Expats
Thailand expat news, visas, work permits, property, and healthcare—stay informed with essential updates and insights for foreign residents. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for expat news in Thailand.
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Sponsored How much does it cost to see a doctor in Thailand?
Thailand is known for its high-quality yet affordable healthcare system, but how much does it really cost to see a doctor? As an expat, this question might be crucial for budgeting your health needs. The answer depends on whether you...
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Briton stranded in Thai hospital after balcony fall appealing to return home
A 56 year old Briton is appealing to be repatriated after surviving an attempted suicide, falling from a 6-storey balcony here in Thailand. The family of the man is trying to raise £10,000 to fly him home, after he has been stuck in a Thai hospital recovering from his injuries. He has no insurance, and before the accident, he has…
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Thailand looks at proposal to make it easier for expats and long-termers
Thailand is looking to make it easier for expats and long-term visa holders to stay in the country. The Immigration Bureau is hoping to boost investments and the economy once the pandemic is over. The proposed changes could do away with 90 day reporting requirements which have been well-received by expats. Recently, the online website to report 90 day check-ins…
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Privatising Covid vaccines – Thai government gives private hospitals the go-ahead to buy vaccines
“About 10,000 people are being vaccinated around Thailand, on average, with 14,000 people being vaccinated each day in Phuket.” Private hospitals and institutions have been given the official go-ahead to purchase up to 10 million doses of approved Covid-19 vaccines. The purchases will be in addition to what the Thai government is also doing. The major sticking point, despite the…
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Airlines and hotels try to cope with cancellations for Songkran
Press Release Airlines and hotels are reporting cancellations from many of their customers as travellers react to the news of the new clusters and infections being detected in the provinces. Bars and entertainment venues close for 2 weeks in 44 provinces from midnight tonight, according to an order from the Thai PM. Entertainment venues in the other 35 provinces will…
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Thai government plans to draw in rich foreigners to live in Thailand
Say goodbye to the backpacker lifestyle of travelling through Thailand on a shoestring budget. The Thai government plans to lure rich, high spending foreigners with plans underway to reopen the country to foreign visitors. The government plans to draw in at least 1 million high spending tourists – rich retirees who want to settle in Thailand and potential investors interested…
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TAT says expats are confident in living a “new normal” life in Thailand – VIDEO
Expats are confident in living a “new normal” life in Thailand, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. In their recent “Trusted Thailand Report” titled “Expat Life in Thailand,” the authority highlighted popular areas in the country among foreigners and spoke to some expats about life in Thailand during the Covid-19 pandemic. Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Road is the most popular place…
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Thailand’s PM says Karen villagers can’t live in national park
Thailand’s PM says Karen villagers are not allowed to live in Phetchaburi’s Kaeng Krachan National Park after welcoming the UN to investigate the ethnic minority group’s living conditions in the park. PM Prayut made the announcement after the government recently accepted villagers’ demands for consideration in return for them leaving their protest site yesterday outside of the Government House. PM…
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Aging American expat “living the dream” in Phuket on US $2,500 a month
An American says he is living the dream in paradise in Phuket for only US$2,500 a month. 70 year old Pete Bowen arrived in Thailand back in 2009 with only a suitcase and guitar after self-admittedly making an impulsive decision to sell his house and belongings and move across the world to look for a place in which he could…
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British man arrested on Koh Samui for alleged meth-fuelled shooting spree on speedboat
A 33 year old British man has been arrested on the holiday island of Samui for allegedly firing gunshots from a speedboat while high on drugs. According to a report in the UK’s Daily Mail, Benjamin Robert Simpson, a cryptocurrency trader, allegedly fired a handgun several times, in the direction of the Four Seasons Hotel, where he was a guest.…
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Video of foreigner’s road rage in Pathum Thani gets mixed reaction from Thais
A video of a foreigner lashing out after a motorbike accident, yelling and hitting a Thai motorbike driver for pulling out in front of him and causing him to crash, has gotten a mixed reaction from Thais (you MUST watch it… below). The incident also caught media attention and Thairath made a post on Facebook pairing the clip from the…
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Ban on sales and promotion of alcohol online starts December 7
From December 7 you’ll no longer, officially, be able to purchase alcohol online in Thailand, according to a posting in the Royal Gazette back in September, the Thai government will prohibit the sales and promotion of alcoholic drinks on every online platform from December 7. The ban includes direct sales, promotion and introduction of alcoholic products online, but will not…
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Finally! TAT partners with hotels, airlines, to offer travel stimulus package for expats
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is partnering with airlines and over 300 hotels around the country in another domestic tourism stimulus scheme, this time aimed at expats. It’s understood all foreigners and their families, living in the Kingdom, are eligible to avail of the scheme. The “Expat Travel Bonus” offers a 1,000 baht per night discount on hotel accommodation at…
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Bangkok nightclub has special booth to vet and upcharge foreigners
A Bangkok nightclub has set up what resembles an immigration counter outside the venue to check foreigners’ IDs and make them pay up before entering. At BarBarBar in Thong Lor, Thais get in free, but foreigners are asked to step aside to the booth and either pay 500 baht or buy a bottle of alcohol before entering the venue. Bouncers…
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Expat says he was almost deported over Facebook posts
With the ongoing pro-democracy protests, some have raised question: What could happen to foreigners who get involved or speak out against Thai politics? Or post their thoughts on social media? Well, they could possibly get deported. Expat Yan Marchal says he almost got kicked out of the country for posts he made on Facebook. Many of Yan’s recent Facebook posts…
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Pattaya residents accuse Greek expat of throwing sewage, threatening neighbours, and damaging property
Residents of a housing estate in the district of Banglamung in Pattaya, have filed a police report against an expat they accuse of threatening and damaging behaviour. According to The Pattaya News, neighbours say the Greek national has threatened them, as well as “throwing sewage” at their homes, and damaging their fences. They add that, despite filing a police report…
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Thai hotels to offer 1,000 baht discounts for expats
To stimulate domestic tourism and help revive the economy after the pandemic, hotels plan to offer expats a 1,000 baht discount on rooms until the end of the year. A debt moratorium, put in place to help businesses hurt by the pandemic, is ending this month and hotels need a boost. The Thai Hotels Association, or THA, says they will…
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Deals and discounts for expats at Bangkok wellness tourism event
Expats in Thailand will be offered discounts and promotions at a 2 day fair focusing on health and wellness travel, including deals on flights, accommodation and spa packages. Domestic flights start at 490 baht, and if the booking is made on the spot, customers get a free 15 kilogram baggage allowance. There will also be many deals for health and…
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Expat shift drives changes in Bangkok’s condo market
Thailand’s dominant working expat nationality in past decades has been Japanese, currently making up 18% of expatriates in the country. But, while Japanese expatriate numbers are decreasing, a CBRE report notes that Chinese and Filipinos are on the rise. There were 28,560 Japanese expats in Thailand as of Q3 2020, just ahead of the Chinese expat contingent at 25,811. As China’s manufacturing has…
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News of American sued over bad Koh Chang hotel review has everyone talking
After news hit of an American being arrested and sued for defamation over leaving a bad review about a Koh Chang hotel on TripAdvisor, many are taking to the internet to voice their opinions on the issue. The Sea View Resort owners say it tried in vain to negotiated with Wesley Barnes after he posted the reviews, but he continued…
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Koh Chang resort sues American over bad review
A Koh Chang resort is fighting back and, reportedly, suing an American citizen after posting a nasty online review on TripAdvisor. After recently visiting the Sea View Resort on Trat province island in the Gulf of Thailand, American Wesley Barnes wrote an unflattering, almost bitchy, account of his stay prompting the owner to file an official complaint over the ‘unfair’…
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Thai Chamber of Commerce urges visa amnesty to be extended after today’s deadline
The Thai Chamber of Commerce is urging the government to extend the visa amnesty for the country’s 400,000 tourists after today’s deadline but has so far been turned down. The move comes as such provinces like Chiang Mai’s immigration office sends messages giving tourists until Monday to sort out their visas (which is under the law as Saturday, the final…
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Thai cabinet adds 2 more 4-day long weekends
A holiday-led economic recovery. That appears to be a part of the government’s agenda following yesterday’s meeting of the Thai cabinet. 2 new holiday weekends have been created, one in November, one in December, in efforts to further stimulate the economy. In both cases the extended weekends will be 4 days each, adding the Thursdays and Fridays before the weekend.…
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Russian in Pattaya offers 100,000 baht reward for missing cat
A Russian resident in Pattaya is offering a hefty reward for anyone who finds her missing 9 month old cat. The woman, 46 year old Oksana Kobzar met with Associated Pattaya Press today to send out the message of the reward for finding her beloved white Main Coon furry friend. Kobzar says her treasured pussy left her house in Bang…
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Phuket’s ‘Boat Splash’ welcomes everyone for some fun in the sun
Disabled Sailing Thailand are organising Phuket’s first Boat Splash on October 21 off Phuket’s east coast. An on-water meet-up that’s open to everyone, Boat Splash will take place in the waters between Rang Yai Island off Phuket Boat Lagoon and Royal Phuket Marina, and Cape Yamu. What originally grew from an idea to offer people with disabilities a safe opportunity…
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Belgian arrested after living and working in Thailand without a passport for 4 years
A 49 year old Belgian man has been arrested by Thai immigration police after being discovered living in the Kingdom without a passport. The man was reported to be living in an apartment at Wang Thonglang, a north east suburb of Bangkok. Officials started an investigation into a “good looking European man” that spoke fluent Thai and discovered that the man has…
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Tourism officials look to end dual pricing for expats
“The key factor is we have to treat expats like locals, without discrimination or a negative attitude towards foreigners.” Admission fees at national parks and tourist attractions are often drastically higher for expats than they are for Thai nationals. Foreigners sometimes even pay 10 times more than Thais. Tourism officials say they might put an end to dual pricing for…
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A glimmer of hope for expats unable to satisfy minimum income requirements
September 26 looms as a dark day for many foreigners who have been unable to sort out a way to either leave the country or stay in Thailand. But at least one Thai immigration office appears to be discussing some leniency in this crazy time. Phuket Immigration has specifically addressed the issue for foreigners on a non-immigrant B (Business) visa…
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Wow! TAT says they’ll give expats 500 baht to boost tourism
Where would you go with 500 baht? Probably not very far. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says they’re going to hand out 500 baht discount for each trip they take. TAT says they hope that the 2 million baht budget scheme will help stimulate domestic tourism. The 500 baht is expected to encourage the expats to “travel in the country…
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Should foreigners go to protests and get involved in Thai politics?
Should foreigners get involved in the Thai protests? Is it any of our business? Is there a danger of being targeted and thrown out of the country? Most foreigners, certainly the vast majority, will say they’re uncomfortable even discussing local politics with Thais, especially THAT other big topic. Most are happy to walk the beaches, explore or sit in the…
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CCSA considers another 2 groups of foreigners for return to Thailand
The next batch of returnee categories is now being considered by the CCSA. This time, foreigners with permanent residences who have been stranded overseas for the past 6 months, and long-term foreign residents, will receive priority when the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announces the next date for the next phase of lifting the shutters on Thailand’s borders. The chairman…
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