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 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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Walk-in driving license services now available in Thailand
Obtaining a new driving license or renewing an old one just got easier in Thailand. Walk-in services are now available at transport offices nationwide without the need to book an appointment, according to the Department of Land Transport (DLT). Anyone wanting to renew their Thai driving license can obtain an ‘eLearning’ theoretical training certificate through the DLT’s website, which also…
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Rescue team ends search for Romanian diver missing off Phuket
A rescue team ended its search for a Romanian diver who went missing at sea off Phuket on January 8. The diver, 46 year old Sebastian Emil Somesan, went missing off the coast of Promthep Cape. Yesterday, Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos announced that the search was wrapping up. This was after rescuers worked intensely for nine days to find Somesan,…
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Warning Thai people: Don’t be a nominee for foreign business
The Director-General of the Business Development Department in Thailand announced that Thai citizens who allow their names to be used by foreigners to open businesses that are reserved for Thai nationals may face penalties. The punishment can include hefty fines starting at 100,000 baht and climbing as high as 1 million baht. Violators could also face imprisonment for up to…
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Bossware is coming to Thailand: Digital nomads, beware
Bossware is coming to Thailand to ruin the digital nomad lifestyle. The kingdom’s attempts to introduce digital nomad visas have been widely mocked and dismissed, but Thailand remains a big draw for digital nomads, even if they can only stay for a couple of months. Digital nomads looking for a more laid-back, less expensive option love Thailand. It offers a…
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Govt to introduce 300 baht tourist fee in June
The government announced plans to introduce its long-mooted 300 baht tourist fee for foreign visitors in June. The tourism fee was originally planned to be imposed on foreign travellers at the beginning of last year but the idea was put on hold after the spread of the Covid-19 Omicron variant and details of how the government planned to collect the…
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Tips for riding motorcycle in Thailand
PLEASE NOTE: We’re not recommending that you should ride a motorbike or motorcycle in Thailand but, if you do, these tips will help… Riding a motorbike in Thailand is a great way to get around, especially in heavy traffic where it’s often the quickest option. While some may warn against it, those who avoid hopping on a 110cc scooter miss out on…
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Two Thailand population reports reveal conflicting data
Statistics provided by the Central Domicile Registration Office revealed that on December 31, 2022, Thailand’s official population stands at 66,090,475. The Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data contradicts this however, saying it is over 70 million residents. Last year, an announcement formally published in the Royal Gazette stated that the official population of Thailand as of December 31,…
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Man bites dog: Dog-eating Thai man gets three months
A dog-eating Thai man has been sent to prison for three months for killing, cooking and eating his pet dogs, according to the Soi Dog Foundation. The charity said on Facebook yesterday that concern was raised by Soi Dog mobile clinic staff who encountered a puppy in the Chalerm Prakiat district of Nakhon Si Thammarat with a deep laceration to…
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Island redemption: Stray human saves himself through stray dogs
A stray Northern Irish entrepreneur is now looking after stray dogs in Koh Samui, but only after nearly drinking himself to death. Niall Harbison founded successful Irish social media companies Simply Zesty and Lovin Dublin before selling them for seven-figure sums, according to Belfast Live. Niall moved to Brussels at an early age where his father was a diplomat and…
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Prince Harry’s admiration for Jeremy Corbyn vilified by British establishment
The vilification of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle by the British tabloids continues to gather pace on the back of a new book written by the Duke of Sussex with the revelation that he backed former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Led by the Daily Mail, which has a particular axe to grind after the High Court in…
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US Mega Millions jackpot close to US$1 billion
As the Mega Millions jackpot closes in on US$1 billion, with an estimated US$940 million in its next draw, after another draw without a grand prize winner. The lack of a winner of an estimated US$785 million (27 billion baht) jackpot Tuesday means there have been 23 straight draws without a winner. The new jackpot is the sixth-largest in US…
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Flights between Shanghai and Phuket, Guangzhou and Chiang Mai resume
Flights between Shanghai and Phuket, and Guangzhou and Chiang Mai, will resume this month says Shanghai-based Spring Airlines. The budget airline also revealed that flights from Shanghai to Hong Kong, and Taipei, will also be relaunched in January while the resumption of flights between the metropolis and Singapore is being considered. Another Shangai-based airline, Juneyao Air, announced late last month…
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Chinese tourists banned from entering Morocco
Thailand may have stretched out its welcoming arms to China but the same can’t be said of other countries, especially Morocco which has banned all mainland tourists from entering the African country. Thailand Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn on Saturday was quoted as saying that his ministry was “very pleased to learn that China will implement new border control…
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Indian passengers to be charged over air rage incident on Bangkok-Kolkata flight
Police in India reported that two of the men involved in the air rage incident on a flight from Bangkok to Kolkata will be charged. Bidhannagar City Police, in Kolkata, drew up a First Information Report and slapped an Indian Penal Code charge on the men of assault, wrongful restraint, and criminal intimidation, after a complaint by the Bureau of…
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Andrew Tate spat with Greta Thunberg leads to his arrest in Bucharest
A spat with Greta Thunberg last night led to the arrest of controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate as part of an investigation into alleged human trafficking in Romania. The former British-American kickboxer and his brother, Tristian, were detained in Bucharest where they will be held for questioning for up to 24 hours. Romanian television last night showed the 36…
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Scottish man fights for his life in Thai hospital
A Scottish man is fighting for his life in a Thai hospital after a virus triggered a respiratory disease and rendered him unconscious while on holiday. Robert Kessell flew to Thailand on November 24 for a three-week holiday but was struck by illness on Thursday, December 8. The 66 year old, from Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, was rushed to Pattaya…
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Tasteless Thai food humbled by American culinary excellence
Thai food was humbled by American when TasteAtlas announced their top 50 best cuisines from around the world, and almost everyone was offended. While some obvious countries made it into the top spots, not everyone agreed with the breakdown. Taking the top three spots were Italy, Greece and Spain, who were joined by the likes of Japan, India, Mexico and…
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Best Christmas Movies, Ever!
The Thaiger is following up on the success of its Best Christmas Singles, Ever! This time the team selected its favourite Christmas movies. With so many films to choose from many readers may disagree with our choices and be disappointed to discover that their favourite Xmas flick is missing from the list. But it’s always a great topic to debate…
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Infected spinach recalled in Australia after people become delirious
It appears spinach not only gives you superhuman strength but it also makes you delirious. The vegetable made famous by the cartoon character Popeye caused a health alarm in Australia after a number of people who ate it became ill and experienced hallucinations. Nine people from four Sydney households yesterday required medical attention after experiencing toxic reactions linked to eating…
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The Thaiger’s Best Christmas Singles, Ever!
As readers on The Thaiger platform will have noticed, it’s getting pretty close to Christmas. The team has been suggesting the best places to go to eat, drink, and make merry at this special time of the year. Nostalgia always plays a big part in the festive season and there’s nothing better than wallowing in times gone by when life…
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Canadian hitman in Phuket killing moves closer to extradition
The Canadian hitman accused of killing a Vancouver gangster in Phuket is one step closer to extradition after a ruling from an Alberta judge. Matthew Dupre was committed to extradition Friday, to be surrendered to Thailand to be tried for his involvement in the death of Jimi Singh Sandhu. Dupre was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan…
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Pattaya visa legend dies of cancer
The Pattaya expat community is saddened to learn today that one of its most loved members, Darren McGarry, has died suddenly after a long battle with cancer. Manchester-born McGarry was the founder of the successful Pattaya-based visa company Key Visa, reported Pattaya Mail. He established a business in Bangkok before moving to Pattaya almost 30 years ago where he married…
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A British musician bangs drums of discontent after breaking leg in Thailand
A British musician is banging the drums of discontent after breaking his leg in Thailand leaving him with a bill of 680,000 baht (£16,000). Kieran Angus, a drummer with the Scottish rock band Broadsea, fell off his motorbike while on tour in Thailand breaking his leg as a consequence. The 27 year old from Aberdeen believed he was insured but…
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Is poor English proficiency holding Thailand back?
The government of Thailand has been working hard to make it a world-class destination for not just tourists, but digital nomads and business and technology innovators. But do the people of Thailand speak English well enough to fully attract these business opportunities? Thailand is ranked second to last among the countries that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations…
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Thai AirAsia Melbourne and Sydney connections take to the air
Australians can expect cheaper flights to Thailand, thanks to the arrival of a Thai AirAsia X on the busy Melbourne and Sydney routes. For the first time since the pandemic began, a non-stop Melbourne to Bangkok flight took off yesterday afternoon from Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport. The budget airline’s first flight on its new Sydney to Bangkok route departed today. Thai…
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Thailand’s top cheesemaker toasts his own success
When Thailand’s top cheesemaker Jarutat Snidwongse Na Ayuthaya decided to make cheese for a living, he didn’t find much support. His family and friends doubted that was a market for Chiang Mai cheese. Thailand’s unique cuisine doesn’t find much space for dairy. Sixteen years on, and things could hardly be better in the small but perfectly formed Thai cheese cottage…
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Pattaya Police warn city’s taxi riders to behave after sexual assault case
Pattaya Police warned the city’s motorcycle taxi riders to behave or else lose your taxi permits and driver’s license. The warning comes on the back of a taxi rider sexually harassing a customer who turned out to be a Thai TV talent show singer. Pol. Col. Kullachart Kullachai summoned a meeting with the city’s motorcycle taxi drivers to make them…
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Missing Australian teacher in Koh Samui found
A missing teacher on Koh Samui island has been found alive, but her current condition is unknown. The Australian woman, Jessica Desai, 38, is of Indian descent and was reported missing since November 25. Desai is a teacher at Oonrak International School in Koh Samui. Her information was posted to numerous Koh Samui Facebook groups with hopes of finding her.…
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Pattaya Flying Club claims another victim, a Russian
The Pattaya Flying Club claimed another victim yesterday after a Russian man fell to his death from the 8th floor of his hotel in the notorious holiday resort hot spot. The insensitively named Pattaya Flying Club is the term given to troubled foreigners who commit suicide by throwing themselves off a balcony of a Pattaya hotel and ultimately to their…
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Nike defends sweatshops accusation in Thailand
Sportswear giant Nike defended itself over accusations it is running sweatshops in Thailand, paying its factory workers 42 baht an hour to make England 2022 World Cup replica jerseys while they make fortunes of profit. Controversy surrounding the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar just won’t go away. On Friday, The Thaiger broke a story of an alleged match-fixing scandal…
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