THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Wednesday 3 Apr 2019

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Medical services and health insurance in Thailand

 

 

Thailand is one of the strongest among emerging economies, its medical services having improved significantly in recent years.

 

Healthcare however can sometimes be handicapped by a shortage of general practitioners. Most doctors are specialists. This can be a problem because they tend to diagnose and treat within the parameters of their specialty. Also, the patient may be suffering from other medical conditions, which may or may not be associated with their primary health problems.

 

Again, these would be better if they were assessed by a general physician. Some hospitals still have general physicians or family doctors, and it is worth seeking them out if needed.

 

Wealthier patients are likely to use one of over 400 private hospitals. In Bangkok, there are several hospitals with good reputations that are very popular with expatriates. The concentration of foreign patients in these hospitals is very high. Overall, the private sector has four times the number of beds per patient than the state sector, and much shorter waiting times.

 

Hospital fees are properly structured and patients should not feel that they are prey to unscrupulous charging. Nursing care is inexpensive, both in terms of professional attention and room hire, though inpatients may be asked to pay in advance.

 

 

As is often the case, certain hospitals offer a broader range of facilities and may be better placed to deal with major emergencies.

 

In such situations, cover with an insurance provider linked to a top-flight assistance company will pay dividends. Assistance companies know where to find the appropriate medical skills. The combination of state and private units sustains a lively health tourism industry. Indeed, Thailand is a credible medical tourism proposition, with lower costs than many other destinations, plus some favourable locations for recuperation.

 

When insured by Pacific Cross Health Insurance, contact us immediately as necessary. We provide a 24-hour helpline and will be able to suggest a hospital specializing in your relevant area of concern. Remember though, our policyholders are always required to pre-notify us before arranging an appointment, except in emergencies.

 

Ensure you are adequately insured.

 

For further advice and guidance, simply contact Pacific Cross Health Insurance PCL at contact@thaivisaprotect.com

 

Thaivisa Health Protect: Medical insurance for expats

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Chinese scam call centre busted in Chalong

By Eakkapop Thongtub

 

Immigration Chief Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn explains the arrests to the press in Phuket this evening (April 2). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

 

PHUKET:-- Sixteen nationals – 13 men and three women – were arrested in Chalong this afternoon (April 2) for allegedly operating a stock market price speculation call centre scam targetting Chinese victims.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093091-chinese-scam-call-centre-busted-in-chalong/

 

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No plan for layoffs, says Chon Buri hospital director

By The Nation

 

 

The director of the government-run Bang Lamung Hospital in Chon Buri province on Tuesday denied that his hospital was about to lay off more than 200 staff as widely circulated by Facebook users.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093086-no-plan-for-layoffs-says-chon-buri-hospital-director/

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Building collapses, despite an order banning its demolition

By The Nation

 

 

An under-demolition five-storey building in the National Housing Authority (NHA)'s Din Daeng flats in Bangkok, collapsed on Monday , seven weeks after its demolition was suspended by officials.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093092-building-collapses-despite-an-order-banning-its-demolition/

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South Korean wanted for masterminding football gambling deported

By Supachai Phetchthewee 
The Nation

 

 

Immigration Police on Tuesday arrested a South Korean man, who allegedly led an online football gambling gang from a house in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district, Immigration Bureau commissioner Pol Lt-General Surachate Hakparn said.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093068-south-korean-wanted-for-masterminding-football-gambling-deported/

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Army chief’s comments a threat to democracy: scholars

By Supalak Ganjanakhundee 
The Nation 

 

ARMY chief General Apirat Kongsompong

 

ARMY chief General Apirat Kongsompong’s provocative comments against foreign-educated politicians with leftist leanings and activists is a threat to democracy and could lead to social unrest, violence and even collapse of the regime, prominent scholars and rights defenders warned yesterday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093112-army-chief’s-comments-a-threat-to-democracy-scholars/

 

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EC to ‘decide on MP formula soon’

By Kas Chanwanpen 
The Nation

 

 

Agency will listen to all opinions, including EX-charter drafters and NLA

 

IN LIGHT of the extensive debate about the formula that will be used for calculating MP seats, the Election Commission (EC) secretary-general Jarungvith Phumma said yesterday that he expected the agency to make a decision this week. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093113-ec-to-‘decide-on-mp-formula-soon’/

 

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UPDATE:

 

Tackle smog in a week: PM

By SAKSIT MUTTAFA, 
KRISSANA PORJIT, 
SAKAORAT SIRIMA 
THE NATION 

 

Prime Minister General Prayut ChanoCha, right, addresses officials and volunteers at an Army base in smog-hit Chiang Mai yesterday.

 

PRAYUT WANTS LOCAL HEADS WHO FAIL TO DELIVER RESULTS FIRED

 

PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha issued a clear message to relevant authorities in the North over the ongoing smog crisis: integrate efforts and achieve visible results within one week. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093018-pm-wants-smog-problem-resolved-in-seven-days/?do=findComment&comment=14004272

 

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Strict surveillance of water-war zones, ‘safe’ splashing from pickups will be allowed

By Suriya Patathayo 
The Nation

 

 

POLICE YESTERDAY laid out security measures for the upcoming Songkran holidays, including a strict surveillance of water-war zones such as Bangkok’s Khao San and Silom roads and the Asiatique area.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093114-strict-surveillance-of-water-war-zones-‘safe’-splashing-from-pickups-will-be-allowed/

 

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Haze hits Songkran hotel bookings in Chiang Mai

By SAKAORAT SIRIMA, 
NATTAWAT LAPING 
THE NATION 

 

File photo

 

THE SMOG crisis has taken its toll on the North’s tourism, with a significant drop seen in hotel-room bookings even in Chiang Mai, which is otherwise hugely popular as a destination for Songkran celebrations.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093115-haze-hits-songkran-hotel-bookings-in-chiang-mai/

 

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Protecting the rights of Thailand’s ‘third gender’

national April 03, 2019 01:00

By Chularat Saengpassa 
The Nation

 

Photo credit : AFP

 

THE ANNUAL military drafts are being held around the country until April 12 and members of the Foundation of Transgender Alliance for Human Rights are also on a mission … to provide ladyboys with all the information they need to prepare for the occasion.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093116-protecting-the-rights-of-thailand’s-‘third-gender’/

 

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UN defers move to lift cannabis from world narcotics list

By The Nation

 

 

THE UNITED Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs will decide next year on whether cannabis should be removed from the global list of narcotics, though the World Health Organisation (WHO) had proposed earlier this year that it be removed from the list.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093117-un-defers-move-to-lift-cannabis-from-world-narcotics-list/

 

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Beautiful field of white awaits visitors to Phitsanulok’s Phuhin Rongkla National Park

By The Nation

 

 

Those who have no plans yet for the long upcoming holiday during the Songkran festival might wish to consider visiting Phuhin Rongkla National Park in Phitsanulok province, where a field of white flowers known locally as “white roses” awaits them.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093119-beautiful-field-of-white-awaits-visitors-to phitsanulok’s-phuhin-rongkla-national-park/

 

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Baht strengthening propels Thai outbound travel

By   THE NATION 

 

FILE photo

 

DESPITE forecasts of an economic slowdown, Thai outbound travel is set to continue growing by 8-8.5 per cent this year after the baht continued to appreciate late last year, according to the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093120-baht-strengthening-propels-thai-outbound-travel/

 

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Election Commission must come clean, now rather than later 

By The Nation

 

 

Agency has a duty to clear up confusion over a string of discrepancies and irregularities before political turmoil ensues

 

The Election Commission (EC) must urgently clarify both the results and the formula used to calculate seats won in the March 24 poll, if it is to quell mounting public concern over its credibility. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093121-election-commission-must-come-clean-now-rather-than-later/

 

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The winners must not take all in politics

By Tulsathit Taptim 
The Nation

 

 

In tennis, they call it a tiebreaker. In football, it’s a penalty shootout.  The system that decides who lifts the trophy is essential because in sports people naturally want to settle the question of who is “the best”. The situation is very different in politics, but the problem is that the system is pretty much the same.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093122-the-winners-must-not-take-all-in-politics/

 

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UPDATE:

 

Mick Jagger to undergo heart surgery: Drudge Report

 

FILE PHOTO: The Rolling Stones (from L-R) Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards, Mick Jaggerand Charlie Watts pose as they arrive for the opening of the new exhibit "Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones" in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., November 15, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger will undergo heart surgery this week following the postponement of the band's North American tour for medical reasons, according to a published report.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093054-rolling-stones-mick-jagger-to-undergo-heart-surgery-this-week-reports-say/?do=findComment&comment=14004335

 

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May gambles on talks with Labour to unlock Brexit, enraging her own party

By Guy Faulconbridge, Elizabeth Piper and Kate Holton

 

British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks to the press at the European Council headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 7, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/Files

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday she would seek another Brexitdelay to agree an EU divorce deal with the opposition Labour leader, a last-ditch gambit to break an impasse over Britain's departure that enraged many in her party.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093124-theresa-may-to-ask-eu-for-further-brexit-extension/

 

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Algerian leader Bouteflika quits after mass protests

By Lamine Chikhi and Hamid Ould Ahmed

 

FILE PHOTO: Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika looks on during a meeting with army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Gaid Salah in Algiers, Algeria, in this handout still image taken from a TV footage released on March 11, 2019. Algerian TV /Handout via Reuters/File Photo

 

ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algeria's ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned on Tuesday, succumbing to six weeks of largely peaceful mass protests driven by youth and pressure from the powerful army against his 20-year rule.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093125-algerian-leader-bouteflika-quits-after-mass-protests/

 

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U.S. senators seek details on nuclear power cooperation with Saudi Arabia

By Timothy Gardner

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry attends a news conference after meeting with Iraqi President Barham Salih in Baghdad, Iraq December 11, 2018. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. senators from both parties on Tuesday asked Energy Secretary Rick Perry for details about recent approvals for companies to share nuclear energy information with Saudi Arabia, with the lawmakers expressing concern about possible development of atomic weapons.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093126-us-senators-seek-details-on-nuclear-power-cooperation-with-saudi-arabia/

 

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Chinese woman arrested by Secret Service at Trump's Mar-a-Lago

By Mark Hosenball

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., March 22, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

(Reuters) - A Chinese woman who got through security checkpoints at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida carrying a thumb drive coded with "malicious" software was arrested on Saturday for entering a restricted property and making false statements to officials, according to a court filing.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093127-chinese-woman-arrested-by-secret-service-at-trumps-mar-a-lago/

 

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Trump steps back from Mexico border threat as companies warn of economic fallout

By Steve Holland and Roberta Rampton

 

The border between Mexico and the U.S., is seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, March 31, 2019. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump took a step back on Tuesday from his threat to close the U.S. southern border to fight illegal immigration, amid pressure from companies worried that a shutdown would cause chaos to supply chains.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093129-trump-steps-back-from-mexico-border-threat-as-companies-warn-of-economic-fallout/

 

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Thousands of Venezuelans break barricades, cross Colombia border

 

People stand on a container that blocks the Simon Bolivar bridge between Colombia and Venezuela in Cucuta, Colombia, April 2, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

 

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Thousands of Venezuelans broke through barricades along the international border with Colombia on Tuesday, according to the migration office in Bogota, which warned Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro that he would be held responsible for any problems that may occur.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093131-thousands-of-venezuelans-break-barricades-cross-colombia-border/

 

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Trump says NATO countries' burden-sharing improving, wants more

By Steve Holland and Lesley Wroughton

 

U.S. President Donald Trump listens to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg while meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 2, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday his pressure on NATO nations to pay more for their defence is leading to tens of billions of dollars more in contributions, but the allies may need to boost their budgets even more.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093135-trump-says-nato-countries-burden-sharing-improving-wants-more/

 

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Dragons, zombies and superheroes: top TV show disguises used to spread malware

 

 

Cybercriminals are actively using new episodes of popular TV shows to distribute malware, research by Kaspersky Lab has found. Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Arrow are the shows receiving the most attention

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093136-dragons-zombies-and-superheroes-top-tv-show-disguises-used-to-spread-malware/

 

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Buriram: Nurse's assistant on her phone playing games while patient fights for life

 

Caption: It ended well

 

Thai social media went into a frenzy after a nurse's assistant was seen playing games on her phone while operating a respirator for a seriously ill patient. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093138-buriram-nurses-assistant-on-her-phone-playing-games-while-patient-fights-for-life/

 

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Hua Hin: Hundreds mobilized as massive fire threatens housing estates

 

 

Hundreds of firefighters were mobilized last night as a massive forest fire spread over 10 square kilometers threatened several housing estates in Hua Hin. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093143-hua-hin-hundreds-mobilized-as-massive-fire-threatens-housing-estates/

 

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SURVEY: Expat motor vehicle ownership in Thailand

 

 

Thaivisa is trying to get a better understanding of car ownership amongst expats in Thailand.

 

If you own a car in Thailand or are thinking about buying a new car, please take a moment to complete the survey here: https://kwiksurveys.com/s/8bJ0w8mo

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Hua Hin beach: Authorities change tack - vendors will be allowed to charge for deckchairs

 

Picture: Daily News

 

The authorities in Hua Hin have said that a new agreement will be signed with beach vendors at the resort. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093145-hua-hin-beach-authorities-change-tack-vendors-will-be-allowed-to-charge-for-deckchairs/

 

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"Beautiful" lady boy "Nong Gee" turns heads at Koh Samui conscription event

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Daily News reported that Thai men screamed their appreciation as a very attractive lady boy in a beautiful dress presented himself at a military conscription event on Koh Samui.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1093151-beautiful-lady-boy-nong-gee-turns-heads-at-koh-samui-conscription-event/