the online appointments are aimed at preventing the spread of Covid-19 by reducing overcrowding and making sure people abide by social distancing practices. Applicants who need to extend a tourist visa,…
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ASQ + Vaccine in Thailand proposal gets the thumbs down
OPINION A spokesperson from a Thai tourism association came up with the “cunning idea” yesterday to propose a ASQ + Vaccine package to travellers and tourists. So not only do you get your 14 day mandatory quarantine at an expensive hotel in Bangkok, the opportunity to submit copious amounts of paperwork and drill through the red tape. NOW you get…
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Efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines will drop during mass inoculations: Thai virologist
Thai virologist Dr. Yong Poovorawan from Chulalongkorn University, has spoken about claims that the efficacy of every vaccine available today, including Covid-19 vaccines, tend to lower after being used in mass inoculations, compared to the findings from the laboratory during human testing trials. He recommends that people should not rely solely on the vaccines alone because uncertainty will remain during…
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UPDATE: Confusion over Covid-19 tests for visa extensions
UPDATE: Khaosod English removed a story on Covid-19 tests for those seeking visa extensions and replaced it with the article “Immigration backtracks on plan to require Covid-19 test for visa extensions.” They say the previous report sparked uproar among expats and immigration police spokesperson has since apologised for the misunderstanding. Original article… Confusion reigns today over whether Covid-19 tests will…
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Man arrested for allegedly overstaying 60 day tourist visa by 7 years
Immigration police arrested a 40 year old Nigerian man for allegedly overstaying his visa by 2,683 days. The man entered Thailand in April 2014 on a 60 day tourist visa. He was arrested in in Ratchathewi district of Bangkok. Illegal immigration is considered as a major factor of the second wave of Covid-19 after the outbreak Samut Sakhon seafood market…
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Thailand threw a tourism party. No one arrived.
OPINION The Thai Government, flushed with the success of their containment of Covid-19, decided to market the Land of Smiles to the world as the safe place to travel. With the annual wet season starting to weaken the tourists would flock back to the S E Asian country that had such remarkable success containing, then almost eradicating, itself of the…
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A guide to becoming an ex-pat nurse in Thailand
No one has a choice as to where they’re born, or even where they grow up, but once the growing up has taken place, there is plenty of choice – the world is much smaller now than ever before, and moving to a new country to start a career, or carry on an old one, has never been easier. Thailand…
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Can I avoid the 14 day quarantine in Thailand if I’ve been vaccinated?
Now that the Covid-19 vaccines are being rolled out in some countries, the next question relevant to Thailand is… if I’ve had a vaccine for Covid-19, can I come back without doing the 14 (or 15 in some cases) days of quarantine? The Public Health Ministry has issued a statement stating that, in the short to medium term, “everyone entering…
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The race for a vaccine: who to look out for
Background COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2 from the coronavirus (CoV) family. CoVs are enveloped, positive-stranded RNA viruses with nucleocapsid, including the SARS-CoV of 2003 and MERS-CoV of 2012. CoVs generally cause respiratory illnesses that could also affect other organs, and those infected have a 2 – 14 day latency period, where patients are asymptomatic. This has made it much harder…
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Welcome to 2021 – Digital Covid Passports | VIDEO
Documentation, including your current Covid status and vaccination details, will become 2021’s biggest challenge as governments, businesses, and the travel industry try and re-establish some sort of workable way forward. Several companies and technology groups are developing smartphone apps or systems for individuals to upload details of their Covid-19 tests and vaccinations, creating digital credentials that could be shown in…
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Thailand extends short-stay visas by 15 days to allow for quarantine period
A proposal to extend short-stay visas by 15 days, to make up for time spent in quarantine, has been approved by the Thai Cabinet. The proposal was originally put forward by the Interior Ministry, who pointed out that foreigners entering the Kingdom on 30-day visas or visa exemptions, would lose 14 days as a result of mandatory quarantine. The 30-day…
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Golf ASQ facilities to be announced next week – green alternatives to mandatory quarantine
Now golfers will be able to come to Thailand, and presumably non-golfers, if they want to wander around large patches of manicured lawn during their 14 days of mandatory quarantine instead of the confines of a hotel room. The golf quarantine alternative could be used in conjunction with any of the visas allowing travellers back into Thailand at the moment,…
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New Smart Visa rules in the works for digital nomads in Thailand
Digital nomads in Thailand might soon be able to apply for the Smart Visa, allowing an up to 4 years stay without a work permit. The Board of Investment, or BOI, is proposing changes to the visa requirements to allow foreign freelancers to apply for the Smart Visa. The rules have already been approved by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation…
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Property developers eye Elite Card residence scheme, amid interest from nationals of China, Hong Kong, Germany
Around 20 development companies have shown interest in an Elite Visa scheme that offers residency to foreign investors. Of those, Sansiri, Nusasiri, Four Seasons, and Raimon Land have confirmed they will join the programme that offers 5-year residency to foreign nationals who invest 10 million baht in condos. Thai media reports also indicate increasing interest in the scheme from nationals…
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Want to come to Thailand? Special Tourist Visa open to visitors “around the world”
Visitors around the world can now apply for the new Special Tourist Visa. The visa was initially only open to people from countries considered at “low” and “medium risk” of spreading Covid-19. The visa allows a 90 day stay which can be extended twice, adding up to around 9 months. The visa costs 2,000 baht and 2,000 baht per extension.…
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45 day tourist visa exemption proposal to be presented to Cabinet
After the prime minister told officials to hurry up and relax restrictions for foreigners entering Thailand, the recent proposal to extend the on-arrival visa exemption for tourists from 30 to 45 days is quickly moving forward and will be presented to the Cabinet. The 15 days added on to the visa exemption is intended to make up for the 2…
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Kiss the high season goodbye – Thailand’s long wait continues
Just as last year’s high season was wrapping up, the Covid-19 pandemic became real and much of the world closed borders back in March. Thailand hoteliers, tour operators and airlines had to endure a very quiet low season, obviously a lot lower than usual. But with the next high season upon us the prospects of a sudden surge of tourists…
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On-arrival tourist visa might be extended to allow 45 day stays
Thailand’s on-arrival tourist visa might be extended from 30 days to 45 days to lure more visitors. The extra 15 days added on would make up for the mandatory 2 week quarantine required for those entering the country. National Security Council secretary general Nathapol Nakpanit, who leads a business easing committee, says the committee members plan to propose the idea…
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310 days – stuck in the UK to coming home for Christmas in Thailand
A personal story, with twists and turns, red tape and ASQ, from Peter. “I did not think you could hear silence? This once busy place I had seen a score or more times before was like a ghost town. But as I neared Immigration long lines of chairs sided the moving walkways all distanced apart and soon there was a…
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Thai government keeps the borders locked down despite industry demands to re-open
Despite progress in vaccines and the hard lobbying from Thailand’s tourism and hospitality industries, the Kingdom is destined to miss out on the 2019/2021 high season. The Thai Minster for Sports and Tourism, Pipat Ratchakitprakan, says that the government is looking to March/April in 2021 as the earliest date for any return to general tourism. For now travellers still have…
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Government to raise 5-year Elite visa fee by 20%, as foreigners flee Covid countries
As more foreigners opt for one of Thailand’s “elite” visas, allowing stays of between 5 and 20 years, and costing anything from 500,000 baht to 2 million, the most popular version is in for a price hike. The cost of the 5-year “Easy Access” visa will go up by 20% from January, to 600,000 baht. It’s understood there were a…
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