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    9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand

    Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...

  • Thailand’s Ministry of Interior urges tight Covid enforcement during Songkran | Thaiger

    Thailand’s Ministry of Interior urges tight Covid enforcement during Songkran

    The Permanent Secretary of Thailand’s Ministry of Interior is calling on provincial governors to “rigidly enforce Covid-19 restrictions” during the looming Songkran annual break. The Permanent Secretary, Suthipong Julcharoe, also suggested 10 “Universal Prevention” methods. These include frequent handwashing and not touching your face, as well as vulnerable groups staying at home. Suthipong also suggested “double masking” (wearing 2 face…

  • Drunk drivers in Thailand could be jailed without suspension during Songkran | Thaiger

    Drunk drivers in Thailand could be jailed without suspension during Songkran

    Authorities in Thailand are vowing to get serious about drunk driving during Songkran. Drunk drivers caught between Monday and Sunday next week, during the time of the holiday, are more likely be jailed without suspension if convicted. A police major general said yesterday that police recently discussed measures to discourage drunk driving with officials. The major general said police and…

  • Thailand tourism authorities target India to offset lack of Chinese tourists | Thaiger

    Thailand tourism authorities target India to offset lack of Chinese tourists

    A deputy governor of marketing from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says Indian tourists are important for offsetting the loss of Chinese tourists in Thailand, as the TAT aims to attract 500,000 Indian tourists this year. The marketing governor said ever since an air travel bubble started with India last month, Thailand has already seen around 600 Indian arrivals per…

  • Starting in May, foreign arrivals to Thailand may only have to take ATK tests | Thaiger

    Starting in May, foreign arrivals to Thailand may only have to take ATK tests

    Starting in May, foreign arrivals to Thailand may take antigen tests on arrival, instead of PCR tests. Thailand’s CCSA announced yesterday that it will hold off on adjusting the current entry restrictions for foreign travellers to Thailand until it can evaluate the effects of next week’s Songkran festival, as it continues monitoring the spread of Covid-19 in the country. Thailand’s…

  • Boeing 757-200 crash lands and splits in two at Costa Rica airport | Thaiger

    Boeing 757-200 crash lands and splits in two at Costa Rica airport

    Boeing’s series of bad media, whether directly at fault or not, continues after a DHL Boeing 757-200 cargo aircraft crash landed and split into two, losing its tail end at Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaria international airport yesterday. The crew managed to escape the yellow DHL cargo plane and came out of the incident unharmed. The aircraft was bound for Guatemala…

  • Songkran: Academics predict 10 year low in festival spending this year | Thaiger

    Songkran: Academics predict 10 year low in festival spending this year

    Thailand academics predict the public’s spending during next week’s Songkran holiday will be the lowest in 10 years. An associate professor at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce said he expects people to spend around 106 billion baht altogether across Thailand this year. This will be 5.4% less than last year, when public spending was recorded at about…

  • US arrests 3 Thais, yakuza chief for planning to supply missiles to Burmese rebels | Thaiger

    US arrests 3 Thais, yakuza chief for planning to supply missiles to Burmese rebels

    US authorities revealed yesterday that they have arrested three Thai men and a Japanese yakuza organised crime leader in New York City on April 4 – 5. The men are accused of trafficking heroin and methamphetamine, as well as attempting to acquire surface-to-air missiles for rebel groups in Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Takeshi Ebizawa, Sompak Raksaranee, Somphop Sigsiri and Suksan…

  • Ousted Thai MP vows to continue political career, posts ‘see you again’ | Thaiger

    Ousted Thai MP vows to continue political career, posts ‘see you again’

    After a former MP of Thailand’s Palang Pracharath Party was permanently banned from Thai politics yesterday, she now vows to continue her political activities anyway. The woman, Pareena Kraikupt, was banned from politics by Thailand’s Supreme Court because she used forest reserve land in Ratchaburi for her private poultry farm. The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders found…

  • Why are Thai Airways leasing 3 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft? | Thaiger

    Why are Thai Airways leasing 3 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft?

    Thai Airways is expanding its fleet by three this month despite going through an ongoing debt restructuring process. The airline is in the process of selling 45 unused jets, yet they are leasing three Boeing 777-300ER aircraft this month. Two 777-300ERs, adorned with Thai Airways paint jobs, landed at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport on April 5 and another is expected to…

  • Independent candidate for Pattaya mayor vows to solve flooding, waste problems | Thaiger

    Independent candidate for Pattaya mayor vows to solve flooding, waste problems

    One Pattaya mayoral candidate, who is running independent of any party, vows to solve the city’s flooding and waste problems. Independent candidate Sakchai Taenghor visited a market in Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri on Wednesday, where he spoke with local residents and vendors to promote his campaign to solve the issues. Flooding is a major problem in Pattaya during…

  • CCSA to discuss Songkran, scrapping on-arrival PCR tests for travellers TODAY | Thaiger

    CCSA to discuss Songkran, scrapping on-arrival PCR tests for travellers TODAY

    Thailand’s government will meet again today to discuss how to contain the spread of Covid-19 during next week’s Songkran festival, its vaccination rollout for the elderly and whether or not to scrap the on-arrival PCR tests for foreign travelers. Thailand hoteliers and others travel industry professionals have been lobbying for a full removal of PCR testing to attract more tourists,…

  • Prayut advises Bangkok governor hopefuls on drainage system, population density | Thaiger

    Prayut advises Bangkok governor hopefuls on drainage system, population density

    Following a record registration of 31 candidates for Bangkok’s gubernatorial election, PM Prayut advises the future governor, whoever that will be, to continue solving the city’s problems. Prayut offered a few pointers on several pressing issues, including Bangkok’s drainage system and population density, saying, “May I offer moral support to all Bangkok governor candidates”. Prayut said in order to fix Bangkok…

  • Thailand can welcome Russian travellers back this Saturday, really?@! | Thaiger

    Thailand can welcome Russian travellers back this Saturday, really?@!

    The Russian PM, Mikhail Mishustin, has revealed that Russia would open its sky to 52 “friendly” countries from April 9 onwards after being closed to prevent the spread of Covid-19. And that other matter. On the list is Thailand who says they’re ready to welcome the Russian travellers back. Given the current situation with the ongoing war between Russia and…

  • Police arrest Thai OnlyFans star making ฿100K per month | Thaiger

    Police arrest Thai OnlyFans star making ฿100K per month

    Police arrested a trans woman known as ‘Dreamy Dao’ for producing and disseminating pornographic content in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen on Tuesday. Dreamy Dao was making 100,000 baht every month by posting explicit content on the OnlyFans website. Khon Kaen police raided 20 year old Dreamy Dao’s room to find a large number of pornographic videos and 17…

  • International travellers trickle back into Bangkok, but hoteliers say it’s not enough | Thaiger

    International travellers trickle back into Bangkok, but hoteliers say it’s not enough

    Suvarnabhumi International Airport has seen a significant increase in international travellers since Thailand scrapped its pre-travel PCR test requirement last Friday. Well that’s the general narrative that’s been published in some media, although the published numbers don’t stand up to close scrutiny. Bangkok’s aviation hub saw an average of more than 11,600 daily arrivals from abroad touch down in the…

  • Thai MP permanently banned from politics for using forest reserve land for farm | Thaiger

    Thai MP permanently banned from politics for using forest reserve land for farm

    A former MP of Thailand’s Palang Pracharath is now permanently banned from Thai politics for using forest reserve land in Ratchaburi province for her farm. The issues around the MP, Pareena Kraikupt, using land began to surface in 2019. The Royal Forest Department then investigated the land, and concluded that Pareena’s poultry farm encroached on it. The department asked the…

  • Highest ever number of gubernatorial candidates register in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Highest ever number of gubernatorial candidates register in Bangkok

    The highest ever number of candidates, 31, have registered for Bangkok’s upcoming gubernatorial election on May 22. This will be the 11th gubernatorial election in Bangkok, and the first held in nine years. The chairman of Bangkok’s election commission said all candidates will be invited to the government complex on Chaeng Wattana tomorrow to be briefed on the election guidelines. Right…

  • Thailand cold spell kills 200 chickens in Chaiyaphum | Thaiger

    Thailand cold spell kills 200 chickens in Chaiyaphum

    A poultry farm in the northeastern province of Chaiyaphum reported that over 200 chickens died after the temperature dropped to 17 degrees Celsius earlier this week. The Department of Livestock Development reported that sudden changes in weather patterns are affecting the animal husbandry sector in Thailand. Chickens can tolerate cold temperatures below freezing, but sudden changes in temperature can affect…

  • Police arrest two alleged gambling operators following Phuket robbery | Thaiger

    Police arrest two alleged gambling operators following Phuket robbery

    Police in Phuket reported yesterday that two men in other parts of Thailand have been arrested for allegedly operating an online gambling website. Police have now reportedly seized more than 3.7 billion baht in cash and taken the website down. They also seized dozens of other items of evidence, including three land title deeds and four contracts, eight mobile phones,…

  • Police arrest tiger cub smugglers in Central Thailand | Thaiger

    Police arrest tiger cub smugglers in Central Thailand

    Police seized a four month old tiger cub in a car park in the central province of Nonthaburi yesterday. Three men wanted on arrest warrants were arrested on suspicion of possessing and trafficking protected wildlife without permission. All three men confessed to importing the tiger cub from Laos. The cub was found in a basket inside a Honda pickup truck…

  • Thailand bans single-use plastics from national parks, know before you go | Thaiger

    Thailand bans single-use plastics from national parks, know before you go

    The next time you go for a hike, swim or boat ride in Thailand’s protected great outdoors, make sure to leave disposable plastics at home — except for a water bottle. Beginning April 6, all single-use plastics and styrofoam products are banned from entering national parks in Thailand. Specifically, single-use plastic items such as bags, spoons, forks, straws, cups and…

  • Thailand’s latest ganja product: marijuana infused fish sauce | Thaiger

    Thailand’s latest ganja product: marijuana infused fish sauce

    There are few products left in Thailand that haven’t yet been infused with cannabis since Anutin Charnvirakul’s marijuana mystery tour began. The latest product, marijuana infused fish sauce, debuted at an event in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen last weekend. Yum? As we have said many times before, products are currently allowed to contain a maximum of 0.2% THC,…

  • UPDATE: Tangmo’s manager ‘Gatick’ reports to police, confesses to drinking wine | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Tangmo’s manager ‘Gatick’ reports to police, confesses to drinking wine

    The long-awaited truth may be finally coming out in the case of Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong, after her manager confessed to giving false statements about what happened on the boat that fateful night the Thai actress drowned in the Chao Phraya River in February. Police are also still searching for another man who was not on the boat that night, but…

  • Creamfields Festival is coming to Thailand | Thaiger

    Creamfields Festival is coming to Thailand

    Get your rave gear ready because one of the world’s most prestigious electronic dance music festivals is coming to Thailand next month. The UK’s Creamfields Festival will take place in Pattaya from May 28-29 and the line up so far doesn’t disappoint. Early bird tickets are sold out, so if you want to attend the festival, be prepared when the…

  • Thailand inflation jumps 5.7 percent in March, hits consumers’ wallets hard | Thaiger

    Thailand inflation jumps 5.7 percent in March, hits consumers’ wallets hard

    In March, Thailand’s inflation saw its highest monthly jump in 13 years, rising to 5.73% year on year. That’s according to the Commerce Ministry’s Office of Trade Policy and Strategy, which pins the blame on the war in Ukraine, which has pushed up fuel, food and electricity prices. This unexpected turn of events has caused the office to adjust its…

  • Boeing’s China syndrome, big problems for the US aircraft manufacturer | Thaiger

    Boeing’s China syndrome, big problems for the US aircraft manufacturer

    China Eastern Airlines has grounded its fleet of Boeing 737-800s – some 108 planes in the China Eastern fleet along with another 117 planes it flies with subsidiary airlines. That’s a lot of planes, in either the first or second largest aviation market in the world, depending how you measure it. Number of passengers on airlines worldwide in 2020, by…

  • Boost in car sales, enthusiasm for EVs – Bangkok’s annual motor show – VIDEO | Thaiger

    Boost in car sales, enthusiasm for EVs – Bangkok’s annual motor show – VIDEO

    Petrol-powered cars are still in vogue, but electric vehicles, or EVs, are on the rise. That’s the takeaway from this year’s Bangkok International Motor Show, which recorded sales of some 34,000 vehicles, nearly a 14% increase compared to last year. The 43rd edition of the popular motor show took place over a span of two weeks at Impact Muang Thong…

  • TAT promotes Thailand as top Indian wedding destination, no elephants included | Thaiger

    TAT promotes Thailand as top Indian wedding destination, no elephants included

    To register on the romantic radar of soon-to-be-wed couples from India, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, or TAT, invited 15 Indian wedding planners to highlight popular wedding destinations in the Land of Smiles. The wedding planners visited seminars in Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui in Surat Thani province and Khao Lak in Phang Nga province from March 15 to 22. The…

  • Songkran: MOPH to measure blood alcohol levels during festival’s ‘7 Dangerous Days’ | Thaiger

    Songkran: MOPH to measure blood alcohol levels during festival’s ‘7 Dangerous Days’

    The Ministry of Public Health plans to use blood testers to measure the alcohol level of drivers during the “Seven Dangerous Days of Songkran”. Authorities say the blood test would be used in addition to the standard breathalyzer test. If anyone refuses to get tested, officers will assume them to be drunk. The crowded roads during the annual Songkran Festival…

  • UPDATE: Cybercrime police charged in kidnap for ransom plot, 2 former officers suspected | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Cybercrime police charged in kidnap for ransom plot, 2 former officers suspected

    The Royal Thai Police arrested two officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, or CCIB, on Sunday for allegedly kidnapping a gambling couple and their child last week. The wife claimed that officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau kidnapped her and her family for ransom, after winning 2 million baht from online gambling. The woman said that she, her…