Guides

Thailand guides on travel, culture, cuisine, and lifestyle—discover top destinations, hidden gems, visa information, and essential tips. Plan your journey with The Thaiger, your trusted source for expert Thailand guides.

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  • Somtam scores number 5 in the world’s top 500 Lonely Planet Eatlist

    Somtam scores number 5 in the world’s top 500 Lonely Planet Eatlist

    PHOTO: Somtam, Bangkok’s spicy contribution to the world’s Top 500 foodie finds A list of the world’s top 500 gastronomic experiences seems an impossible task to put together. Lonely Planet have sent out their culinary aficionados and they’ve come back with rankings, 1 to 500. Bangkok’s somtam, the spicy papaya salad, made it into the top ten, number 5! Asian…

  • If you can’t play big don’t even bother playing small!

    If you can’t play big don’t even bother playing small!

    Steven approached me almost two years ago to help him with his assault on Ironman Wisconsin 2017. A torn meniscus last summer put a damper on last year’s race, but didnt stop Steve from refocussing on Ironman Wisconsin 2018. A delay is never a denial. It’s been a long reconditioning process; Steve has made a ferocious commitment to himself and the process. It was at…

  • Monsanto says RoundUp is safe. A Californian jury disagreed with them.

    Monsanto says RoundUp is safe. A Californian jury disagreed with them.

    A jury in San Francisco has ruled this week that RoundUp, the world’s most popular weedkiller, gave Dewayne Johnson, a former school groundskeeper, terminal cancer. The court awarded him $39 million dollars and awarded punitive damages of $289 million to agri-chemical company Monsanto. The man’s victories is poised to set a massive precedent for thousands of other cases that similarly…

  • Young Muay Thai fighters exposed to irrepairable brain damage

    Young Muay Thai fighters exposed to irrepairable brain damage

    A swirling kick to the head, followed by some more leaps, direct head punches and dodges. The very Thai sport of Muay Thai is coming under increased examination, especially for younger fighters where evidence is emerging of irrepairable brain damage and developmental issues. Critics say that greedy parents and money is driving many youngsters into a dangerous sporting environment. “The…

  • Could ‘Wolbachia’ mosquitoes be the best fight against Dengue

    Could ‘Wolbachia’ mosquitoes be the best fight against Dengue

    In a big breakthrough in the battle against dengue fever, an Australian research team says an entire city has been protected from viral disease dengue for four years. The BBC is reporting that captive-bred mosquitoes with a naturally occurring bacteria were released in the city of Townsville, northern coastal Queensland, where they mated with local mosquitoes. Dengue fever is a…

  • High performance coaching for a fantastic day

    High performance coaching for a fantastic day

    by Hayden Rhodes High performance in any discipline – requires discipline. Physical health, mental well-being and business practice to name a few, are all impacted by your behavior. One cornerstone to consistent high performance is having the discipline to wake each day with routines that get you in the zone for sustainable performance. Successful people have worked out that morning…

  • Phuket’s The 9th Floor wins three top awards

    Phuket’s The 9th Floor wins three top awards

    The 9th Floor, one of Phuket’s long established fine dining restaurants, has won three top awards in the 2018 World Luxury Restaurant Awards. The restaurant won awards for best fine dining cuisine (country, Thailand), best wine selection (continent, Asia) and best Mediterranean cuisine (regional winner, South East Asia). The 9th Floor owner Bart Duykers commented: “This is a tremendous tribute…

  • Phuket lifeguards warn about blue-bottles

    Phuket lifeguards warn about blue-bottles

    Be alert but not alarmed. The Phuket Lifeguard Service are warning swimmers after blue-bottle ‘jellyfish’ that have recently been found on several of the island’s west-coast beaches and spotted along Patong Beach this morning (July 26). “…found some Blue-bottles at Patong Beach and Nai Yang Beach. Swim Safe everyone,” the message reads from the Phuket Lifeguard Service Facebook page. Blue-bottles…

  • ‘Miami Vice’ comes to Kata Rocks – Collective Series 13

    ‘Miami Vice’ comes to Kata Rocks – Collective Series 13

    Kata Rocks’ Collective Series 13 – ‘Miami Vice’ – brought the heat to Phuket, retro-1980s South Beach style, with another classic event that captured the imagination of the attending guests and loyal patrons. The evening featured exceptional pan-Latin American cuisine featuring ceviche, tacos, mini burgers and other mouth-watering canapés, plus live DJ entertainment. DJ Shane OB got the party started…

  • If you can’t play BIG don’t even bother playing small.

    If you can’t play BIG don’t even bother playing small.

    by Darren Scherbain These word of wisdom, that absolutely resonate to my core, were handed to me from Jim. Jim, a fellow Canadian and a near and dear friend, grew up playing hockey in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. The Notre Dame Hounds, a hockey team, belonged to a catholic boarding school in the middle of the Canadian Prairies. The Hounds produce exceptional…

  • ‘Forest Rescue’ campaign to save trees in and around Bangkok

    ‘Forest Rescue’ campaign to save trees in and around Bangkok

    Magnolia Quality Development Corporation Limited (MQDC), a company that invests in, develops, and manages high-quality residential and mixed-use property projects under the brands ‘THE FORESTIAS’, has announced ‘Forest Rescue’, a campaign to save urban trees and highlight the importance of nature and healthy ecosystems. The 70 million baht campaign aims to rescue trees in and around Bangkok and to spotlight…

  • SOS Children’s Village Phuket invited to ‘Be My Guest’

    SOS Children’s Village Phuket invited to ‘Be My Guest’

    Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket organised a day filled with activities as part of an on-going partnership with SOS Children’s Village Phuket, an orphanage that was set up in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami and looks after local, unattended children. On Saturday, June 16, 2018, 20 children from the SOS Children’s Village Phuket were invited to…

  • How to Trust – Annie’s story

    How to Trust – Annie’s story

    Putting yourself out there in the uncertainty, and exposing your raw vulnerability is downright scary. Who said charging after your dreams with courage and conviction was going to be EASY? Starting your own business and making a vision become a reality requires an enormous amount of patience, persistence and perseverance. It’s so easy to double down on fear and what’s happened to…

  • World’s Top 50 Restaurants – Thailand scores in the top 10

    World’s Top 50 Restaurants – Thailand scores in the top 10

    PHOTO: Robb Report European eating establishments have dominated this year’s Top 50 Restaurant list. The leading fine dining venues of 2018 were revealed at a ceremony in Bilbao, Spain. This year, culinary masterminds from five continents gathered in the Spanish port city of Bilbao for an award ceremony to name the 50 best fine dining joints for 2018 and, most importantly,…

  • Top 10 world landmarks

    Top 10 world landmarks

    …as voted by Trip Advisor users. Where are the world’s most popular landmarks? And which are ranked in the world’s Top Ten? What comes to mind? The Eiffel Tower? Statue of Liberty? Machu Picchu? Well none of those make their way into the world’s Top Ten as voted by Trip Advisor users in this 2018 survey. Even the top three…

  • Mini-marathon, through the sea – LangSuan Mini Marathon

    Mini-marathon, through the sea – LangSuan Mini Marathon

    Thailand’s only annual mini-marathon that features a run through the sea to an offshore island, the LangSuan Mini Marathon, is returning for its 14th year on June 17, 2018, in Paknam Lang Suan sub-district, a peaceful coastal town in Chumphon province. Each year, this running event inspires runners from Thailand and around the world to take part in the 14…

  • High performance coaching to be at your best

    High performance coaching to be at your best

    by Hayden Rhodes Most of us want better health, better relationships and better careers. How about you? Generally speaking, human beings around the world that achieve these objectives live in a role they truly enjoy. The key word here is enjoy, I.E. In Joy. Doing something that brings JOY into their being, participating in something that creates a sense of…

  • What can i give? Laguna Phuket Marathon

    What can i give? Laguna Phuket Marathon

    How much passion and conviction are you willing to invest in your life? I was once asked…. Darren, what are you so passionate about that you are willing to die for? Die? You mean, as in ‘ready to fall on the sword for your convictions and end of story’ kind of die? My question to you is what are you are…

  • The Runner’s High and Squishy Socks – Laguna Marathon 2018

    The Runner’s High and Squishy Socks – Laguna Marathon 2018

    It was the first crack of thunder that shook the house, which beckoned me out of bed this morning at 4am. No worries the alarm was set for 5am. If I sit around waiting for the perfect conditions and feelings I’ll just be left sitting and waiting. It’s so easy to blame our decisions on our circumstances. With just over two…

  • Keep It Green: Slow suffocation by plastic

    Keep It Green: Slow suffocation by plastic

    by Patrick Campbell Anyone interested in ecological issues knows that the principal culprits for the catastrophic decline in marine life are the triple evils of overfishing, inadequate regulation at all levels, and pollution. For decades, weighted trawl nets have scoured the shallow bottom of the Andaman Sea, removing not only entire fish colonies, but all its benthic life, including colonies…

  • Phuket’s monsoon – here comes the green season

    Phuket’s monsoon – here comes the green season

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com Rainy season often brings a shroud of darkness over the island, when strong showers can even make it difficult seeing anything farther away than the short span across the road from my office. Imagine pulling a hoodie over your head on a sunny day and dropping suddenly into the netherworld of dimly lit shadows. These…

  • Top International Schools in Sukhumvit – and what is unique about them

    Top International Schools in Sukhumvit – and what is unique about them

    by Daniel Lummis There are numerous challenges to be faced when living in a country with a culture very different to your own but perhaps the most difficult, for parents at any rate, is that of choosing a school in which your children will thrive and receive a first-class education. Bangkok is home to many excellent international schools but facilities,…

  • Mango Tree brings its ‘Isan’ Thai culinary culture to Kawasaki, Japan

    Mango Tree brings its ‘Isan’ Thai culinary culture to Kawasaki, Japan

    Leading Asian restaurant operator Mango Tree Worldwide has launched a new Mango Tree Café in Japan, bringing authentic street food from Isan, the region of northeast Thailand, to diners in the bustling city of Kawasaki. The new Mango Tree Café Kawasaki is located on the fourth floor of Lazona Kawasaki Plaza, a major shopping and lifestyle complex in the heart…

  • The Pavilions Phuket gears up for a summer of inspiring art and culture

    The Pavilions Phuket gears up for a summer of inspiring art and culture

    The Pavilions Phuket, the island’s romantic and intimate luxury resort with a choice of exceptional villas and suites overlooking the Andaman Sea, will become a cultural showcase this summer as the resort introduces a series of events tailored to sophisticated global guests and visitors. The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts global philosophy is rooted in romance, art, culture and adventure. Throughout…

  • Ginja Taste Restaurant named one of Thailand Tatler Best Restaurants 2018

    Ginja Taste Restaurant named one of Thailand Tatler Best Restaurants 2018

    Executive Chef Dietmar Spitzer (5nd from right) alongside with Mr. Libor Secka (7th from left), Director of Food & Beverage posed together with their dedicated Food & Beverage team JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa in Mai Khao has added to its global reputation with its authentic Thai restaurant. Ginja Taste recently receiving the gastronomic award in an annual Thailand…

  • Thanking those who dug the well

    Thanking those who dug the well

    How do you repay interest on your debt? Seventeen years of compound interest that can add up pretty quickly. Seventeen years of recovery. Cocaine and alcohol were not my problem and they were merely a solution to my problem. My problem is MYSELF. Recovery of myself; from all the layers of my self imposed toxic crap. The story under the…

  • Retiring overseas. Is it getting too expensive to retire in your home country?

    Retiring overseas. Is it getting too expensive to retire in your home country?

    PHOTO: Chris Green Retirement in western countries is starting to become out of reach for many with spiralling cost of living and monthly expenses. The property booms in countries like Australia have pushed up rents for many who simply find it difficult to contemplate retiring in their home country. On a cobbled street in the south of Spain, Norah Ohrt…

  • Launch of Michelin Guide of Bangkok, Phuket & Phang-Nga 2019

    Launch of Michelin Guide of Bangkok, Phuket & Phang-Nga 2019

    Following the very first 2018 edition of The Michelin Guide dedicated to Bangkok, Michelin today announces the extension of The Michelin Guide’s reach to Phuket and Phang-nga, with a new 2019 edition: The Michelin Guide Bangkok, Phuket, and Phang-nga 2019, to be released at the end of 2018 – featuring Thailand’s vibrant food cities with a wealth of accommodation options…

  • Reboot and maximise your energy

    Reboot and maximise your energy

    ADVERTISEMENT Award winning Phuket beach resort, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, is hosting the 6th ‘Reboot and Maximise Your Energy’ event which will be taking place from May 24-27, 2018. Participants will learn new fitness & lifestyle skills and information and how they can ‘re-program’ their body with the practitioners including Hayden Rhodes, Kim White, Andrew Stannard and Susanna…

  • Top 10 Coffees in Phuket

    Top 10 Coffees in Phuket

    Phuket has developed quite a coffee culture with new cafés opening every week all over the island. The Thais love their iced coffee drowned in sweetened condensed milk whilst the western favourites are gaining in popularity. You’re now hard-pressed not to find good coffee around Phuket. From a 50 baht latte to some of the more fancy decors, here are…