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.

Alcohol: the 2pm–5pm ban is gone, but the rules that remain still catch people

Facts verified · 2026-07-11

Another rule that changed recently: the decades-old ban on selling alcohol between 2pm and 5pm — introduced in 1972 and a perennial surprise to tourists — was lifted with effect from December 2025. Under the amended controls, retail alcohol sales are permitted from 11am to midnight. The legal drinking age is 20, and shops can ask for ID.

What still trips people up: alcohol sales are restricted on five major Buddhist holy days (Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asahna Bucha, the start of Buddhist Lent/Khao Phansa, and the end of Lent/Ok Phansa). Since 2025 this ban is no longer total — supermarkets and shops still cannot sell on those days, but bars, restaurants and hotels are now allowed to serve — so the day the calendar lands on matters. Selling alcohol near schools and temples, to under-20s, or via vending machines is prohibited, and drinking in some public places (parks, government offices, on vehicles on public roads) is an offence. Buying a beer at 3pm is now fine; buying one from a 7-Eleven on Visakha Bucha day is not.

Legal basis

Alcoholic Beverage Control Act B.E. 2551 (2008); 2025 amendment lifting the 2pm–5pm sales prohibition and relaxing holy-day sales for licensed venues

⚠ Verify live

The sale hours and the holiday-exemption rules were amended in late 2025 and the exact scope (which venues may serve on holy days, election-day dry periods) is still settling — check for the specific day and venue before assuming you can buy.

alcoholdrinking hoursbuddhist holidaydrinking agebeer

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.