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    Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?

    Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...

  • VIDEO: Indian restaurant owner attacked for ‘stealing customers’ in Thailand | Thaiger

    VIDEO: Indian restaurant owner attacked for ‘stealing customers’ in Thailand

    A Thai-born Indian man was attacked on Saturday after opening an Indian restaurant in close proximity to another Indian restaurant in Krabi province in southern Thailand. The victim, Wirent Tiwari, was welcoming customers into his restaurant when he was suddenly attacked by an Indian man. The attacker screamed “I’ll kill you! Then bury you in the ground!” as he slapped,…

  • ‘Buffalo’ Suttipong’s trash-talk tarnishes Phuket’s reputation | Thaiger

    ‘Buffalo’ Suttipong’s trash-talk tarnishes Phuket’s reputation

    The trash-talk of Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Suttipong Juljarern tarnishes Phuket’s reputation, according to the president of the Phuket Lawyers Association. As the highest-ranking civil servant at the Interior Ministry, Suttipong can’t seem to keep his foot out of his mouth or his name out of the headlines. The latest of the senior servant’s woes comes as people in Phuket…

  • Couple injured after their motorcycle collides with sedan | Thaiger

    Couple injured after their motorcycle collides with sedan

    A foreigner and his Thai wife were seriously injured after a white sedan crashed into their motorcycle last night when they made a U-turn at Samerng Intersection in Chiang Mai province. A witness reported the collision to the Hang Dong Police Station at 7pm yesterday, January 4. The accident happened in front of a convenience store at the Samerng Intersection on…

  • The rise of Thailand’s biggest company – Delta Electronics | Thaiger

    The rise of Thailand’s biggest company – Delta Electronics

    Delta Electronics is officially Thailand’s biggest company, its rise sailing ahead of the likes of Airports of Thailand and PTT, with shares at all-time highs. Delta Electronics Plc (DELTA) is one of Thailand’s leading electronics component makers, but few have heard of the new grey rhino in the room. DELTA has gone from strength to strength since its founding in…

  • Man arrested for forcing woman to perform oral sex in mini bus | Thaiger

    Man arrested for forcing woman to perform oral sex in mini bus

    Police arrested a man who forced a woman to perform oral sex on him in a mini bus in the central province of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. The driver of a mini bus immediately filed a complaint with the police after the female victim notified him about the sexual assault when she got out of the vehicle at her destination.…

  • Jump Rope for Heart Fair to raise fund and promote good health | Thaiger

    Jump Rope for Heart Fair to raise fund and promote good health

    Press Release St. Andrews International School, Sathorn is holding their annual Jump Rope for Heart Fair and celebrating 20 years of educating children (Nursery to Year 6) on Saturday, 14th January 2023. The idea of this fair was started by St. Andrews Sathorn, who wanted to promote good health to children, since then, the fair has grown in size, with…

  • Former US funeral home director gets 20 years in slammer for selling dead body parts | Thaiger

    Former US funeral home director gets 20 years in slammer for selling dead body parts

    A former US funeral home director in the state of Colorado has been jailed for 20 years after being found guilty of selling dead body parts. The former director, Megan Hess, 46, pleaded guilty to defrauding relatives of the dead by dissecting 560 corpses and selling them without permission. Hess operated a funeral home named Sunset Mesa in Montrose, Colorado.…

  • Chinese tourist surge may be small, trains may help | Thaiger

    Chinese tourist surge may be small, trains may help

    After a flurry of excitement over the return of Chinese tourists, perhaps tempered a bit by Covid-19 worries amidst a huge outbreak there, industry experts are predicting a smaller surge this Chinese New Year. The Association of Thai Travel Agents says that many large tour groups popular in China have not confirmed trips until the country makes an official announcement…

  • Reckless driver surrenders to police after running over taxi rider | Thaiger

    Reckless driver surrenders to police after running over taxi rider

    A reckless sedan driver fled from the scene of a deliberate crash after smashing into a motorcycle taxi rider and dragging him about five metres on a road in Bangkok. The motorcyclist was injured in the collision but miraculously survived. Another motorcycle rider chased after the negligent motorist but could not catch him. CCTV at the Phasi Charoen Canal Intersection…

  • Thais can apply for a digital ID next week | Thaiger

    Thais can apply for a digital ID next week

    Thai nationals using public services provided by government agencies will be able to apply for a digital ID card next Tuesday, January 10. Deputy government spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul announced the digital ID will apply to agencies under the Internal Affairs Ministry first and then expanded to other government and private agencies, such as commercial banks. The policy will primarily focus…

  • Tourists pump 6 billion baht into Phuket’s economy during new year | Thaiger

    Tourists pump 6 billion baht into Phuket’s economy during new year

    Tourists pumped over 6 billion baht into the economy of Phuket in southern Thailand over the four-day new year holiday, according to the Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Nantasiri Ronasiri. Today, TAT director Nantasiri revealed that between December 30 to January 2, accommodation in Phuket was booked up at 77% of capacity. During these four days and…

  • Police arrest two Russians for begging on the streets of southern Thailand | Thaiger

    Police arrest two Russians for begging on the streets of southern Thailand

    Thai police arrested two Russian men yesterday for begging on the streets of Surat Thani in southern Thailand. The men held signs saying they are fleeing war in Russia. Surat Thani Immigration officers, tourist police officers, and officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security jointly arrested 36 year old Evgenii Malakhov and 32 year old Alexander Kulikov…

  • China threatens retaliation over restrictions on Chinese tourists | Thaiger

    China threatens retaliation over restrictions on Chinese tourists

    China is striking back as governments around the world are making policies for Chinese tourists entering their countries. A massive Covid-19 wave has been surging through the mainland, but January 8 reopening plans are still in place allowing a huge tourism demographic of Chinese tourists to flock to holiday destinations worldwide. But not only that! China is threatening countermeasures against…

  • Thailand prepares measures to prevent influx of Covid-19 cases from China | Thaiger

    Thailand prepares measures to prevent influx of Covid-19 cases from China

    As China prepares to open the floodgates on Sunday, Thai government officials are discussing measures to prevent Covid-19 outbreaks from the upcoming influx of Chinese tourists, given the prevalence of the virus in the People’s Republic of China at present. The virus spread rapidly in China after Beijing dropped three-year-long stringent Covid measures last month. Then, Beijing dropped mandatory quarantine…

  • Phuket focuses on foreigners causing motorbike accidents | Thaiger

    Phuket focuses on foreigners causing motorbike accidents

    As Thailand sees the tail end of the dreaded “Seven Days of Danger” where road accidents and death tend to spike over the new year holiday, officials in Phuket are focusing on the number of accidents involving foreigners on their roads. At this morning’s daily briefing at the Phuket Provincial Hall, officials said that foreigners on holiday renting motorbikes and…

  • 33 million baht budget for Bangkok train station sign smells like corruption | Thaiger

    33 million baht budget for Bangkok train station sign smells like corruption

    Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob smells corruption coming from a 33 million baht budget for a new sign at Bangkok‘s central train station, whose name is changing from “Bang Sue Junction” to “Bangkok Apiwat Central Station.” The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) allegedly signed a contract approving a budget of 33,169,726.39 baht for a new sign to reflect the train station’s…

  • Taxi driver arrested for beating a motorcycle rider with baseball bat | Thaiger

    Taxi driver arrested for beating a motorcycle rider with baseball bat

    Police arrested a taxi driver in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen after he beat a motorcycle rider with a baseball bat and fled the scene. The victim was hit by another car as he lay on the road in the central province of Pathum Thani and remains in hospital. The taxi driver claimed he attacked the victim in self-defence.…

  • Call for Covid boosters before wave of Chinese tourism | Thaiger

    Call for Covid boosters before wave of Chinese tourism

    To prepare for an influx of Chinese tourists, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is encouraging all employees in the tourism sector to get a Covid-19 booster shot. China has experienced a giant wave of infections since it abandoned its zero-Covid policy but the mainland still intends to open its borders to allow citizens to travel abroad next week. Many…

  • Muay Thai fighter laughs off sexual assault in video | Thaiger

    Muay Thai fighter laughs off sexual assault in video

    A well-known Muay Thai fighter joked and showed no remorse after uploading videos of sexually assaulting women at a friend’s birthday party. Thaworn Sudchanham, also known as Wanchalong PK Saenchai, was slammed for his inappropriate behaviour by a British campaigner against gender-based violence, and by many others, after videos emerged of him sexually assaulting women at a party. Thaworn uploaded…

  • Stolen mobile phone returned after crazy journey | Thaiger

    Stolen mobile phone returned after crazy journey

    A lucky tourist got his mobile phone back after leaving it in a taxi in Phuket where the driver threw it away in anger. The incident took place on New Year’s Eve, with police receiving a complaint and filing a report in the wee hours of January 1. A man from Kuwait reported leaving his phone in a minivan taxi…

  • Man arrested for stealing Royal Thai Armed Forces bus | Thaiger

    Man arrested for stealing Royal Thai Armed Forces bus

    Police arrested a man for stealing a Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) bus and driving it to Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi Airports to pick up some imaginary diplomats. Police reported the thief has a criminal history of drugs but did not reveal the result of his drug test. An officer from the Support Services Department under the RTARF filed a complaint…

  • 218 killed and 1,647 injured over 4-day new year holiday | Thaiger

    218 killed and 1,647 injured over 4-day new year holiday

    According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), 218 people were killed and 1,647 were injured in road accidents during the four-day new year holiday from December 29 to January 1. The Director of the DDPM, Boontham Lertsukheekasam, reported yesterday, January 2, that there were 1,664 road accidents across the country during the holiday break, causing 218 deaths and…

  • Man fails to outrun train on motorbike, dies | Thaiger

    Man fails to outrun train on motorbike, dies

    If you’ve ever thought about trying to outrun a train… Don’t. Yesterday in Pattaya, a man thought he could probably make it across the tracks before an oncoming train reached the crossing. He thought he could outrun the train, and he was wrong. The man was killed when Train #5101 en route to the Sattahip district nearby in Chon Buri…

  • Electric vehicles to hit the accelerator this year, says FTI | Thaiger

    Electric vehicles to hit the accelerator this year, says FTI

    The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) predicts a bold future for Thailand’s electric vehicle (EV) industry, unlike the International Monetary Fund which believes the kingdom is heading for a recession. The FTI reckons the EV industry will hit the accelerator this year and sell between 25,000, to 35,000 cars, reports Bangkok Post. But, to achieve that target the EV industry…

  • Thailand’s new fighter jets still on horizon | Thaiger

    Thailand’s new fighter jets still on horizon

    It will be the middle of this year before Thailand’s Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) knows whether or not Washington has approved the sale of F-35A Lightning II fighter jets. RTAF Commander-in-Chief, ACM Alongkorn Wannarot said the air force was still negotiating preparations for the purchase of the jets, but the sale has yet to be approved by Washington. The…

  • Chinese tourists banned from entering Morocco | Thaiger

    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…

  • ‘Calm down, PM!’ – supreme patriarch sparks Prayut rant | Thaiger

    ‘Calm down, PM!’ – supreme patriarch sparks Prayut rant

    Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha is hardly known for keeping his head when all about him are losing theirs. Thailand is quite accustomed to stories of Prayut losing his cool in public, but the PM’s avuncular facade often cracks open, revealing the volatile – let’s say “passionate” – leader beneath. When Prayut went to receive a blessing from supreme patriarch…

  • Thailand makes another travel list: Fodor’s No List | Thaiger

    Thailand makes another travel list: Fodor’s No List

    Thailand boasted recently of its ranking on many travel lists, from being among the least corrupt countries in Asia to ranking one of the best locations for expats, and rating one of the safest countries to visit. The country has made the ranks by having some of the top-rated food and beaches in the world. But Thailand also received a…

  • Local vets unable to save Koh Pha Ngan green sea turtle | Thaiger

    Local vets unable to save Koh Pha Ngan green sea turtle

    The injured green sea turtle washed ashore on Koh Pha Ngan on Friday night died of its injuries, according to the local vets who were unable to save the injured chelonian. Quickly on the scene, a group of conservation volunteers, Phangan Sea Guardians, was alerted by villagers who came across the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) on Chaloklum Beach and rushed…

  • Pattaya reveals ugly side of Sin City: rats, rubbish, & rat-arsed | Thaiger

    Pattaya reveals ugly side of Sin City: rats, rubbish, & rat-arsed

    The morning after the night before in Pattaya reveals the ugly side of the popular party city. “They danced and sang, and the music played in a da boom-boom town” on New Year’s Eve but now the clean-up of Sin City begins. Pattaya woke this morning to garbage strewn all over the pavements and beach areas, witnessed drunks sleeping among…