Expats

Visas, life, ideas, problems, solutions for expatriates

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  • Loutish foreigner arrested for running amok in Pattaya restaurant

    Another loutish foreigner did himself proud by running amok in a Pattaya restaurant in the early hours of this morning. One Thai eyewitness alleges that the half-naked man from the waist up was either under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Police were called and arrested the unruly man after he refused to calm down at an unnamed Isaan restaurant…

  • Prominent French retiree and Rotarian passes away in Pattaya

    A prominent French retiree and former Rotarian has reportedly passed away in Pattaya at the age of 85, leaving his loved ones to pen an online obituary. The Frenchman, Pierre Yves Francois Andre Eraud, was born on October 16, 1938. He was described as being a great humanist and as being attached to the respect and benevolence characteristics that are…

  • Low reserves of Rh negative blood raise concerns for foreigners in Thailand

    Low reserves of Rh negative blood are raising concerns for foreigners in Thailand. While only 0.3% of the Thai population has Rh negative blood, around 15% of the UK and European population has the blood type. This shortage has resulted in concerning shortages of Rh negative blood in blood banks across Southeast Asia. Visitors to the region who have had…

  • Lineker back on MOTD after BBC offer grovelling apology

    Gary Lineker will return to the Match of the Day (MOTD) studio after the BBC issued a grovelling apology. The 62 year old presenter of the BBC’s flagship football programme was told to step down last week after he criticised the Conservative Party’s brutal immigration policy. Since then, the former England, Leicester City, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur striker received an…

  • LTR visa lures just 2,920 applicants in four months

    Despite claims of being able to lure one million expats in five years – which averages to 200,000 a year, or just under 17,000 per month – the actual figures in the first few months have fallen flat. Thailand’s new long-term resident (LTR) visa has attracted almost 3,000 foreign applicants in the four months since its introduction, according to a…

  • Thailand tourism industry hails success of We Travel Together scheme

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand hailed the success of its We Travel Together scheme after holidaymakers rushed to book hotels during the latest phase of the programme. Within just six hours of the hotel subsidy programme’s availability, a remarkable 112,876 room nights were reserved out of the 560,000 available, demonstrating a high level of demand. According to Tourism Authority of…

  • Phuket farang offers 4,000 baht reward for missing duck

    A beloved pet duck has gone missing in Phuket, southern Thailand, and its farang owner is offering a 4,000 baht reward for the person who finds and returns it. A poster reveals that the duck is female and went missing on Friday, March 3, from behind Wat Khanaen Temple near Thalang Dog Hotel. CH3‘s Facebook page Nai Krasae (“In the…

  • US tourist takes legal action against slap happy Bangkok security guard (video)

    The US tourist slapped by a security guard in a Bangkok nightclub says he still loves Thailand despite the assault but added he will be taking legal action against two guards. The tourist, Rodric Carkhuff, was slapped and handcuffed by a security guard last month outside The Club Khaosan nightclub on Khao San Road after the 34 year old took…

  • ‘My husband keeps disappearing to Thailand’ – and I don’t know why

    It sounds like a bad dream. But for one woman it is the very sad reality of her marriage. The New York Post reported how a 70 year old woman shared on UK television that after 50 years of marriage, her husband keeps disappearing to Thailand and spending “hundreds of pounds there monthly.” Speaking on a segment called the “Dear…

  • Thailand’s sex industry was created for foreigners, right? Wrong! (video)

    Thailand’s sex industry was created exclusively for foreign tourists, right? Wrong! It is a myth Thailand’s sex industry was exclusively made for tourists. It was set up for Thai people. There are hundreds of “Love Motels” spread across the country, and it’s not foreigners who commonly go there. There’s even a term for a casual sex partner, “Gik,” which is…

  • Russian invasion spreads to Thailand’s paradise islands

    Ukraine isn’t the only nation suffering from a Russian invasion, Thailand is facing it too. Since Russia took exception to Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO and the European Union thousands of Russian citizens have fled to avoid conscription to set up camp in Thailand. Russian roubles may have been welcomed by Thai businesses as the Covid-19 ravaged kingdom looks to…

  • Mosquito bite in Thailand causes Dutchman to lose both legs

    A Dutchman living in Nakhon Rathasima in Thailand is on a mission to spread awareness about “flesh-eating bacteria” (necrotising fasciitis) after a mosquito bite led to the amputation of his left leg and lower right leg. Long-term expat, 62 year old Ed Olieslagers from the Netherlands, went to the hospital in April last year after a mosquito bite became inflamed and…

  • Dating apps won’t help you find love and here’s why

    For most of human history, relationships were relatively simple for a banal yet immovable reason: it was extremely hard to meet anyone acceptable – and everyone knew it. Dating apps won’t help you if there are only a few people in the village if travel is expensive and when social occasions are few and far between. History had many drawbacks.…

  • Should Millennials (and you) refuse to get married?

    Millennials who refuse to get married are saying “I don’t” in record numbers, radically changing a stumbling institution. According to some wide-awake experts at Massachusetts’ Bentley U, traditional marriage has been on a downward trajectory for generations. Among Millennials – the oldest are now 40 years old — the ancient horse and carriage are no longer viable in today’s urban…

  • Small hotels recover in Thailand as foreigners move downmarket

    As small hotels recover in Thailand, returning tourists are choosing different options from pre-pandemic staples. A study of small hotels and hostels found booking growth is now higher than before the pandemic, with bookings from overseas tourists exceeding those of local travellers. As small hotels recover in Thailand, bookings are up by a quarter from the pre-Covid levels, according to…

  • Russian arrested acting illegally as tour guide

    In Thailand, many jobs are earmarked as being only for Thai people. Even if a foreigner or expat had a business visa and a work permit, they are barred from certain fields. But in Phuket this week, a Russian man was arrested working as a tour guide which is forbidden for foreigners without any visas or permits. Pavel Maslennikov, a…

  • Khaosan Road businesses told to cut noise pollution, or else!

    Businesses in the backpacker haven of Khaosan Road have been warned to cut noise pollution otherwise, they will suffer legal consequences, due to complaints received from nearby residents. City Hall says businesses have 15 days to get their houses in order and regulate noise levels, or else! After a gathering that brought together 30 members of the Khaosan Road Business…

  • South American giants unite for joint bid to host 2030 FIFA World Cup

    Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay plan to make history as they come together to submit a joint bid to host the highly-anticipated 2030 FIFA World Cup. The 2030 tournament will mark 100 years since the first World Cup was held in Montevideo, Uruguay, making it a momentous occasion for the sport of football. At the Argentine Football Association headquarters in…