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5 hidden healthcare costs in Thailand and how to avoid them
Thailand's healthcare system is affordable and supported by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, offering essential services to most citizens. However, hidden healthcare costs can surprise patients and lead to unexpected expenses. These include specialist fees, insurance gaps, emergency services,...
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Radisson brand add another Phuket hotel to its portfolio
The Radisson Hotel Group has signed a deal for a 222 key mixed-use hotel on Phuket’s north west coast at Mai Khao. Set to open in early 2023, the hotel has sales and leaseback units under a hotel residences program. Radisson Phuket Mai Khao Beach is being developed by Thai-Chinese Property Holdings. Phuket’s ongoing development surge continues to attract Chinese…
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Thailand aims to reduce road accidents by 50% in 2020
A laudable aim but probably unachievable. Thai transport authorities and police are aiming to reduce the rate of road accidents by half in 2020. They are aiming to meet the goal set by an international benchmark, participants of a national road safety convention held at Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre. The aim has been set in previous years as…
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Myanmar flood toll reaches 51 – 4,000 houses submerged
PHOTOS: Myanmar Times Burmese troops have been deployed to flood-hit parts of Myanmar to help with relief efforts after rising flood waters have left thousands stranded, mostly in the southern parts of the country. The death toll from the landslide has jumped to 51. This year’s monsoonal floods have tested the government’s ability to respond after a the fatal landslides…
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Scaffolding collapse at VIP Mercury Condominium in Rawai, Phuket kills 1
PHOTOS: Antonio Patong A three storey building and scaffolding collapsed in Rawai at 2.15pm Sunday afternoon, killing one person and injuring many other workers. The construction site is for the VIP Mercury Condominium project on Wiset Road in Rawai – near the Rawai Municipality Office heading towards Nai Harn Beach Park (map below). Eight people were rushed to Chalong Hospital, Vachira…
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Floods and landslides in southern Myanmar – at least 41 dead
PHOTOS: SBS News The latest in the flood situation in southern Myanmar… • Continuous monsoon rain since the start of the month has resulted to flooding in several areas in Southern Myanmar – Ayeyarwady, Bago, Kayin, Mon, and Tanintharyi. • According to the Department of Disaster Management, a rain-induced landslide occurred in a village in Paung Township (Mon State) on…
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Three storey construction site collapses in Rawai, Phuket – 8 injured, 2 missing
PHOTOS: เสียงประชาชน คนภูเก็ต Phuket People’s Voice A three storey building has collapsed in Rawai around 3pm this afternoon. The construction site is on Wiset Road in Rawai – near Rawai Municipality Office heading towards Nai Harn Beach Park. At least eight people have already been taken to Chalong Hospital whilst others are believed to be trapped under the wreckage as rescue…
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Mystery fire at construction site of The Base Central Condo in Phuket
PHOTO: Bliz Lincoln Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the fire that broke out at a building site behind Central Floresta yesterday afternoon. The fire caused the road, running behind the shopping mall – Muang Naka Road – on the same road as Headstart international school, to be closed off to traffic for several hours as emergency services…
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Survey says: Thai taxi users disagree with fare hike
“35% agree with the fare hike, reasoning that it could reduce the problem of taxi drivers refusing customers.” A Nida Poll reports that 81% of respondents are unhappy with the new taxi fares that will raise the immobile rate (sitting in the traffic) from 2 baht per minute to 3 baht per minute. The poll reveals the results of a…
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Typhoon Lekima leaves at least 30 people dead, 5 million more affected
PHOTO: China Daily/ANN At least 30 people are reported dead from the deadly typhoon in East China’s Zhejiang province. Another 20 people are missing and the death toll is expected to rise. Most of the deaths occurred in Yongjia county where torrential downpours caused a landslide that blocked rivers. The barrier lake bursted and flooded people away. Twenty two people…
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Popular Thai expat blogger shares problems renewing visa
PHOTO: Facebook/richard.thailand Popular expat blogger and Samut Prakan school employee Richard Barrow has shared his difficulties in trying to renew his visa’s extension of stay. Richard returned to Samut Prakan immigration last Friday to collect his annual extension. But he was told that Bangkok hadn’t yet approved his application. Samut Prakan Immigration, the province which has also issued his work permit (presumably…
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Air Asia welcomes new-age long-haul A330 neo to its fleet
AirAsia has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330neo aircraft, to be operated by its long-haul affiliate, AirAsia X Thailand. The new aircraft, leased from Avolon, will be joined by a second of the type later this year, Airbus says. Air Asia says the A330neo brings a step-change in fuel efficiency for AirAsia’s long haul operations. The new generation A330neo (New…
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New transport minister backtracks on previous government’s van upgrade policy
The previous government was hellbent on upgrading many of the country’s old vans to new buses and min-buses. The proposals, and the decline of August 13, was met with a lot of opposition with public transport operators who would have to take on the new investment in upgrading equipment. The previous government’s intentions were to improve the levels of safety…
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Government faces no-confidence vote with loss of five independent MPs
The Government was sworn in less than a month ago on July 17, but already faces the prospect of a no confidence motion on its ability to control the lower house majority after five MPs pulled out of the 19-party coalition bloc. Last week the ruling Government lost a vote on the floor over the role of the House Speaker.…
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Accused pedophile arrested in Phang Nga after 14 years on the run
PHOTO: Police questioning Honchao Sae Oun – Crime Suppression Division A man, wanted over the indecent assault of a five year old girl in Yala 14 years ago, has been arrested in Phang Nga. 62 year old Honchao Sae Oun was arrested at a house in Thai Muang district yesterday by the Crime Suppression Division. Officials say that Mr Honchao…
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Amnesty program for unlicensed Thai hotels finishes September 9
PHOTO: We needed a photo of a small hotel. So this is The Small Hotel in Krabi (already licensed!!) The Thai government has issued guidelines for unlicensed hotels under their amnesty program. Hotels must submit applications and complete improvements before September 9, so time is of the essence. Baker McKenzie Thailand has outlined the process and guidelines which we are republishing…
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Phuket’s wake-up call. The hard work starts here.
OPINION More hotels, a changing tourist mix, an exodus of expats and a decline in tourist numbers. Despite the new Tourism and Sports Minister pumping up the local tourism tyres during his visit last weekend, there’s a lot of hand-wringing and the sound of closing shop shutters around the tourist island of Phuket. To make things more complicated the situation…
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Chewathai launches seven new property projects in Bangkok despite slowdown
Listed property firm Chewathai says they are revising down their revenue target for this year from 2.8 billion to 1.6 billion baht after demand for residential projects has shown a slowing down in the first half of 2019. The company’s managing director Boon Choon Kiet made the announcement yesterday. Boon says Chewathai’s total revenue of 618.65 million baht in the…
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Farmers fall for fake fertiliser in Kalasin
PHOTOS: INN News A gang selling fake fertiliser had been travelling around Kalasin in Thailand’s north-east selling their products to unsuspecting farmers. Kalasin Police arrested 5 suspects that were selling the unregistered fertilisers to farmers in the area. All of the suspects are originally from Roi Et Province, also in the north-east. They were delivering large bags of fertilisers to…
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Thai PM visits the South amid tight security
The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha visited the southern border province of Yala yesterday (Thursday). During the visit, he opened the Southern Border Provinces Government Complex and the One Start One Stop for Development Centre, and met with local people amid tight security. Soldiers were assigned to keep a close watch for suspicious objects as well as people acting suspiciously at…
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Huawei hedges its bets and unveils the Harmony phone operating system
As a hedge against any further hostility from the US in its claims against the Chinese tech giant’s alleged involvement with the Chinese Government, Huawei has unveiled its own operating system for smartphones that it says can replace Android if US sanctions against them cut off access to the Google eco-system and software, and US-made technology products. Huawei Technologies, the…
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Kamala development is positive – a personal view
This week The Thaiger posted a few photos and prediction that the vacant corner, as you drive into Kamala from Patong, was going to another backwards step to the sleepy seaside town. The post provoked a lot of comment, including this one. The author’s identity has been hidden. What do you think about his response? https://www.facebook.com/thethaigerphuket/posts/1636282186509280?comment_id=1636333889837443&reply_comment_id=1638894932914672¬if_id=1565318229144276¬if_t=feed_comment “The funny thing about…
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Thailand’s Ang Thong National Marine Park, the ‘new’ Maya Bay
With Thailand’s Maya Bay in Koh Phi Phi Ley remains closed indefinitely to allow the tourist-magnet some much-needed time to recover, it’s time to look for another natural wonder. One of Thailand’s astonishing natural wonders, not as well known as Maya Bay, is the Ang Thong National Marine Park, located about 40 kilometres north west of the coast of Koh…
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Truck runs over motorcyclist in Phuket Town – VIDEO
WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised. The content of the video could be distressing to some. Yesterday afternoon (Thursday) a 10 wheel truck ran over a motorcyclist at the intersection in front of the Thepnimit Temple – Soi Thep Anusorn on Chao Fah East Road. At the scene, police found a white 10 wheel truck parked next to the traffic light and…
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7-Eleven staff member gets shot tackling robber in Bangkok
PHOTOS: ejan.co A staff member of a 7-Eleven store in Bangkok’s Phasi Charoen district was injured after being shot when he tried to snatch the gun from a robber. The robber eventually fled with 3,000 baht cash early today. Phasi Charoen police were alerted to the robbery at the convenience store in front of Phetkasem Soi 46 in Bang Wa subdistrict…
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Lovestruck 22 year old Thai has a ‘very bad day’
PHOTOS and STORY: Sanook.com & WorpointNews.com Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but not a diamond thief’s. A man has stolen two diamond rings from a shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima. He told police he wanted the rings to show his girlfriend his ‘true love’. The two rings were valued at 84,000 baht. But true love would have to wait…
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Serbian government grants citizenship to Thailand’s former PM Yingluck
The Serbian government has granted citizenship to Thailand’s former PM Yingluck Shinawatra. Yingluck fled Thailand in 2017 just days before the Court handed down its findings on negligence charges against her and her government. 52 year old Yingluck, now a fugitive, fled to Dubai to join her brother Thaksin, another former Thai PM who fled in 2006 to avoid a…
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Thai weather man issues rain warnings for south and east
The Thai Meteorological Department has issued a warning to residents of eastern and southern provinces to brace themselves for heavy rains until Sunday. In its warning, issued at 5am today, the department said the rains would be unleashed by influences of the southwest monsoon across the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, which is intensifying, and by a low-pressure…
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Thai Police Chief admits difficulties in solving last Friday’s bombings
“Suspects had provided some useful information but are still reluctant to disclose the rewards they were promised.” Thailand’s national police chief says that it has been difficult for investigators to track down the real masterminds behind the recent bombings and arson attacks in Bangkok and neighbouring Nonthaburi province. Police have arrested at least two people and held others in custody…
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Thai Government suffers first defeat in lower house
PHOTO: Thai PBS Highlighting the Government’s frail grip on power, the ruling Palang Pracharat government, together with its 19 coalition partners, suffered its first defeat in the lower house yesterday. The matter was over a parliamentary regulation that would specify the House speaker’s impartiality in the performance of their duties. Regulation Number 9 was debated at length in the Lower…
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Lottery winner gets arrested for handing out free meth pills
PHOTOS: Workpoint News Congratulations. You’ve just won two grand prize Thai lottery tickets – a total of 12 million baht. So what do you do with the winnings? You distribute methamphetamine pills to your friends for free, of course. The Ban Paew police arrested the vegetable seller-turned local millionaire after winning the lottery ticket last year and turning his kind generosity…
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