🇲🇾 Malaysia•Expats & Visas•Oct 21, 2026
Filipina at centre of landmark drug ruling leaves for home after 12 years in jail
Filipina at centre of landmark drug ruling leaves for home after 12 years in jail
Asia & Philippines news
The day's most relevant stories from the Philippines and Asia's major countries. Links to original sources.
🇨🇳 China•Expats & Visas•Oct 21, 2026
Hong Kong semi-private schools admit 20 more non-local students under expansion scheme
Hong Kong semi-private schools admit 20 more non-local students under expansion scheme
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Oct 21, 2026
Chinese students caught in alleged 10 million baht condo scam
Chinese students filed complaints with Thai police yesterday, October 20, over an alleged condo scam that has affected around 70 people, with reported losses approaching 10 million baht. The students’ representatives, accompanied by lawyers, visited the Central Investigation Bure
🇵🇭 Philippines•Expats & Visas•Oct 20, 2026
Notarization is finally available online. Here’s how it works.
eNotarization makes the service more accessible to the public because under the 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice, traditional notary publics can only perform notarizations within their respective territorial jurisdictions
🇯🇵 Japan•Expats & Visas•Oct 19, 2026
Japan to restart accepting foreign workers for meal services at some facilities
Japan to restart accepting foreign workers for meal services at some facilities
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Oct 19, 2026
Thailand sets December deadline for nominee land investigations
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered a nationwide crackdown on nominee land ownership in Thailand, setting a December deadline for investigations into high-risk cases and demanding the compulsory sale of land found to be illegally held on behalf of foreigners. Anutin an
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Oct 19, 2026
British baby’s UK trip from Koh Tao hit by visa refusal
A UK visa refusal has put a British baby’s planned Christmas trip from Koh Tao in doubt after officials rejected his Myanmar-born mother’s application, preventing the family from travelling together to meet the child’s seriously ill great-grandfather in Lancashire. The refusal ha
🇵🇭 Philippines•Expats & Visas•Oct 18, 2026
Dubai visa scam leaves hundreds of OFWs in financial, legal woes
Dubai authorities eye Interpol assistance after a massive freelance visa fraud scheme swindled an estimated 400 OFWs
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Oct 16, 2026
Five African women arrested for visa overstays on Koh Samui
Five African women have been arrested at a hotel near Chaweng Beach on Koh Samui after immigration officers discovered they had overstayed their visas by up to 799 days. Surat Thani immigration police announced the arrests today, October 16, following a tip-off that foreign women
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Oct 16, 2026
American company director arrested over unpaid wages allegations
Thai immigration police arrested an American company director at a residence in the Sukhumvit area yesterday, October 15, over allegations of unpaid wages and failure to comply with a labour inspector’s order. The man, identified only as Michael, was wanted under two arrest warra
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Oct 16, 2026
TikTok videos lead to arrests of 20 Thai workers in Taiwan
Twenty Thai workers in Taiwan were arrested for overstaying and working illegally after immigration officers used a woman’s viral TikTok videos to track down their secluded accommodation in Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency announced yesterday, October 15. The inves
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Oct 16, 2026
Chinese man held in Phuket over nearly five-year visa overstay
A Chinese man was arrested in Phuket over a visa overstay of 1,793 days, nearly five years, after immigration officers tracked him to a secluded rental room in Karon on Wednesday, October 14. Police also seized passports belonging to other people, mobile phones and knives during
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Oct 15, 2026
6 reasons health insurance claims get rejected even with coverage
Having health insurance doesn’t necessarily mean your insurer will pay every hospital bill, even when the treatment seems to fall within coverage. If your health insurance rejected a claim, the explanation may be more specific than simply having no coverage. You could visit a pri
🇨🇳 China•Expats & Visas•Oct 15, 2026
Filipino migrants torn between safety and survival risks amid Middle East dangers
Filipino migrants torn between safety and survival risks amid Middle East dangers
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Oct 14, 2026
Long-stay visa checks help uncover Thai scam network, 39 arrested
Thai police arrested 39 suspects and seized assets worth more than 500 million baht in raids across 11 provinces as part of an investigation into an alleged online investment scam and cross-border money-laundering network. The operation, announced yesterday, October 13, targeted
🇯🇵 Japan•Expats & Visas•Oct 13, 2026
Japanese municipalities with over 5% foreign nationals up more than twofold
Japanese municipalities with over 5% foreign nationals up more than twofold
🇲🇾 Malaysia•Expats & Visas•Oct 13, 2026
Malaysia targets 250,000 international students by 2030
Malaysia targets 250,000 international students by 2030
🇲🇾 Malaysia•Expats & Visas•Oct 13, 2026
Marriage to Malay Muslims doesn’t change foreigners’ ethnicity, says Saifuddin
Marriage to Malay Muslims doesn’t change foreigners’ ethnicity, says Saifuddin
🇵🇭 Philippines•Expats & Visas•Oct 13, 2026
How much will Cebu workers earn on November 1 and 2? Here's the pay rule
How much will Cebu workers earn on November 1 and 2? Here's the pay rule
🇯🇵 Japan•Expats & Visas•Oct 11, 2026
The do’s, don’ts and pitfalls when applying for permanent residency in Japan
The do’s, don’ts and pitfalls when applying for permanent residency in Japan
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Oct 11, 2026
Bangkok police arrest 11 foreigners in nominee property raids
Police arrested 11 foreign suspects and seized assets worth more than 6 billion baht (US$179 million) yesterday, October 10, in raids on four luxury housing estates in Bangkok. The operation targeted foreigners accused of using Thai nominees to own houses and land. It was the eig
🇯🇵 Japan•Expats & Visas•Oct 9, 2026
U.S. suspends Microsoft and other tech firms with India links from visa program
U.S. suspends Microsoft and other tech firms with India links from visa program
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Oct 9, 2026
Frenchman arrested over unlicensed Chiang Mai hostel
A French national was arrested after tourist police raided a Chiang Mai hostel allegedly operating without a licence for more than five years, with investigators also suspecting that a Thai shareholder was being used to conceal foreign ownership. The raid took place yesterday, Oc
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Oct 9, 2026
Highgate International School Thailand opens first campus outside the UK near Siam Country Club, Chonburi
Highgate International School Thailand, established through a collaboration between Siam Motors Group and Highgate School UK, has officially opened its first campus outside the United Kingdom. Palakorn Suwanrath, privy councillor, president of the Rajaprajanugroh Foundation under
🇨🇳 China•Expats & Visas•Oct 7, 2026
US proposes US$70,000 fee for foreign students to work after graduation
US proposes US$70,000 fee for foreign students to work after graduation
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Oct 7, 2026
Your health insurance may not give you the specialist you want
At many private hospitals in Thailand, choosing a specialist is easier than working out what your outpatient insurance will pay for. The online appointment system gives patients two options: ask the hospital to recommend a doctor or choose the doctor yourself. Some hospitals also
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Oct 7, 2026
Phuket launches Licence Lab to help small stays get licensed
Phuket has launched the “Phuket Licence Lab” to help small and medium-sized accommodation businesses overcome building and regulatory problems that have prevented many from obtaining the licences needed to operate legally. Five organisations from the professional, academic and to
🇵🇭 Philippines•Expats & Visas•Oct 4, 2026
3 Japanese scholars examine Filipino migration story in UAE
3 Japanese scholars examine Filipino migration story in UAE
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Oct 4, 2026
Phuket rider held over 3.69m baht thefts from foreigners’ homes
A delivery rider and amateur footballer has been arrested over the theft of more than 3.69 million baht in cash and property from two foreign residents’ homes in Phuket. The 23 year old suspect, identified by the pseudonym A, was arrested at a checkpoint in Mai Khao subdistrict,
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 30, 2026
British mum claims set-up after Cambodia cannabis arrest
A British woman detained in Cambodia says she was unknowingly used as a drug courier after 34.5 kilogrammes of cannabis were allegedly found in her luggage at Techo International Airport. British media identified the woman as Tamara Martins, from Croydon, London. The 31 year old
🇨🇳 China•Expats & Visas•Sep 30, 2026
US Supreme Court lets Trump resume deportations to third countries
US Supreme Court lets Trump resume deportations to third countries
🇵🇭 Philippines•Expats & Visas•Sep 28, 2026
Here’s your guide to fare hikes for jeepneys, buses and other public utility vehicles
Here’s your guide to fare hikes for jeepneys, buses and other public utility vehicles
🇵🇭 Philippines•Expats & Visas•Sep 27, 2026
LIST: October 2026 special non-working days in PH provinces, cities, towns
Here are the October 2026 special non-working days in various localities, as proclaimed by the President
🇲🇾 Malaysia•Expats & Visas•Sep 26, 2026
MM2H generates RM8.85bil gains in less than 2 years
MM2H generates RM8.85bil gains in less than 2 years
🇲🇾 Malaysia•Expats & Visas•Sep 26, 2026
Malaysians in Bangkok urged to exercise caution as floods worsen
Malaysians in Bangkok urged to exercise caution as floods worsen
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 26, 2026
Frozen UK pensions: why Thailand’s British retirees lose out
Frozen UK pensions mean British retirees in Thailand receive a State Pension that stays at the same weekly rate for as long as they live in the Kingdom, however much prices rise. A campaign group is now urging those affected to register to vote in the UK, arguing that organised p
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 26, 2026
All Bangkok districts declared disaster zones after flooding
Bangkok residents have begun stocking up on food and drinking water after Governor Chadchart Sittipunt declared all 50 of the capital’s districts disaster zones this morning, September 26, as flooding continued to disrupt roads and daily life. The order widens an earlier designat
🇸🇬 Singapore•Expats & Visas•Sep 20, 2026
‘Gone too far’: Thai PM Anutin slams foreign lawbreakers as backlash builds
Anutin says foreigners "should not come here and take advantage of us", as Thailand acts to close legal loopholes and deter transgressions.
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 17, 2026
Thailand reviews citizenship rules amid foreign nominee concerns
Anutin has told the Interior Ministry to re-examine how Thai nationality is granted and to check past grants, after nominee crackdowns found foreigners holding it. The story Thailand reviews citizenship rules amid foreign nominee concerns as seen on Thaiger News.
🇨🇳 China•Expats & Visas•Sep 16, 2026
Hong Kong’s new training visa could be available in first quarter of 2027
Hong Kong’s new training visa could be available in first quarter of 2027
🇻🇳 Vietnam•Expats & Visas•Sep 15, 2026
World's No.1 economy postpones new visa rules for foreign students
A U.S. federal judge on Monday postponed implementation of a Trump administration policy that would impose stricter limits on how long foreign students and journalists can study or work in the United States, the world's largest economy.
🇵🇭 Philippines•Expats & Visas•Sep 15, 2026
US judge blocks Trump limits on how long foreign students, journalists can stay
(1st UPDATE) US District Judge F. Dennis Saylor rules in favor of a coalition of unions and higher education advocacy groups a day before the Department of Homeland Security's rule was set to take effect
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 15, 2026
Thailand’s new DTV rule creates embassy-by-embassy uncertainty
Thailand’s revised Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) rules have left overseas applicants facing different published residency requirements depending on the Thai embassy or consulate handling their application. A nationwide change that took effect on August 31 replaced the requireme
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 15, 2026
Thailand’s new visa rules start today: Full guide for tourists and expats
Thailand ends its 60-day visa exemption on September 15, replacing it with 30-day and 15-day schemes, a shorter Visa on Arrival list and tighter limits at land borders. Thailand’s revised tourist entry rules take effect today, September 15, 2026, changing how long millions of for
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 14, 2026
Hotels and restaurants are not in foreign business licence exemption
A new regulation frees eight service businesses from Foreign Business Act licensing. Officials deny claims that it opens hotels, restaurants and tour firms to foreigners. The story Hotels and restaurants are not in foreign business licence exemption as seen on Thaiger News.
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 14, 2026
Lao worker says employers beat, confined her for over 6 hours
The Excise Department has launched an investigation after a Lao worker accused one of its officials and his wife of assaulting her, taking her passport and detaining her for more than six hours over 190,000 baht missing from their restaurant in Nonthaburi. The alleged attack took
🇲🇾 Malaysia•Expats & Visas•Sep 13, 2026
Health ministry busts illegal clinics, pharmacies run by foreigners in KL
Health ministry busts illegal clinics, pharmacies run by foreigners in KL
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 13, 2026
Government warns motorists over fake traffic fine SMS
Police have no policy of demanding traffic fine payments through SMS links or QR codes, the Deputy Government Spokesperson said. The story Government warns motorists over fake traffic fine SMS as seen on Thaiger News.
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 12, 2026
House committee presses crackdown on foreign nominee property in Pattaya
A House committee wants a system-wide fix for foreign nominee firms, as officials count 36,277 foreign-invested companies holding 305,838 land plots. The story House committee presses crackdown on foreign nominee property in Pattaya as seen on Thaiger News.
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 11, 2026
Expat left baffled by traditional Thai tea bag packaging
The Edo Eats Wrong page showed an expat pulling the plastic pouch out of its paper bag and stabbing a straw through the side. Thai commenters explained the straw goes in the top. The story Expat left baffled by traditional Thai tea bag packaging as seen on Thaiger News.
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 11, 2026
Canadian man to be deported after sexual assault of saleswomen in Bangkok
Immigration Bureau 3 says the 58-year-old will be deported and blacklisted once his case at Phahon Yothin Police Station concludes. The story Canadian man to be deported after sexual assault of saleswomen in Bangkok as seen on Thaiger News.
🇯🇵 Japan•Expats & Visas•Sep 10, 2026
Japan considers accepting foreign workers into security sector
Japan considers accepting foreign workers into security sector
🇰🇷 South Korea•Expats & Visas•Sep 9, 2026
Foreign students in S. Korea top 500,000 for 1st time on Korean cultural boom
Foreign students in S. Korea top 500,000 for 1st time on Korean cultural boom
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 10, 2026
Five years without health insurance in Thailand? You may have just been lucky
If you moved to Thailand around 2021 and decided health insurance was not worth the money, most likely, you made that choice based on healthcare costs, visa rules and whatever your health record looked like at the time. That does not automatically mean the decision was wrong. You
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 10, 2026
Thailand visa-free stays drop to 30 days next week
Thailand’s 60-day visa-free stay will end next week, with new entry rules taking effect on Tuesday, September 15. The current scheme covering 93 countries and territories will be replaced by a more targeted system that gives travellers different entry periods depending on their n
🇯🇵 Japan•Expats & Visas•Sep 9, 2026
Immigration agency considering aviation category for foreign worker programs
Immigration agency considering aviation category for foreign worker programs
🇯🇵 Japan•Expats & Visas•Sep 8, 2026
Tokyo’s Taito Ward, long popular with tourists, looks to ban minpaku in certain areas
Tokyo’s Taito Ward, long popular with tourists, looks to ban minpaku in certain areas
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 8, 2026
Thailand 90-day reporting: how to file TM.47 online, in person and everything in between
If you are staying in Thailand on any form of temporary permission, and you have been here continuously for close to 90 days, there is a good chance you need to file a TM.47. Thailand’s 90-day reporting requirement is one of the most commonly misunderstood obligations for long-st
🇯🇵 Japan•Expats & Visas•Sep 7, 2026
Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward to ban <i>minpaku</i> in residential areas and near schools
Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward to ban <i>minpaku</i> in residential areas and near schools
🇹🇭 Thailand•Expats & Visas•Sep 4, 2026
Thailand clamps down on illegal foreign work, warns employers
Employers face 10,000 to 100,000 baht per worker for a first offence under the 2017 alien employment decree, the government says. The story Thailand clamps down on illegal foreign work, warns employers as seen on Thaiger News.
Summaries link to the original story. ArchipelagoExpat is not the source of these news items; each article belongs to its author and outlet.