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    This Christmas, give the gift of health: essential options for expats in Thailand

    The holiday season is here, bringing warmth, joy, and a chance to reflect on the year gone by. As an expat in Thailand, this Christmas is a great time to invest in something that truly matters: health. Whether for you...

  • Travel chaos continues into the week, Omicron and weather blamed

    Travel chaos continues into the week, Omicron and weather blamed

    Rising Omicron infections, together with poor winter weather, are wreaking havoc on US airlines with nearly 1,000 flights affected yesterday – some cancelled, other postponed. The chaos is also hitting other parts of the world as tens of thousands of Christmas/new year travellers try to keep up with the dynamic situation. Yesterday’s cancellations and postponements mark a fourth day of travel…

  • Phuket prepares to welcome Andrea Bocelli, attendees need negative Covid test

    Phuket prepares to welcome Andrea Bocelli, attendees need negative Covid test

    The southern island of Phuket is getting ready to welcome renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who will help to ring in 2022 at the Saphan Hin public park. According to a Bangkok Post report, tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the island’s New Year countdown event will go ahead under strict disease prevention measures. All attendees will need to show proof…

  • New Year glass half-empty for TAT due to Omicron variant

    New Year glass half-empty for TAT due to Omicron variant

    The normally optimistic Tourism Authority of Thailand is feeling slightly more downbeat amid concerns about a potential Omicron outbreak. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn says the threat of another Covid-19 outbreak is affecting travel sentiment. According to a Bangkok Post report, he expects New Year travel to generate just 8.04 billion baht in domestic tourism revenue. “Concerns over a possible outbreak…

  • Best places in Phuket to countdown for New Year 2022

    Best places in Phuket to countdown for New Year 2022

    Say goodbye to 2021 and say hi to 2022! Let your countdown begin at one of the most beautiful venues on the island! The following hotels in Phuket are offering exclusive New Year packages for you to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year. So, we have compiled a list of the best 5 venues in Phuket to celebrate…

  • Ministry of Tourism survey shows tourists enjoy Thailand in 2021

    Ministry of Tourism survey shows tourists enjoy Thailand in 2021

    Many expats might get complacent with all that Thailand has to offer, and be cynical about whether it’s worth the risk and complexity of coming to Thailand during the Covid-19 pandemic. But a survey conducted by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports revealed that foreign tourists have an overall positive view of travelling in Thailand. In fact, the average ratings…

  • Thailand – the 17th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami

    Thailand – the 17th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami

    A powerful underwater earthquake rumbled off the coast of northern coast of Sumatra island, Indonesia, at 7:59am local time, setting off a series of underwater shockwaves that would eventually be felt right around the rim of the Indian Ocean. It was the Boxing Day Tsunami (or Indian Ocean Tsunami, or Asian Tsunami) and it started affecting the shorelines around the Indian…

  • POLL: No good leader for PM, most support no political party

    POLL: No good leader for PM, most support no political party

    37% of people support no political party and believe there is no suitable leader for the role of prime minister, according to a new poll by the National Institute of Development Administration. The NIDA poll showed that current PM Prayut Chan-o-cha led the pack of potential candidates, but only 16% of people supported him as their choice for the next…

  • Risk of Covid-19 infection on flights increased due to Omicron

    Risk of Covid-19 infection on flights increased due to Omicron

    As tourism has been gaining traction until the Omicron variant threw a wrench into the works, the CCSA has warned that the chances of catching Covid-19 on flights have increased because of the more transmissible new variant. The warning has been repeated out to Thai people after a statement made by the International Air Transport Association, the global influential organization…

  • Form must be completed before exiting plane in Phuket now

    Form must be completed before exiting plane in Phuket now

    In case the Thailand Pass and entry process wasn’t complicated enough with enough forms for you, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has added a public health form required for all international passengers to Phuket to fill out before being allowed to get off the plane. The new rule, a Notice to Pilots, was published in Thai only yesterday afternoon…

  • New Year’s events are not banned, Phetchabun to host 2

    New Year’s events are not banned, Phetchabun to host 2

    Authorities have cancelled state-sponsored New Year’s Eve parties – though the Tourism Authority of Thailand vowed to forge ahead with theirs – but a government spokesperson assures that the private sector is still allowed to host New Year’s countdown celebrations as long as Covid-19 safety regulations are strictly followed. Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang cancelled only 2 events that were state-sponsored…

  • Bangkok 14th worst air quality globally, more PM2.5 next week

    Bangkok 14th worst air quality globally, more PM2.5 next week

    Not quite as pride-inducing as being ranked the number 1 city for a workation in the world or the 4th best place to live in Southeast Asia, but Bangkok has recently been listed as having the 14th worst air pollution globally on the World Air Quality Index. The dubious honour was awarded on Wednesday as Bangkok faces more days where…

  • Koh Samui, Phangan and Tao see uptick in holiday tourists

    Koh Samui, Phangan and Tao see uptick in holiday tourists

    While tourism is still far below the levels of 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic, it was showing an uptick before the Omicron variant drove government officials to cancel the Test & Go scheme that avoided any significant quarantine and which brought the vast majority of tourists since launching in November. But while tourism has been tepid, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan,…

  • Pattaya tourist leaders call for local Sandbox as hotel bookings drop

    Pattaya tourist leaders call for local Sandbox as hotel bookings drop

    “The permit to arrive in Thailand is the least of the problems for many potential international tourists as airlines around the world have been cancelling services.” Whilst the southern island of Phuket appears to be a winner in the government’s recent, and selective, alterations to its Thailand Pass options, Thailand’s other main tourist hot spot outside Bangkok, Pattaya, has again…

  • The best reasons to celebrate Christmas in The Land of Smiles

    The best reasons to celebrate Christmas in The Land of Smiles

    Whether you live here, or you’re a tourist who fancies spending Christmas away from home for once, there are countless reasons to celebrate the holiday season in Thailand. Now that the country has re-opened to vaccinated foreign tourists, we round up the best reasons to visit the Land of Smiles at Christmas time. The Weather For many, this will be…

  • With tourism suffering, sea turtles are thriving in peace in Phuket

    With tourism suffering, sea turtles are thriving in peace in Phuket

    One silver lining of the Covid-19 pandemic that devastated tourism and the economy in Thailand and the world is that nature benefitted greatly from a bit of a breather from the throngs of people trampling around the earth. Reports of flora and fauna revitalising have been seen around the world. In Phuket, the absence of tourists has given sea turtles…

  • TikTok content moderators sue over exposure to disturbing content

    TikTok content moderators sue over exposure to disturbing content

    Maybe it’s an “Okay Boomer” thing, but many of our readers may find scrolling endlessly through the short and often obnoxious videos that make up the TikTok app somewhat nauseating. But if you think what’s published on there is bad, the millions of videos that don’t make the cut are far, far worse. That content is blocked by a team…

  • Top 5 places to enjoy New Year’s brunch in Bangkok 2022

    Top 5 places to enjoy New Year’s brunch in Bangkok 2022

    After enjoying the fireworks extravaganza on New Year’s Eve, start your 2022 by enjoying brunch at one of these fine restaurants in Bangkok. The restaurants are offering a special festive menu on the 1st of January. So indulge in these delectable meals that are cooked using high-quality ingredients. We have picked some of the restaurants where you can enjoy your…

  • Business leaders urge government to include Pattaya in sandbox entry scheme

    Business leaders urge government to include Pattaya in sandbox entry scheme

    Business leaders in Pattaya have joined a chorus of tourism operators around the country who are pleading to be included in the sandbox scheme. Businesses are expressing despair and frustration since the government suspended the Test & Go entry scheme citing concerns about the Omicron Covid-19 variant. The Pattaya News reports that members of the Chamber of Commerce and Board…

  • Hotel operators blame government’s faulty tracking apps for Israeli tourist escape

    Hotel operators blame government’s faulty tracking apps for Israeli tourist escape

    The recent case of an Israeli tourist who fled his hotel before he’d received the results of his PCR test can be blamed on faulty tracking apps. So says Angkana Tanetvisetkul from Phuket’s Kata Karon Hotel Association. According to a Bangkok Post report, she believes the current entry requirements involve too many apps that don’t work together – sometimes they…

  • Minister of Finance: too soon to know Omicron variant effect on economy

    Minister of Finance: too soon to know Omicron variant effect on economy

    Will the new and rapidly spreading Omicron variant of Covid-19 have a strong effect on the economy of Thailand? According to the Ministry of Finance, the answer is a solid maybe. Minister of Finance Arkhom Termpittayapaisith says it’s just too soon to know if and how Thailand’s economy will be affected by the Omicron variant. The Ministry of Finance is…

  • Credit card loaned to buy cosmetics used for 6.7 million baht spree

    Credit card loaned to buy cosmetics used for 6.7 million baht spree

    What’s your credit limit? Two people were arrested in Bangkok, accused of using a borrowed credit card to rack up 6.7 million baht worth of purchases. The pair were arrested by the Crime Suppression Division Police in Ramkhamhaeng Soi 68 in Bangkapi on Tuesday, though they deny any wrongdoing. The pair of alleged fraudsters is a 47 year old Thai…

  • 193 kg of crystal meth found in Australia-routed punching bags

    193 kg of crystal meth found in Australia-routed punching bags

    Drug traffickers attempted to ship about 1.2 billion baht worth of crystal meth out of Thailand and into Australia, but customs officials beat them to the punch, as it were. Authorities at the customs office seized a gigantic payload of more than 193 kilogrammes of crystal meth that was being smuggled out of Thailand stuffed inside punching bags that boxers…

  • TAT New Year’s Eve countdown event will go on as planned

    TAT New Year’s Eve countdown event will go on as planned

    While Thailand is tightening its borders and restrictions in the face of the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, which has now infected over 100 people in the country, the New Year’s holiday is just over one week away. As authorities are torn between to need to protect against Covid-19 and the desperate need of the tourism and entertainment sectors to create…

  • Thai Civilised Party requests committee for legalising prostitution

    Thai Civilised Party requests committee for legalising prostitution

    One party in Thailand’s government has set its sights on legalising prostitution. The Thai Civilised Party has requested to create a House committee to examine and analyse the prospect of prostitution being legalised in Thailand. The push to decriminalise is at least in part an effort to cut down on corruption as if sex for money was legal, government officials…

  • Top 5 places to spend New Year’s Day in Phuket 2022

    Top 5 places to spend New Year’s Day in Phuket 2022

    We are all looking forward to 2022 because it will provide another chance for a fresh start and a celebration of new beginnings. On January 1st, start the year off perfectly with a delicious New Year’s Day brunch. Enjoy an international buffet with live seafood stations and a selection of house drinks. Create fruitful memories this new year with a…

  • Where to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Bangkok 2021

    Where to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Bangkok 2021

    New Year is one of the most exciting events. Whether you are looking to end the year with a glass of champagne, countdown party or an intimate dinner, you have come to the right place. Nothing can be more special than celebrating New Year with your loved ones amidst a fancy setting, so if you haven’t planned anything yet, we…

  • Civil Aviation Authority notifies airlines of new regulations for entering Thailand

    Civil Aviation Authority notifies airlines of new regulations for entering Thailand

    A notice from Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority has been issued to airlines to advise them of the new conditions for entering the kingdom. The move follows the suspension of the Test & Go system and all sandbox schemes with the exception of Phuket’s. The government took the decision to suspend the schemes as a result of the recently emerged Omicron…

  • Tourism officials say Test & Go suspension could have knock-on affect for Phuket

    Tourism officials say Test & Go suspension could have knock-on affect for Phuket

    The head of the Phuket Tourist Association says the potential knock-on effect of the Test & Go suspension is not yet known. Bhummikitti Raktaengam says the number of foreign tourists arriving on the island via the sandbox scheme could be affected. According to a Bangkok Post report, he says it remains to be seen if overall visitor numbers to Thailand…

  • Thailand’s tourist provinces plead to be included in sandbox scheme

    Thailand’s tourist provinces plead to be included in sandbox scheme

    While Thailand’s Test & Go entry system is suspended, foreign tourists can only enter the kingdom through alternative quarantine or the Phuket sandbox scheme. Now, tourism operators in other parts of the country are urging the government to include their provinces in the sandbox programme. Thanet Supornsahasrungsi from the Chon Buri Tourism Council says destinations that are within a 2-hour…

  • Pathum Thani noise complaint ends in multiple drug busts

    Pathum Thani noise complaint ends in multiple drug busts

    You can make some noise, or you can break some laws, but you should avoid doing both. After neighbours complained of a Pathum Thani condo in a luxury building making excessive noise, police checked it out and uncovered a drug-dealing operation. The investigation led to several arrests. The Department Of Provincial Administration joined the district chief of Klong Luang in…