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    Why long-term expats in Thailand say insurance is worth every baht

    Thailand’s warm weather, low cost of living, and good healthcare attract many long-term expats, including retirees and remote workers. Life here feels easy and affordable, but medical costs can be high if something goes wrong. Private hospitals are popular because...

  • Phuket’s July Sandbox no-quarantine model “needs a major revamp” | Thaiger

    Phuket’s July Sandbox no-quarantine model “needs a major revamp”

    Thailand’s Sports and Tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn is acknowledging that Phuket’s ‘Sandbox’ model for a no-quarantine re-opening in July will need “a major revamp”. As the Songkran travel bubble bursts and the monsoon season waves start to roll onto the island’s west coast beaches, Phuket’s scheduled July re-boot suddenly seems a long way off. Minister Phiphat says he plans to meet…

  • New restrictions start from midnight tonight (Saturday), more could come later | Thaiger

    New restrictions start from midnight tonight (Saturday), more could come later

    The Thai government has resolved to ‘manage’ its way out of the current Covid outbreak. There won’t be lockdowns or curfews, but there will be earlier closing times and alcohol bans to help provinces stem the growth in new infections. The past 3 days of reporting new infections in Thailand are the highest numbers since the start of the Covid-19…

  • Thailand News Today | New record infection report, CCSA announces new restrictions | April 16 | Thaiger

    Thailand News Today | New record infection report, CCSA announces new restrictions | April 16

    Here’s the latest information about upgraded restrictions for Thai provinces HERE. In today’s episode we look at… CCSA announced 1,582 new Covid infections across Thailand in the past 24 hours, 18 provinces are to be designated as red zones, Thailand’s mercurial Public Health Minister says he is “confident” the Kingdom can overcome the current Covid-19 crisis without imposing a nationwide…

  • BREAKING: Covid Provincial restriction update – latest from the CCSA | Thaiger

    BREAKING: Covid Provincial restriction update – latest from the CCSA

    The CCSA has announced its updated restrictions for the 18 ‘red zone’ provinces this afternoon. The new measures start on Sunday, April 18, and will be in place for at least 2 weeks. The restrictions are basically as we published earlier today. There are no ‘lockdowns’ or curfews despite a popular blogger jumping the gun and posting that there were…

  • UPDATE: Owner attacked by pit bull dies of injuries | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Owner attacked by pit bull dies of injuries

    The owner, attacked by his pet pit bull in the Pattaya suburb of Bang Lamung yesterday, has died of the injuries sustained in the attack. The horrific incident which occurred in the early hours of yesterday morning had shocked the family, who had raised the now 2 year old dog Giant since he was only 3 months old. Wisit Sanguan,…

  • Friday’s Covid-19 cases, province by province | Thaiger

    Friday’s Covid-19 cases, province by province

    Today’s provincial totals, as reported in the past 24 hours. Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri (including Pattaya) and Prachuap Khiri Khan and Samut Prakan lead the way. Other prominent locations include Phuket with 30 new cases, Surat Thani, which includes the 3 Gulf islands of Samui, Pha Ngan and Tao, with 11, and Chiang Rai with 77. Infographic from NBT…

  • Songkran’s 7 dangerous days campaign #6: 313 road accidents, 29 deaths | Thaiger

    Songkran’s 7 dangerous days campaign #6: 313 road accidents, 29 deaths

    As we enter the final stretch of Songkran’s infamous “seven dangerous days”, 29 deaths were recorded and 313 road accidents across Thailand. Officials warn we are not yet through the yearly dangerous week of holiday travel that typically results in a sharp increase in traffic accidents, injuries and death. The silver lining of Covid-19 is that travel is significantly down,…

  • At-risk Social Security members can get free Covid tests from tomorrow in Bangkok | Thaiger

    At-risk Social Security members can get free Covid tests from tomorrow in Bangkok

    At-risk members of Thailand’s Social Security scheme can get free Covid-19 tests in Bangkok starting tomorrow. The Ministry of Labour will provide the tests, covering members under Sections 33, 39, and 40 of the Social Security Act. The programme will be held at the Bangkok Youth Centre (Thai-Japan) in Bangkok’s Din Daeng district. The ministry expects to test up to…

  • Covid-19 vaccine CEOs say 3rd dose may be needed along with annual jabs | Thaiger

    Covid-19 vaccine CEOs say 3rd dose may be needed along with annual jabs

    The CEO for the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines says it is likely that people will need a 3rd dose of the vaccine and to receive it annually. Albert Bourla, told CNBC, that the booster, or 3rd dose, will be needed less than a year after being fully vaccinated. “A likely scenario is that there will be likely a need for a…

  • China grows 18.3%, the only major economy to grow in 2020 | Thaiger

    China grows 18.3%, the only major economy to grow in 2020

    China’s economy set a record for growth in Q1, 2021, marking an 18.3% jump in year-on-year figures, the biggest quarterly growth in almost 30 years. China only started publishing growth statistics in 1992, and this drastic increase is the fastest growth recorded since then. The figures, however impressive, are mainly due to what is called a “low base effect” where…

  • Brake system failure blamed for fatal incident in Khon Kaen | Thaiger

    Brake system failure blamed for fatal incident in Khon Kaen

    Checking your brakes regularly is something that could save you from a fatal accident, yet a lack of routine maintenance seems popular when it comes to accidents. The latest victims from a brake system failure, include 5 fatalities and 12 injuries after a bus in northeastern Thailand’s Khon Kaen province crashed. The horrible accident happened last Tuesday at about 12:30am…

  • Thailand fruit exports up, despite new Covid-19 fears | Thaiger

    Thailand fruit exports up, despite new Covid-19 fears

    Thailand fruit exporters saw a 107% growth in January and February over last year’s comparable figures, reports the National News Bureau. 18 countries have free trade agreements for fruit with Thailand, and the total trade in the first 2 months of 2021 is valued at US $461 million. Thailand is actively exporting fresh fruit with its top buyers being Australia,…

  • Sex toys popular in Thailand despite conservative laws | Thaiger

    Sex toys popular in Thailand despite conservative laws

    While Thailand is a conservative country with conservative laws, the underground sex trade and sex toy economy is a thriving not-so-well-kept secret. Thailand is famous for its LGBTQ acceptance and red-light districts, but many don’t realise that most drugs, gambling, soliciting for prostitution, sex toys, and even vaping are against Thai law. The customs department confiscated more than 4000 sex…

  • Man trampled to death while feeding roadside elephant | Thaiger

    Man trampled to death while feeding roadside elephant

    A man in Nakhon Ratchasima, north east Thailand, has lost his life yesterday when he pulled his car over to feed an elephant that then trampled him to death. According to Mu Si police, Rachan Theerapittayatrakul had stopped his pickup truck near Thanarat Road when he saw an elephant tied to a tree by the roadside and attempted to feed…

  • Covid UPDATE: 1,582 new infections announced, more restrictions on the way | Thaiger

    Covid UPDATE: 1,582 new infections announced, more restrictions on the way

    Today the CCSA announced 1,582 new Covid infections across Thailand in the past 24 hours. The small increase on yesterdays total will provide the CCSA with the information they need for this afternoon’s scheduled meeting, chaired by the Thai PM. It is expected that they will announce new restrictions but are unlikely to go for total lockdowns of provinces or…

  • Thai Health Ministry predicts 5 likely Covid outcomes post-Songkran, warns of risks posed by partying | Thaiger

    Thai Health Ministry predicts 5 likely Covid outcomes post-Songkran, warns of risks posed by partying

    The Public Health Ministry is warning the public that partying and letting ones guard down could see daily Covid-19 infections rise to nearly 3,000. Opas Karnkawinpong from the Disease Control Department says evidence shows that the third wave of the virus which is currently spreading across the country is a result of younger people, aged 20 – 29, socialising frequently…

  • First 5 days of Songkran see more than 3,700 motorists booked for drink-driving | Thaiger

    First 5 days of Songkran see more than 3,700 motorists booked for drink-driving

    Over 3,700 motorists have been charged with drink driving offences during the first 5 days of the Songkran holiday. Witthawan Sunthornkajit from the Department of Probation says that between April 10 and 14, 3,741 motorists received suspended sentences for driving under the influence. 1,648 of those were on April 14, the highest number for the 5-day period. The worst-offending provinces…

  • Officials investigating woman’s alleged attempt to sell national parkland for 350 million baht | Thaiger

    Officials investigating woman’s alleged attempt to sell national parkland for 350 million baht

    Officials in eastern Thailand are investigating a Facebook post in which a woman allegedly attempted to sell 298 rai of national parkland. According to a Bangkok Post report, the land is located on Koh Wai, part of the Mu Koh Chang Marine National Park, in the eastern province of Trat. Damras Phoprasit from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and…

  • AstraZeneca will remain Thailand’s primary vaccine, insists Health Minister | Thaiger

    AstraZeneca will remain Thailand’s primary vaccine, insists Health Minister

    The Health Minister insists the AstraZeneca vaccine will remain Thailand’s primary Covid-19 jab, despite concerns over rare side-effects. Some countries have suspended its use, while Denmark is the first country in Europe to abandon it completely. However, Anutin Charnvirakul says it’s up to each country to make their own decisions and Thailand is pressing ahead with the jab. “There are…

  • Alcohol sales may be banned in restaurants, but no lockdown for now | Thaiger

    Alcohol sales may be banned in restaurants, but no lockdown for now

    Thailand’s Public Health Ministry says it believes a lockdown is currently unnecessary, despite a record 1,543 new Covid-19 infections yesterday. Of those, only 3 were imported. However, Health Minister Anutin Chanvirakul says the government is confident it can control the spread of the virus without having to lock down the country. “We have seen no point in imposing a lockdown…

  • Bangkok sees 7.87 million vehicles over Songkran holiday | Thaiger

    Bangkok sees 7.87 million vehicles over Songkran holiday

    Covid-19 and its third wave be damned, close to 8 million vehicles travelled in and out of Bangkok so far during this year’s Songkran festival holiday period. Thailand’s Ministry of Transport released figures yesterday on the yearly holiday and revealed that more than 7.87 million cars, trucks, buses and motorbikes hit the roads and travelled into and out of Bangkok…

  • Is spraying disinfectant on the Thai-Burmese border effective? | Thaiger

    Is spraying disinfectant on the Thai-Burmese border effective?

    Some controversy exists over the Royal Thai Army attempting to sterilize areas of the Thailand-Myanmar border by spraying disinfectant along the border region. The army sprayed areas set up as a temporary holding facility for many Burmese refugees. The move drew condemnation from critics who claimed the disinfectant was not effective and not worth the expense of implementation. A spokesperson…

  • Songkran road safety day 5: 37 deaths, 330 accidents | Thaiger

    Songkran road safety day 5: 37 deaths, 330 accidents

    On the fifth day of Songkran’s infamous “seven dangerous days”, there were 330 road accidents resulting in 37 deaths and 328 injuries reported across Thailand. Songkran brings an increase in travel, and with it, an unfortunate increase in traffic accidents and road deaths. With Covid-19 severely curbing festivities this year, figures are generally down, but the government continues to encourage…

  • Pattaya area man severely injured after pet pit bull attacked | Thaiger

    Pattaya area man severely injured after pet pit bull attacked

    A Pattaya area man sustained severe injuries when his pet pit bull attacked him in the early hours of the morning. The incident took place in Bang Lamung with authorities being called to the scene near Soi Bang Lamung Temple. The victim, 56 year old Wisit Sanguan, had been bitten by his own pet dog and was bleeding profusely from…

  • Bang Lamung Hospital is full, province using field hospitals and ASQ hotels | Thaiger

    Bang Lamung Hospital is full, province using field hospitals and ASQ hotels

    A spokesperson from the Bang Lamung Hospital in Pattaya says that all the beds put aside for Covid patients are now full and doctors are now having to refer newly infected people to Sattahip where the Navy have set up a field hospital. They’re also referring some patients to ASQ hotels. The hospital said they had put aside 30 ward…

  • Thailand News Today | New record high for daily Covid infections | April 15 | Thaiger

    Thailand News Today | New record high for daily Covid infections | April 15

    Thailand’s Covid-19 infections are still on the rise, with the Kingdom reporting 1,543 new infections in the last 24 hours, The governor of Bangkok says anyone who has had contact with a Covid-19 patient must self-isolate for at least 10 days, Denmark has announced that it is abandoning the AstraZeneca vaccine and Vietnam has overtaken Thailand to become the highest-priced…

  • New NGO law could target anti-governemnt activists | Thaiger

    New NGO law could target anti-governemnt activists

    A controversial new NGO law was drafted with critics arguing it targets activists and the Thai government saying it ensures transparency. The Draft Act on the Operations of Not-for-Profit Organisations was written by the Office of the Council of State in February and debated in the second half of March, but could be passed into law soon. Human rights groups…

  • Covid UPDATE: New cases rise to 1,543, DDC recommends work from home in red zone areas | Thaiger

    Covid UPDATE: New cases rise to 1,543, DDC recommends work from home in red zone areas

    Thailand’s Covid-19 infections are still on the rise, with the Kingdom reporting 1,543 new infections in the last 24 hours. Only 3 of those are imported with 1,540 being cases of community transmission. Thailand has now recorded 37,453 infections. 8,973 patients are receiving hospital treatment, 41 of whom have pneumonia. 11 people are currently in a serious condition on ventilators.…

  • Bangkok officials issue advice for Covid contacts required to self-isolate | Thaiger

    Bangkok officials issue advice for Covid contacts required to self-isolate

    The governor of Bangkok says anyone who has had contact with a Covid-19 patient must self-isolate for 10 days, the incubation period for the virus. Nation Thailand reports that Governor Aswin Kwanmuang has issued advice for those self-isolating, saying they must adhere to the following 4 steps. 1. Sleep in a separate room to other residents 2. Do not eat…

  • Officials confirm Koh Larn will remain open to domestic visitors for now | Thaiger

    Officials confirm Koh Larn will remain open to domestic visitors for now

    Officials in Pattaya and Koh Larn say there are currently no plans to close the island to visitors despite a man who worked briefly at a local restaurant testing positive for Covid-19. It’s understood the worker was employed from April 3 to April 6, before quitting. During his short employment stint, he visited a number of nightlife venues in Pattaya…