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.
-
Sponsored 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?...
-
Surviving a sinister husband and a Thai cliff fall: A Chinese woman’s incredible resilience
A Chinese woman is finally on her feet and on the road to recovery after the trauma of being pushed off a cliff in Thailand in 2019 by a sinister ex-con husband only interested in her wealth. Wang Nan spent the past four years of her life trying to survive her life-threatening ordeal and rebuilding and rehabilitating her life after…
-
Speeding concerns rise in Pattaya following motorcycle accident on Beach Road
Concerns about speeding vehicles on Beach Road in Pattaya have been raised once again following an accident involving a motorcyclist over the weekend. The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning when the motorcyclist collided with a parked taxi, resulting in severe injuries. The injured motorcyclist, identified as Tatchaphonsit Jirasatirakul, was promptly transported to a nearby hospital for…
-
Swedish man arrested for alleged sexual assault on Bangkok-Mumbai flight claims mental health issues
The lawyer of a Swedish man arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a member of the cabin crew on a Bangkok to Mumbai flight claims he has mental health problems and did not mean to touch the woman. Klas Erik Harald Jonas Westberg reportedly molested a stewardess on IndiGo flight 6E-1052 from Thailand to India on Thursday, the Indian Express reported.…
-
British expat dies from allergic reaction to bee sting in Phuket
A 69 year old British man died from a severe allergic reaction to a single bee sting yesterday in Phuket, southern Thailand, reports KhaoSod. Volunteers from Rawai Rescue Unit rushed to a house in Soi Kit Prasarn 1 in Rawai district after they were informed that a foreigner was in critical condition after being stung by a bee. Upon arrival,…
-
Police close nightclub after raid on Pattaya Walking Street
Pattaya Police will recommend the closure of a popular nightclub to the provincial governor after the venue’s repeated license violations on the district’s notorious Walking Street. Flexx Club on Walking Street in tambon Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district, was raided by police in the early hours of this morning for violating legal operating hours. The raid, led by Pattaya Police…
-
Managing blacktip reef sharks in Maya Bay, Thailand
The National Parks Department of Thailand aims to enhance the management of the country’s popular tourist conservation areas following the return of blacktip reef sharks to Maya Bay. Maya Bay was closed for four years, from 2018 to 2022, to facilitate the recovery of the island’s wildlife. The bay’s popularity surged after the release of the 2000 movie The Beach,…
-
Following Chinese ransom case, Big Joke says Pattaya expats will be closely scrutinised
Assistant Commissioner of Police Surachate Hakparn, also known as “Big Joke,” says that expats in Pattaya will be scrutinised closely as part of Operation X-Ray. This news follows the recent case in which a Chinese woman was abducted in Pattaya as she went to get her child from school, and gangsters demanded 1 million yuan (4.7 million baht) in ransom.…
-
Loutish foreigner arrested for running amok in Pattaya restaurant
Another loutish foreigner did himself proud by running amok in a Pattaya restaurant in the early hours of this morning. One Thai eyewitness alleges that the half-naked man from the waist up was either under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Police were called and arrested the unruly man after he refused to calm down at an unnamed Isaan restaurant…
-
Low reserves of Rh negative blood raise concerns for foreigners in Thailand
Low reserves of Rh negative blood are raising concerns for foreigners in Thailand. While only 0.3% of the Thai population has Rh negative blood, around 15% of the UK and European population has the blood type. This shortage has resulted in concerning shortages of Rh negative blood in blood banks across Southeast Asia. Visitors to the region who have had…
-
Be like James Bond, drive the latest Aston Martin for only 25 million baht (video)
Aston Martin is acknowledged as an iconic global brand synonymous with style, luxury, performance, exclusivity and James Bond, and if you have a few bob to spare then the latest model is yours for about 25 million baht. The latest Aston Martin, the DBX707, not only fuses the latest technology, time-honoured craftsmanship and graceful styling, but it is also the world’s…
-
LTR visa lures just 2,920 applicants in four months
Despite claims of being able to lure one million expats in five years – which averages to 200,000 a year, or just under 17,000 per month – the actual figures in the first few months have fallen flat. Thailand’s new long-term resident (LTR) visa has attracted almost 3,000 foreign applicants in the four months since its introduction, according to a…
-
Thailand tourism industry hails success of We Travel Together scheme
The Tourism Authority of Thailand hailed the success of its We Travel Together scheme after holidaymakers rushed to book hotels during the latest phase of the programme. Within just six hours of the hotel subsidy programme’s availability, a remarkable 112,876 room nights were reserved out of the 560,000 available, demonstrating a high level of demand. According to Tourism Authority of…
-
US tourist takes legal action against slap happy Bangkok security guard (video)
The US tourist slapped by a security guard in a Bangkok nightclub says he still loves Thailand despite the assault but added he will be taking legal action against two guards. The tourist, Rodric Carkhuff, was slapped and handcuffed by a security guard last month outside The Club Khaosan nightclub on Khao San Road after the 34 year old took…
-
Thailand’s Phetchaburi immigration office to move next month
Thailand’s Phetchaburi Immigration office is set to move to a new location next month. The office will move from its current location in Tha Yang to a new office in Cha-am, with the opening date scheduled for March 20, 2023. The new location will be situated in Khao Yai sub-district, near Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park, and is expected to offer…
-
‘My husband keeps disappearing to Thailand’ – and I don’t know why
It sounds like a bad dream. But for one woman it is the very sad reality of her marriage. The New York Post reported how a 70 year old woman shared on UK television that after 50 years of marriage, her husband keeps disappearing to Thailand and spending “hundreds of pounds there monthly.” Speaking on a segment called the “Dear…
-
Thailand’s sex industry was created for foreigners, right? Wrong! (video)
Thailand’s sex industry was created exclusively for foreign tourists, right? Wrong! It is a myth Thailand’s sex industry was exclusively made for tourists. It was set up for Thai people. There are hundreds of “Love Motels” spread across the country, and it’s not foreigners who commonly go there. There’s even a term for a casual sex partner, “Gik,” which is…
-
Mosquito bite in Thailand causes Dutchman to lose both legs
A Dutchman living in Nakhon Rathasima in Thailand is on a mission to spread awareness about “flesh-eating bacteria” (necrotising fasciitis) after a mosquito bite led to the amputation of his left leg and lower right leg. Long-term expat, 62 year old Ed Olieslagers from the Netherlands, went to the hospital in April last year after a mosquito bite became inflamed and…
-
Don’t wank during video calls, warns police
A day after Royal Thai Police warned women to be wary of “sextortion” on Valentine’s Day, men have been told not to wank during video calls. Police reckon it could lead men open to blackmail by fraudsters using fake profile photos of attractive women. Pol Col Siriwat Deephor, deputy chief of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), reported that dozens…
-
Small hotels recover in Thailand as foreigners move downmarket
As small hotels recover in Thailand, returning tourists are choosing different options from pre-pandemic staples. A study of small hotels and hostels found booking growth is now higher than before the pandemic, with bookings from overseas tourists exceeding those of local travellers. As small hotels recover in Thailand, bookings are up by a quarter from the pre-Covid levels, according to…
-
Russian arrested acting illegally as tour guide
In Thailand, many jobs are earmarked as being only for Thai people. Even if a foreigner or expat had a business visa and a work permit, they are barred from certain fields. But in Phuket this week, a Russian man was arrested working as a tour guide which is forbidden for foreigners without any visas or permits. Pavel Maslennikov, a…
-
Khaosan Road businesses told to cut noise pollution, or else!
Businesses in the backpacker haven of Khaosan Road have been warned to cut noise pollution otherwise, they will suffer legal consequences, due to complaints received from nearby residents. City Hall says businesses have 15 days to get their houses in order and regulate noise levels, or else! After a gathering that brought together 30 members of the Khaosan Road Business…
-
South American giants unite for joint bid to host 2030 FIFA World Cup
Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay plan to make history as they come together to submit a joint bid to host the highly-anticipated 2030 FIFA World Cup. The 2030 tournament will mark 100 years since the first World Cup was held in Montevideo, Uruguay, making it a momentous occasion for the sport of football. At the Argentine Football Association headquarters in…
-
AI chatbot steers British woman out of troubled marriage and into arms of lover
Artificial intelligence is omnipresent: it is in healthcare, enables problem-solving and, in one case, helped one unhappily married British woman to decide to divorce her husband. In maybe a world first, a woman sought the advice of OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot to navigate the treacherous waters of a failing marriage and a steamy affair. Sarah, a 37 year old tech worker…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
British couple in Bangkok raise money for son born with rare illness
A British couple living in Bangkok is raising £70,000 (2.85 million baht) to support the care of their five-month-old baby boy Finley who was born with an extremely rare illness. Finley Phillips was born with a rare chromosomal disorder that affects just 10 people worldwide. In the womb, Finley developed a duplication of chromosome 14 which has resulted in craniosynostosis…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.