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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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?...
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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…
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Plans shot down for property incentives to attract foreigners
A proposal to attract foreigners by lengthening property leaseholds from 30 years to 50 years and allowing foreign condo ownership to increase over the 49% current restriction was shot down today by the Centre for Economic Situation Administration. The committee, headed by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, rejected those proposals but did seem open to foreigners being permitted to own up to…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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French expat being denied re-entry to Thailand over repeated criticism of the Thai monarchy
One of Thailand’s long term French expats Yan Marchal is being denied reentry to Thailand. He says he is being expelled to Paris from Bangkok, as soon as tonight, for being a long term critic of the Thai government and Monarchy. Yan says he could appeal the ‘deportation’. “I have been advised to fly out rather than to expose myself…
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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,…
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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…
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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.…
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Another missing expat man found safe after being lost in forest
For the second time in as many days, an older expat man has been found after being lost in a forest for a few days. Yesterday a British man in Khon Kaen was found after being lost 3 days in a forest when he wandered off his motorbike for a stroll and couldn’t find his way back. Now today in…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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3 foreigners arrested operating unlicensed Koh Phangan spa
Police in Koh Phangan arrested 2 Russian men and an American woman in a raid at a health spa following complaints from locals of illegal activities and Covid-19 restriction violations. They are accused of a range of charges relating to the legality of the business, though the information is unclear if they face any charges for breaking any Covid-19 rules.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Thai government apologises for data leak, blames “temporary glitch”
The Thai government has released a statement apologising for the data leak on Monday which saw people who registered for a Covid vaccine have their personal information revealed. The government says there was a “temporary glitch” on the thailandintervac.com vaccination booking website and the error was because of “urgent system maintenance”. Soon after the website launched, multiple expats complained that…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Vaccine registration for foreigners in Thailand to open June 7
Foreigners living in Thailand will be able to register for a Covid-19 vaccine starting June 7, the first day of the country’s mass vaccination campaign. Foreigners can register for a vaccine on-site at hospitals. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Natapanu Nopakun recommends that expats register for a vaccine at a hospital that has their health records on file. Expats need…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Is Thailand the best country for digital nomads?
Is Thailand the best country in the world for digital nomads? Some think so. The French travel and tourism operator Club Med recently did a study and found that Thailand tops the list of best countries for digital nomads with Phuket as the number one ‘city’ to live in while working remotely. (We acknowledge that Phuket can hardly be regarded…
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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…
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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…
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Thailand plans to include 3 million foreigners in mass vaccination program
The Thai government says it is planning on including 3 million foreigners in its mass Covid-19 vaccination program in an effort to protect the entire population. Opas Kankawinpong, the head of the disease control department, has confirmed the news, saying that anyone can get the vaccine if they want it. “Anybody living in Thailand, whether they be Thai or foreign,…
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Everything you need to know about Covid vaccines in Thailand right now
Which Covid vaccines are available in Thailand? Thailand’s FDA has licensed 3 Covid-19 vaccines – AztraZeneca/Oxford University, Sinovac from China and Johnson Johnson. Only the AztraZenaca and Sinovac vaccines are currently delivered and available in Thailand at this time. Others will likely be approved for use in Thailand in the next few months, including the Pfizer/Moderna mRNA vaccine (paperwork submitted)…
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