Is this just ChatGPT with a wrapper?

No. A generic chatbot answers from training data and happily invents a visa rule. Thaissistant checks a knowledge base we maintain before it speaks, shows you which entries grounded the answer, and hands anything live to the Tour Tiger team. Anyone can rent the model we use. Nobody can rent the corpus — or a licensed operator in Maenam who picks up the booking.

How is the information verified?

Every law-and-life entry is researched from a strict source ladder: the Royal Gazette and the statutes first, then the government bodies that enforce them, then official translations — reputable secondary sources only ever as labelled support, and forums never. Each entry names its legal basis, links its sources, and carries the date we last verified the facts. Anything that moves faster than we can verify — office-level fees, officer discretion — is marked 'verify live' instead of stated as fact. The methodology page spells out the whole discipline.

Is this legal advice?

No — and we're careful about the difference. Thaissistant explains what the law says and how processes work in general, with citations you can check. It doesn't advise on your specific case, predict outcomes, or replace a lawyer. For a decision that matters, the entry's sources tell you exactly which authority to confirm with.

Can it actually book things?

Today it takes your request and hands it to a real person at Tour Tiger — often Alexander himself, on WhatsApp or the phone — who checks availability and confirms with you directly. Payments, PromptPay, and calendar booking are planned for Phase 3. The principle holds throughout: automate the conversation, not the transaction, until we can do the transaction properly.

Can it read a Thai document for me?

Yes — paste the text of a letter, a form, a lease, or a fine, and it translates and explains what it means in plain words. Two honest caveats: the translation is unofficial (only the Thai text has legal force), and if the document is high-stakes, it will tell you to confirm with the authority or a professional rather than pretending a chat is enough.

Alexander Wich — founder, and the person who answers the WhatsApp. He built Thaissistant himself, with Claude Code, on top of the business he already runs: Tour Tiger (Thailand) Co., Ltd., TAT Licence 44/00524, a registered Thai tour operator in Maenam, Koh Samui. When the assistant hands you to a human, that human is usually Alexander or someone on his team. Feel free to test that.

What does it cost to use?

For you, asking Thaissistant is free — and so is the knowledge library. For us, a conversation runs about $0.01, the whole 6-month validation budget is under $2,000, and monthly running cost sits at $50-225. Breakeven is one or two extra bookings a month.

Why did this start on Koh Samui?

Because we wanted to be genuinely excellent somewhere before being vaguely useful everywhere. Samui gave us a licensed operator, real products, and real customers asking real questions — the loop that proved the engine. The life-and-law library is that same engine pointed at the questions every foreigner in Thailand has, not just the ones on holiday.

What happens to my data and my question?

If it's a genuine booking or service request, it becomes a lead the Tour Tiger team follows up on — that's the point. We're not in the business of reselling your inbox. Anything specific, write to hello@thaissistant.com.

Reporting a crime: the police report, the daily record, and why 1155 matters

Facts verified · 2026-07-11

Crimes are reported to the police station covering the place where the offence happened — that station's inquiry officer (phanakngan sopsuan) owns the case, and the Tourist Police cannot move it elsewhere. What the Tourist Police (hotline 1155, 24 hours) do supply is what foreigners usually lack at a Thai station: translation assistance, mediation in tourist disputes, and an escort into the system. In heavy tourist areas they have their own stations and will accompany you to the local station where needed.

The distinction forum posts constantly blur: Thai stations record things two ways. A daily-record entry (long banthuek prajam wan) is just an official memo — it is exactly what you need as evidence for insurance, a lost passport or a stolen phone, and it is often all the officer will offer. A formal criminal complaint (rong thuk) is different: it asks the state to investigate and prosecute. If you actually want the offender pursued, say so explicitly and make sure you leave with a case reference, not just a memo. Before signing anything, check names, dates and item descriptions — the document is usually in Thai and errors surface later at your embassy or insurer. Ask for a certified copy on the spot; insurers will not accept your photo of the officer's screen.

For online scams and other technology crime, the Royal Thai Police run a dedicated online-reporting centre at thaipoliceonline.com, which is the correct channel rather than your local station.

Legal basis

Criminal Procedure Code of Thailand (complaint/rong thuk and inquiry provisions)

⚠ Verify live

Thailand also operates the AOC 1441 anti-online-scam hotline (Ministry of Digital Economy and Society) which can coordinate account freezes with banks — its procedures are evolving, so verify current scope before relying on it.

police reportcrimetourist police1155insurancedaily record

General information, not legal advice. Laws and practice change; for a decision that matters, confirm with the authority named in the sources or a licensed professional.