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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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Visa hassles for South African teachers
PHOTO: Study Abroad By Eric Haeg According to an official announcement from the Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, citizens from South Africa, “are advised to apply for visa (sic.) at the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General in their respective countries if they do not reside in Malaysia.” This list also includes citizens of dozens of other African, Middle…
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Chiang Mai: Controversial housing estate to be ringed with ‘No Man’s Land’ signs
The Government brokered a deal where all but four apartments would have to be removed las month. Yet people are now living in the 45 houses on the slopes of Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai. So what’s going on? The Doi Suthep Forest Reclamation Network said it would post “No Man’s Land” signs around the Chiang Mai mountain housing estate…
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Samui: Woman arrested for running illegal dental clinic
Of all the things you probably wouldn’t ever want to use – a self-taught dentist. So thanks to the police on Samui for tracking down this alleged ‘cosmetic tooth doctor’. A self-taught dental practitioner has been arrested on Koh Samui yesterday (Sunday) for opening an illegal clinic to attach fashion braces for clients. Pol Lt-Colonel Sompol Buranathet, deputy commander of…
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90 houses damaged, power cables down on main roads – Phuket storm
There have been about 90 houses across Phuket that have been damaged from storms whilst eight power cables have been brought down in Thalang today (June 18). This is the latest in our coverage of the unusually wet and windy storms to hit the island. Officials have surveyed all the districts and found that there are about 90 houses which…
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Monkey move to islands postponed due to inclement weather
The task to move some of the migrating monkeys to Koh Payu in Paklok has been postponed due to strong wind and waves while the monkey sterilisations continue. Some sterilised monkeys will be released in Rassada today (June 18). 38 long-tailed macaques were caught at Soi Tha Chin in Rassada last Friday (June 15). Water tanks were also installed on…
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Controlled use of kratom and marijuana to be decriminalised
By Pratch Rujivanarom There may be a time in the near future where local police aren’t required to chase around and arrest people using kratom and marijuana, in some situation and in small quantities. Decriminalisation has worked in some countries where it is followed by solid public education. How will Thailand handle decriminalisation of these drugs? New narcotics laws to…
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Phuket lifeguards warn about Portuguese man-o-war
Phuket Lifeguards are warning swimmers after Portuguese man-o-war have been spotted on Phuket’s west coast beaches today (June 18). “Warning to all beach swimmers that a Portuguese man-o-war was found on Nai Yang beach, Mai Khao Beach and Patong Beach. If you feel pain on your skin it may caused by their sting. Please contact a lifeguard on your beach…
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ASEAN commits to tackling Dengue
The ASEAN region is the most vulnerable to the threat of potentially-fatal dengue fever, according to the World Health Organisation. Last year, more than 425,000 people in ASEAN nations came down with the disease, the highest number of any region in the world. ASEAN nations have stood united in their initiatives against dengue fever and for eight years now, June…
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Chonburi: Emotions spill onto the streets during World Cup match
Where there’s a World Cup match playing at a pub, there’s going to be alcohol. And where there’s long games there’s going to be some pent-up emotions. According to Sanook, violence erupted between a group of Thai and Chinese men during the Argentina vs Iceland World Cup match on Saturday night in Phanat Nikom, north of Pattaya and east of…
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Coastal erosion experts ringing alarm bells
“This is a big problem needing urgent solution.” Erosion is eating away five metres of land every year along a combined 42 kilometre long stretch of Thailand’s coastline. The situation is now so serious that a consulting firm is proposing that the government invoke an already-passed environmental law to protect the hard-hit coasts. Kittipoj Permpul, a public-participation expert at a consulting…
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Jungceylon Patong issues urgent safety order following Phuket storm
Jungceylon department store executives have issued a safety order after storms hit Phuket yesterday (June 17). The storm has damaged the front part of the shopping centre on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road. No injuries were reported. The notice says, “two safety orders for customers and pedestrians nearby are” The entrance of the store on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road has been…
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Chonburi school hazing ceremony – Grounds for concern
School hazing ceremonies are a part of Thai culture. At schools it can be as innocent as the Wai Khru ceremony where students prostrate themselves in front of their teachers to show respect, to the more colourful ceremonies devised by older students and lecturers at universities which have also drawn concern from sections of Thai society. It’s all part of…
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Police hunting for arsonist who allegedly torched ex-girlfriend’s car
Police are hunting for an arsonist who set a Mitsubishi Mirage on fire in Chalong yesterday morning (June 17). Chalong Police were notified of the incident at Baan Nakok in Chalong. Police and firefighters arrived at the scene to find a black Mitsubishi Mirage completely gutted by fire. It took about 20 minutes to put out the fire. The car…
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Phuket storm tears down trees and power poles
“This is the strongest wind he has ever seen.” Heavy rains and strong wind across Phuket yesterday (June 17) have caused trees and power cables to be torn down across the island. At about noon, a big banyan tree, aged around 100 years, fell down and blocked Narisorn Road in Phuket Town. 56 year old Wuttichart Na Pangchang says, “While…
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Two escape serious injuries in Phuket storm
Two people have escaped injures after a big tree toppled by high winds landed on their moving car as they were travelling through Thalang on Saturday (June 16). Thalang Police were notified of the incident on Pru Sompan Road at the entrance of Soi Baan Ja in Thapkrasattri, Thalang at 8.30pm. The fallen tree had blocked the road with the…
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Bangkok: Be brave to speak, get better jobs and a better social life
(Translated) Young Thais students are still being subjected to a largely rote learning style of education. But some young Bangkokians are speaking out about widening their education and life to embrace the English language as well. And some Universities say they’re on the right track. tnamcot.com is reporting that Thais who are speaking English and conversing with foreigners have big advantages…
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Thai economic growth forecast projections up to 6% – World Bank
The World Bank is looking to boost projections for growth in the Thai economy. In the last financial quarter, expansion of the Thai economy hit a five-year high. Ulrich Zachau, the World Bank’s director for Thailand and regional partnerships, says that a stable outlook and signs that Thai business is investing again domestically are among the positive factors for the…
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Is a fresh crackdown on alcohol-related sales and businesses on the way?
The Thai junta is warning that it intends to enforce harsh measures regulating the advertising and promotion of alcohol, in a move that will affect thousands of businesses throughout the country. Details of the law, which affected business claim is vague and open to interpretation, are provided below. There has been a number of raids on pubs, clubs and hotels…
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Chiang Mai: Judicial officers have “no plans to move out” – Doi Sutep housing controversy heats up
Despite a ban on use of the controversial housing project on the slopes of Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, judicial officials are not only living there but refuse to move out. The campaigners against the ‘scar of Doi Suthep’ held a meeting today, to address the issue of officers living in the judicial housing, despite a government order that nobody…
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Monkey chase in Chalong
Whilst mischievous monkeys are being rounded up and sent to uninhabited islands around Phuket, one has found its way into a Chalong residential area. A monkey was found running around homes in Chalong yesterday (June 16). Officers of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) stationed at Chalong Municipality were notified at 10.05am that a monkey was searching for…
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Phuket Governor warns of heavy rains and possible flooding
Following the heavy rain, Phuket’s Governor, Norrapat Plodthong, is expressing his concerns yesterday about more flash flooding. “According to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) Office of the Southern West Coast, from yesterday (June 16) until Wednesday (June 20). There is a Southwest monsoon that is affecting the Andaman Sea as well as the whole west coast of southern Thailand.” “The…
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Bangkok: A car and 500 motorcycle seized in road racing crackdown
Police in Samut Prakan province, just south east of central Bangkok city, have seized a car and some 500 motorcycles in a crack down on road racing last night (Friday). Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakpal said police from 14 police stations in Samut Prakan set up road checkpoints to check for vehicles that were illegally modified for racing. They impounded a…
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Five days of wind and rain for the south
The forecast over the next five days in Phuket and southern provinces is not good, if you’re a tourist. According to the Thai Meteorological Department, “The southwest monsoon across the Andaman Sea and the Gulf becomes stronger leading to rough sea continuing between June 16-20. 2-4 metre waves will be likely in the Andaman Sea and 2-3 metres in the…
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Bangkok: Another 50 foreigners arrested in weekly immigration shakedown
In the latest of the weekly crackdowns on illegal immigrants, police in Bangkok have rounded up another 50 foreigners, for overstaying their visas and entering the Kingdom without the correct documentation. The Tourist police joined forces with other police agencies to search 87 areas around the country on Friday night and arrested 50 foreigners, mostly for overstaying their visa and…
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PM backs Myanmar’s efforts in tackling the Rohingya crisis
PHOTO: VOA News Thailand has considered the issue a “domestic” matter for Myanmar, and has also declined to recognise the Rohingya as refugees, leaving them vulnerable to persecution. Thailand is backing the Myanmar government’s efforts to solve the long-running problem relating to the Rohingya in Rakhine state. Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha said, “[I] welcome the Myanmar government’s] sincere efforts to…
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Up in smoke. 61 million meth pills and 486kg of crystal meth.
61 million meth pills and 486kg of crystal meth, 108kg of heroin, 122kg of opium, 10kg of ecstasy pills, 5kg of cocaine and 7.3 tonnes of marijuana and kratom leaves. Raids, stings and seizures around the country have netted an astonishing amount of drugs in recent months – almost one meth pill for every single Thai! So what happens to…
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Changes to the leasehold bill ‘unlikely to impact property market’
Changes to the Leasehold Bill looks likely to update the way foreigners can maintain rights to use land in Thailand. A new bill has been approved by the Thai cabinet and could become law following the public hearing process that finished yesterday. The intention of the changes to the bill, mooted last year, is to make leasehold arrangements more secure…
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Nakhon Pathom: Man shoots pregnant girlfriend dead, injures her father
A man fatally shot his pregnant girlfriend and severely injured her father and himself inside the Nakhon Pathom Hospital on Friday at around 1:30pm. Police did not identify the attacker and two victims. Witnesses told police that the young man turned up at the hospital and had a dispute with the woman and the older man who appeared to be…
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New Phuket estate projects get the green light
Phuket housing estates continue to grow as investors are putting their money into the construction of townhouses and single storey housing around the island. The Board of Land Allocation has approved four projects which cost many hundred thousand Baht. Phuket Land Officer Amnouy Pitsuwan says, “Four housing estate projects have been approved for commencement including ‘The Rich 3 @ Paklok’…
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