Best of

Explore the various aspects of Thailand, from its vibrant cities to its serene beaches, with Thaiger’s Best-of Guides. Covering a wide range of topics including lifestyle, entertainment, travel, and property, these guides will help you discover the hidden gems and top attractions in the country. Whether you are a tourist, expat, or local, our Best-of Guides provide valuable insights and tips to make your Thailand experience truly unforgettable.

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    5 hidden healthcare costs in Thailand and how to avoid them

    Thailand's healthcare system is affordable and supported by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, offering essential services to most citizens. However, hidden healthcare costs can surprise patients and lead to unexpected expenses. These include specialist fees, insurance gaps, emergency services,...

  • Carnage continues on Thai roads

    Carnage continues on Thai roads

    People die on Thai roads, at the scene of the accident, at a rate of 39 per day (average for 2018). This shameful and tragic toll was exceeded on Tuesday this week when 58 people lost their lives on Thai roads. While this was the single worst day for road deaths this month, the figures are still unofficial and grow in…

  • 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…

  • 23% of expats get by on less than 45,000 baht per month – Thaivisa survey

    23% of expats get by on less than 45,000 baht per month – Thaivisa survey

    PHOTO: matadornetwork.com ThaiVisa has released reports from its recent survey into life of expats in Thailand. The survey was conducted on the Thaivisa website so partly reflects the aspirations and life of readers of the site. They report that a common theme on social media and forums is that Thais think of hooking up with or marrying farangs as their…

  • 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…

  • World’s Top 10 off-grid hotel stays

    World’s Top 10 off-grid hotel stays

    …according to booking website Hotels.com Want to go ‘off the grid’? Escape from the bustling markets, show-pieces and tourist traps around the world? Some of these places don’t even have wi-fi. Hotels.com has launched a new Hideaway Hotels category to help you escape 21st century life for a break The booking website has seen a 60% spike in guests leaving…

  • ‘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…

  • Who is winning the battle between your two wolves?

    Who is winning the battle between your two wolves?

    In our hustle and bustle to clock in and clock out, we need to remember that happiness is a choice. It’s a moment to moment choice and we should remember that happiness is an inside job. https://www.facebook.com/darren.scherbain/videos/10160754411660037/

  • 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…

  • Mango Tree elevates Thai dining with the launch of flagship restaurant in Guangzhou

    Mango Tree elevates Thai dining with the launch of flagship restaurant in Guangzhou

    Leading Asian restaurant operator Mango Tree Worldwide has expanded its flagship brand in China with the opening of Mango Tree Guangzhou, a contemporary, design-led dining destination located in one of the world’s tallest buildings. Created by Steve Leung, the award-winning Hong Kong-based architect and designer, Mango Tree Guangzhou features a rainforest and island themed interior, allowing diners to feel the…

  • 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…

  • Songkhla Seafood Festival 2018 – on now.

    Songkhla Seafood Festival 2018 – on now.

    The Songkhla Seafood Festival 2018 is on now and celebrating its 19th year. It’s taking place at Sra Bua, Laem Samila, Songkhla until June 9, 2018. The event is known for offering all kinds of seafood fresh off the boat, including fish, shrimp, crab, shellfish, squid and jellyfish, caught during the 12-day festival. There will be more than 100 seafood…

  • 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…

  • Death by alcohol. How does Thailand rate?

    Death by alcohol. How does Thailand rate?

    Amongst all the things that might kill you, alcohol remains near the top of the list in many countries. Excess consumption of alcohol can lead to all manner of long-term disease as well as domestic disruption and then, out on the roads driving with other people, deaths related to drink driving. Whilst Thailand has a poor relationship with alcohol –…

  • 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…

  • Top 10 Roast Dinners in Phuket

    Top 10 Roast Dinners in Phuket

    Many of us are away from home living as ‘expats’ on this tropical island and while we all love Thai food, especially street local food, sometimes we miss the comforts of home. And what’s more homely than our extensively researched (we all love a good roast) Top Ten Sunday Roasts, in no particular order. 1. Les Diables, Boat Lagoon The…

  • 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…