Thailand Weekly Vol. 41
Thailand News and Stories Delivered Free to Your Inbox Every Sunday 🇹ðŸ‡
We’re back in business for Volume 41 of Thailand Weekly baby. After a bit of a break during the holiday + New Year season to recharge the batteries, it feels good to be writing these again. What’s equally as awesome is having so many of you here in Thailand these days! It’s always fun running into you guys in the streets of Bangkok, and there’s been a lot of that lately, which is super cool. Always nice to put a face to the name. Hope you all have a great week ahead 🇹ðŸ‡
Certain COVID Restrictions Return
Well, on the heels of China easing travel restrictions and allowing their people to travel overseas again, much of the world (including Thailand) are re-implementing certain COVID measures as far as international arrivals go. The Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority just announced the following set of rules that will apply from January 9th to January 31st to all non-Thai arrivals:
All international travellers 18 and above will be required to show proof of two vaccine doses before entering Thailand. Alternatively, passengers can show a doctors certificate that proves they have recovered from COVID in the past 6 months
Non-vaccinated passengers must show a doctors letter explaining a valid reason for exemption
If any country has measures requiring travellers to undergo a RT-PCR test before returning to their countries, those travellers are required to take out health insurance before entering Thailand
Our Take
Well, this certainly isn’t the best news all things considered, but somewhat expected. With China finally opening up and experiencing an insane wave of COVID, as soon as the US put in restrictions for Chinese visitors, I knew it was only a matter of time before Thailand followed suit and did something similar. What’s interesting here is that these requirements apply to all international arrivals. Gotta love that Thailand neutrality!
Forbes Ranks Thailand As 9th Cheapest Place To Live
Thailand was just ranked as the ninth cheapest place to live in Forbes’ annual ‘Quit Your Job and Move Abroad’ list. The report is not just aimed at retirees, but instead, anyone who is looking for a better life, a more affordable life, or just a way to escape the 9-to-5 grind and lead an alternative way of life abroad.
Here’s the Top 10 Cheapest Places Broken Down:
Portugal
Mexico
Panama
Ecuador
Costa Rica
Spain
Greece
France
Italy/Thailand
Our Take
It’s no surprise that Thailand was featured as part of this ranking, but I’m a bit confused as to how places like Portugal, France, Spain, and Italy were even in the same conversation as far as cost of living goes? That’s why as fun as these lists are, I tend to avoid putting to much weight or thought into them. What I do know is this… Thailand is an unbelievable place for those looking for an upgrade in quality of life. I’m especially starting to notice it on Koh Samui. Yes, there are tons of tourists down there, but beyond that, there’s also a TON of 30, 40, and 50 somethings that are moving to the Island for lifestyle reasons. People that are done with the 9 to 5 grind, have some money in the bank, and are looking to live part, or full-time on the Island well before they hit the traditional ‘retirement years’. It’s super cool to see and a trend that I think is going to continue to take place.
Thailand Travel Tip
Many of you may have seen the video that Chris and I published last week recapping 2022 and what our commitments are for 2023. In that video I spoke about the version of Thailand that I’m lucky enough experience and how amazing it truly is. Well, we know that there’s a ton of you out there that aren’t necessarily interested in moving here full-time, but are still true Thailand Lovers and travel here regularly. We also know that many of you have never been to Thailand and are wondering where to start… so, on the heels of a ton of questions about where to visit, what to do, what to eat, etc., we decided to curate three very special tours that will have you immersed DEEP into everything that makes this country so damn awesome. From private boat tours on the Andaman, to playing mini-putt with our good buddy ‘Bang’ in Samui, each of the three different 8-day tour itineraries we designed will have you immersed in the very special version of Thailand that Chris and I get to experience on a daily basis, all while travelling with other like-minded people from around the world. If you’re interested in learning more and exploring any of the Chiang Mai, Bangkok, or Southern Thailand itineraries and tour dates, just click here. Chris will be on the inaugural Phuket + Koh Samui tour from March 14th to March 21st, so if you wanna have an especially fun week in the south with him, that’d be a good one to consider!
Cannabis Guides Issued To Tourists
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health is asking regional tourism offices to distribute their newly released cannabis guide titled ‘10 Things Tourists Need To Know About Cannabis in Thailand’. The goal is to help clarify rules and best practices given the mass confusion that’s taken place over the past nine months since the plant was decriminalized. You can download the full guide here or alternatively, get a brief snapshot below:
Carrying seeds or parts of cannabis plants from and to Thailand for personal purposes is not permitted.
Cannabis cultivation is legal but registering on the Food and Drug Administration’s Plook Ganja application or through a government website is required.
Using cannabis flower buds for research, export and sale and processing them for commercial purposes requires an official permit.
Individuals under 20 years old, pregnant women and breastfeeding women are not eligible to use cannabis except under the supervision of health professionals.
Possession of extracts containing more than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and synthetic THC requires permission
Dishes containing cannabis are available in authorised restaurants.
Approved cannabis health products are accessible through specific channels.
Smoking cannabis in public spaces, including schools and shopping malls, is illegal.
Avoid driving after consuming food or health products containing cannabis.
Those who have serious undesirable health outcomes from consuming cannabis should promptly see doctors for treatment.
Our Take
Nice to see some clarity starting to take shape, but I still feel that there’s a ton of room for improvement as far day to day consumption and best practices go. Is it technically illegal to purchase from a roadside cannabis vendor that likely doesn’t have the proper license? Could I get in trouble for smoking a joint in public? How do I know if edibles contain more or less than the 0.2% THC threshold? All in all, this feels like a good attempt to provide clarity, but I think that they’d be better off publishing some sort of a guide that crystallizes things at a street/day-to-day level instead of a 30,000 foot level… know what I mean?
Only In Thailand 🇹ðŸ‡
Bengal tiger on the loose? It appears so. Locals in Kanchanaburi Province were concerned after spotting large footprints which were later confirmed to be that of the endangered species. The tracks were found a few KM’s from a variety of camping sites, resorts, and restaurants where tourists enjoy spending time. Authorities attempted to locate the whereabouts of the tiger, but were unable to. Jeez… I don’t know if you’ll find me camping in that part of Kanchanaburi anytime soon!