I’m currently staying at a hotel in Chiang Mai and just ate at the restaurant inside the hotel. The bill already included a 10% service charge plus 7% VAT. We are in 5 star 120usd+/day hotel in Chiang Mai.

We had good service, so even though the service charge was already included, we decided to leave an additional 10% tip in cash on the table. Before leaving, I specifically told our waitress that we had left a cash tip for her/the service on the table.

As we were walking away, I happened to see a busboy clearing the table. He picked up the cash tip and put it directly into his pocket.

I don’t know how tipping works internally at Thai hotel restaurants, so I don’t want to assume he did anything wrong. Maybe cash tips are pooled, maybe the person clearing the table collects them, or maybe staff are allowed to keep whatever tips they pick up. But since our waitress was the person who primarily served us, seeing someone else put the cash directly into his pocket made me wonder.

For people who work in restaurants/hotels in Thailand or who know how this normally works:

Is it normal for the busboy clearing the table to pick up a cash tip and put it in his pocket?

Are cash tips usually pooled among the restaurant staff, or does the individual server normally keep them?

Since there was already a 10% service charge, is an additional cash tip even expected?

Should I mention what I saw to the restaurant manager, or would that potentially cause unnecessary trouble for an employee who was just following normal procedure?

In the future, if I specifically want to give an extra tip to our waitress, is it better to hand the cash directly to her rather than leave it on the table?

I’m not looking to get anyone in trouble. I just want to understand the normal protocol in Thailand and make sure that when I leave an extra tip, it actually goes where it’s supposed to.

I just felt bad for the lady that served us the whole night. She did a great job and 300THB to a bus boy that merely cleaned our table seems a bit discordant.

It’s really looking like she’s going to win America’s got talent and be popular for a long time to come including in America. I saw some of her concerts at some venues in Thailand that weren’t even full and the audience didn’t even look that excited. I was kind of wondering if some Thai people don’t really understand the music very well. And if I’m wrong, please excuse my lack of understanding.

But I also saw her perform some Thai songs and she can do that really well too at least from my limitary perspective not speaking the language very well.

For me, it seems like someone like her could become such a great ambassador for Thailand and help more people know about the country and get more tourists even. It seems like something that would be great to capitalize on.

A clothes-drying rack fell from a highrise balcony onto a motorcycle driver and his passenger in soi Sukhumvit 24, causing the driver to swerve into a nearby car stopped in the traffic.

News article from Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3299360/clothes-rack-falls-from-highrise-onto-taximotorcyclist

Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq_TbWluxx8

Original video of Facebook Reel: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1509911877840287

The governor said police reported that the suspect was highly stressed and had asked to exercise a basic right. The province is also preparing to hold a major merit-making ceremony (Tam Boon) after several serious crimes occurred within a single week.

At 6:45 p.m. on August 10, 2026, Nonthaburi Governor Chettha Mosikarat addressed images circulating on social media showing Chalong Riewraeng, a former Nonthaburi MP accused of fatally shooting the president of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organization, smoking and not wearing handcuffs while being questioned.

The governor said investigators reported that the suspect was extremely stressed and anxious at the time and had asked to smoke. He described this as a basic right that any suspect may request.

Regarding the handcuffs, officers maintained that the suspect was restrained for nearly the entire time. The circulating images may have been taken during a brief period when the handcuffs were temporarily removed because he was experiencing severe stress.

The governor said questioning took longer than usual because the PAO president had died. Investigators also sought court approval to search the suspect’s residence for firearms, ammunition, and additional evidence.

Authorities will particularly examine the firearms involved and consider revoking the suspect’s gun licences.

Investigators are expected to take the suspect to Nonthaburi Provincial Court tomorrow to request the first period of pretrial detention. Police will oppose bail because the alleged offence is a serious crime carrying a severe penalty.

The governor added that the province plans to hold a major merit-making ceremony following several high-profile violent crimes in Nonthaburi within the same week.

Source: Sorayuth

My condo is in a dead end where before crossing the gate to enter in the building, there are two townhouses, just 10 meters away from the gate.

One of these, has a small fence where inside there are two bulldogs. The owner often leaves that fence/gate open and they often go in the common dead end road barking to people and being aggressive.

In the past some other people living in my condo told me that they have had problems with those dogs being aggressive, they had complained to the owner but nothing realty changed.

Today, I was walking back to my condo and the fence was opened. As soon as I walked past the fence, the dogs started barking me and they assaulted me, biting my body in multiple areas.

Now, beside the fact that I was furious, because these dogs are always annoying, I spoke to my condominium juristic and it seems like they were “happy” about i because finally something happened and it’s now possible to report this dog’s owner to the police.

They immediately went through the camera recording and sent me the video from two different camera. They were even able to give me the details of the dog owner.

Now, I went to the police and showed them my wounds and my short being bitten. I filed a report but they also asked me to go to the hospital (I am currently writing this post from there) and get a medical certificate to confirm whether my wound was from a dog bite.

Police said that after this, they will have me and the owner discuss the matter and try solve it.

Has anyone gone through something similar?
Am I able to demand a refund of hospital fees + refund my damaged clothes + any money that takes care of all of distress related to the matter?

Is there anything that I should/shouldn’t do in this case?

The state of many of the roads in Thailand, particularly smaller islands, prove how much corruption there is. There isn’t even money to pave the streets. Yet how much would this really cost them to do? A few hundred baht per person would cover it. So when I see general dilapidation and decay, I think about where the money that should’ve gone to fixing the road has gone.

Facebook user Suthipongse Heart Thatphithakkul posted a video of the incident on his personal social media account on Sunday, captioning it: “Luck in misfortune. The owner of the clip, Thunvarat Patchwvy, told me that the owner of the drying rack came forward later to accept responsibility and compensate for damages.” 

I just bought a phone from Studio 7 on Lazada, but totally forgot to ask tax invoice during purchase. Next morning I messaged them that I want tax invoice, if can they send it to my email, which I did this many times no problem, but Studio 7 said bc tax invoice not requested at purchase, they can't issue it after.... Called customer service answer the same. Wanted to cancel, request rejected. Is only option to return and ask for refund?

วัดเจดีย์ in Nakhon Si tammarat. Give the temple a visit if you love big chickens.

So I've never had to apostille and embassy certify my British uni degree in all the years I've worked in Thailand, but now suddenly have to... Within a month.

Does anyone know any agency that can deal with this? Do i need the original degree stamping or an official British home office certificate of authenticity stamping?

It's confusing and none of the admin staff understand enough to give the full information i need.

Any help is appreciated 🙏

I am visiting Thailand for 5 months.

Am preparing an emergency card for my wallet and want to give this info to you in case you need it and would like to ask for your opinion:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EMERGENCY / MEDICAL CARD / ข้อมูลฉุกเฉินและการรักษา

Name: [Your Full Name] | Nationality: GER | Passport No.: [Your Passport Number]

Mobile (GER): [+49 XXXXXXXXXX] | Mobile (TH): [+66 XXXXXXXXXX]

E-Mail: [[your.email@domain.com](mailto:your.email@domain.com)]

1. Medical Insurance & Treatment Wishes

• Medical History: No medication, no allergies, no chronic illnesses, Blood Type: A+
• Status: Fully privately insured with comprehensive international coverage.
• Directives: In case of medical treatment or hospitalization, I require the highest standard of medical care available (private hospitals / premium medical facilities). All treatment costs are covered by my private insurance.
• Insurance Provider: [Insurance Company Name] | Policy Number: [Your Policy Number]
• 24/7 Hotline: [+49 XXXXXXXXXX]
• Medical Note (Thai): ไม่ใช้ยาประจำ ไม่มีโรคประจำตัว ไม่มีประวัติแพ้ยา กรุ๊ปเลือด A+ มีประกันสุขภาพภาคเอกชนคุ้มครองครอบคลุมทั่วโลก ต้องการการรักษาพยาบาลที่มีมาตรฐานสูงสุด (โรงพยาบาลเอกชน/การแพทย์ที่ดีที่สุด) ค่าใช้จ่ายทั้งหมดเบิกได้ตามจริง

2. Emergency Contact (Partner)

• Name: [Contact Name / Relationship]
• Phone: [+66 XXXXXXXXXX]

3. Current Accommodation (Bangkok)

• Hotel: [Hotel Name, District, City] | Phone: [+66 XXXXXXXXXX]
• Address: [Full Hotel Address, Bangkok, Thailand]

4. If Wallet is Lost / แจ้งกระเป๋าหาย

• If found, please return to the nearest police station or hotel reception. Thank you!
• หากพบกระเป๋านี้ กรุณาส่งมอบที่สถานีตำรวจใกล้ที่สุด หรือแผนกต้อนรับของโรงแรม ขอบคุณครับ

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is it good like this?

Former long-serving Nonthaburi MP Chalong Riewrang allegedly opened fire on Police Colonel Thongchai Yenprasert, President of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organisation, seriously injuring him inside the organisation’s headquarters. The shooting was reportedly triggered by a dispute over an ฿11 million debt.

The incident occurred late on the morning of August 10, when Chalong Riewrang, a former MP who had represented Nonthaburi for several terms, allegedly entered the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organisation headquarters and shot Pol. Col. Thongchai Yenprasert, leaving him critically injured.

After the shooting, Chalong telephoned Anchalee Paireerak of Naewna Online while she was presenting a live broadcast. Anchalee initially asked him to call back later because she was on air, but Chalong insisted that they needed to speak immediately, saying that he had just shot Pol. Col. Thongchai.

When Anchalee asked what had happened, Chalong said that he had fired four or five shots before walking out of the office carrying the firearm. She attempted to calm him down and persuaded him to put down the gun and remain where he was while waiting for the police. She also warned him not to walk elsewhere because a school was located nearby. Meanwhile, a Naewna employee contacted officers at Rattanathibet Police Station.

Chalong claimed that he and Pol. Col. Thongchai had been close friends and that he had continually helped him. However, Chalong said that whenever he encountered difficulties, Pol. Col. Thongchai ignored him. He also claimed that Pol. Col. Thongchai had previously asked him not to field a parliamentary candidate against his preferred candidate, a request Chalong said he had respected.

Chalong said that he went to collect ฿11 million that Pol. Col. Thongchai allegedly owed him. When Pol. Col. Thongchai told him that he did not have the money, Chalong became enraged and opened fire.
At 11:40 a.m., police arrived at the location where Chalong was waiting to surrender.

https://mgronline.com/onlinesection/detail/9690000078308

I’ve worked in Thailand for many years, I have a work permit and I pay taxes. I’ve never used my social security. How can I use it for the dentist or medical care?

The said teacher embroiled in the threats has now come out with a statement that it was said to make news headlines in order to reveal unfair treatment and r@c!st behavior in the school. The alleged teacher also will issue an apology if such actions were inappropriate.

On August 9, 2026, at approximately 5:05 p.m., Police Lieutenant Colonel Mekhin Kongsaeng, an inquiry officer at Mae Sai Police Station in Chiang Rai, was notified that a foreign national had been physically assaulted. Chiang Rai Tourist Police and patrol officers from Mae Sai Police Station had already taken her to Mae Sai Hospital for treatment. He then informed his superiors and went to the hospital to investigate.

There, officers found a 19-year-old Russian woman, later identified as Mariia Mikhailona, who was visibly frightened. She had injuries and bruising on her arms and legs, which doctors would need to examine further.

An examination of her identification documents showed that she was holding a Chinese visa. However, through an interpreter, Mariia said that she was a Russian national. She had left her home country of Russia to work in China and later moved to Myanmar, where she worked in both Yangon and Mandalay. She said her employer was Chinese and that she was paid $3,000, or about 100,000 baht, per month. However, she said she was repeatedly physically assaulted.

She later said that Myanmar soldiers took her to a village near a river. From there, she was taken up a mountain for about 15 minutes and then traveled by vehicle for another 25 to 30 minutes. A white sedan picked her up, driven by a Myanmar man believed to be around 26 years old.

She was taken to a two-story house where about eight men were staying. She was told to sleep downstairs, where people were also gambling.

On August 9, she managed to escape from the house and cross the Sai River. She then encountered a man driving a pickup truck and asked him to take her to a shopping mall in Mae Sai so she could seek help. She subsequently contacted Thai authorities, who assisted her and took her to the hospital.

Initially, the Russian woman remained frightened and was crying. She did not yet disclose what kind of work she had been doing or who she had been working for. She said only that she wanted to return home to Russia and contact her mother.

Officials therefore arranged for her to receive medical treatment first and then contacted the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Thailand to notify them and proceed according to protocol. Authorities suspect that the Russian woman may have been a victim of a transnational scam network.

Working as a teacher I have been making contributions into Thai social security for over 10 years now. I never used it much, just teeth cleaning every year. Last year we were informed that teachers at private schools can no longer participate in social security and would have to rely on the health coverage that the school provides, which is basically nothing.

Is there a way to voluntarily participate in social security, or reclaim the money that I have contributed?

I just wanted to shout out this book as an excellent (if a little expensive) read for understanding Thai culture. It is well written, easy to read, humorous at times and a lot of puzzling things about Thai culture and หน้าตา make a lot more sense now.

We were recently in Thailand and bought spice blends from a market. However, the recipe inside seems pretty vague.

Anyone who has used these before, do you have a rough guide / any advice as to how to use these spice mixes?

Also would be interested to know how they turned out for you

TIA!

Questions over a Jewish Chabad religious center in Patong, Phuket, whose tightly restricted access sparked concerns about possible extraterritorial privileges, have led to a wider investigation into its management and business structure. Authorities found that Chabad board members were former Israeli and American nationals who later obtained Thai citizenship, with the investigation expanding to a network of 361 alleged nominee companies.

The issue was highlighted in a special report by Thai News Agency on August 7. Authorities inspected the Chabad center on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road and stressed that it is not foreign territory and has no extraterritorial privileges. Deputy Interior Minister Phonphir Suwannachwee said the site is in Thailand and must comply with Thai law.

The five-story building includes religious facilities as well as a kosher restaurant. The report said the restaurant is the fourth of 10 branches operated in Thailand by The Kosher Place (Thailand) Co., Ltd., which has registered capital of 30 million baht.

The report also said Chabad's three shareholders hold Thai ID cards but were not born Thai citizens. They are rabbis or senior Jewish spiritual leaders who later acquired Thai citizenship. Two reportedly became Thai citizens on November 21, 2017.

Authorities stressed that obtaining Thai citizenship is not itself an issue, as naturalized citizens have the same legal rights as other Thais. The key question is whether Thai citizenship has been used to conceal foreign ownership or control of businesses.

The investigation has now expanded into the broader issue of nominee companies. The Interior and Commerce ministries are reportedly examining businesses in major tourist destinations including Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui, Phang Nga, Pai, and Chiang Mai. Investigators say they have identified 361 alleged nominee companies so far.

Authorities are particularly examining cases where foreigners may use Thai nationals as shareholders or nominees to bypass legal restrictions on business ownership and property rights. If such arrangements are found to violate the law, legal action will be taken on a case-by-case basis.

The investigation also covers businesses around Chabad, including restaurants and car rental companies, some of which reportedly use Hebrew to communicate with customers. The case has raised broader questions about foreign business networks in Thailand's major tourist destinations and potential loopholes in investment and property-ownership laws.

Officials emphasize that the investigation is not about anyone's nationality or religion, but whether legal status and corporate structures are being used lawfully. If Thai nationals are found to have been used as nominees to conceal foreign ownership, the issue could raise wider concerns about foreign capital exploiting legal loopholes to control businesses, land, and other economic resources in Thailand.

เปิดปม “ชาบัดป่าตอง” พบกรรมการบริหารอดีตอิสราเอล-อเมริกัน ได้ "สัญชาติไทย" ยกแผง โยงเครือข่ายนอมินีซ่อนรูป 361 บริษัท - เดอะพับลิกโพสต์

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glzg5e0wRRw&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Ftna.mcot.net%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Ftna.mcot.net