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.

  • Love, luck, and the sea: February travel ideas near Bangkok | Thaiger

    Love, luck, and the sea: February travel ideas near Bangkok

    February is a good month for short escapes. The weather is comfortable and with Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day, you have a reason to step away from routine for a night or two. If you’re looking to spend time by the sea somewhere close to Bangkok, Sriracha and nearby Koh Si Chang are fantastic options. Chinese New Year by…

  • The case for structure: Why some trainees still choose the Education Visa over the DTV | Thaiger

    The case for structure: Why some trainees still choose the Education Visa over the DTV

    Disclosure: Muay Thai Visa Thailand (MTVT) operates through Sor.Dechapant Muay Thai School in Bangkok. They earn revenue from training enrollment and visa documentation services. This piece reflects their operational experience working with Muay Thai DTV visa, Muay Thai Education (ED) visa, and Digital Nomad Visa Thailand applicants. Ministry of Education License: สช.กร. 00025/2568. Everyone wants to talk about the Destination…

  • There’s no place like home to get fit: Reinventing yourself as you Age | Thaiger

    There’s no place like home to get fit: Reinventing yourself as you Age

    For a lot of people, the gym feels like a test of confidence before it becomes a place to train. You worry about what to wear, whether you’re doing the exercises right, and who might be watching. This is one of the reasons home fitness has become more popular in recent years, and 24/7 Fit Me, a home-based fitness service…

  • ICONSIAM hosts an exclusive evening welcoming LACMA Executives | Thaiger

    ICONSIAM hosts an exclusive evening welcoming LACMA Executives

    ICONSIAM, the global landmark on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, steadfast in its mission to become a global hub for artistic collaboration and cultural exchange, recently had the distinct honour of hosting an exclusive dinner reception. The event welcomed Michael Govan, CEO and Director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), one of the world’s most…

  • A practical way to think about healthcare when living in Thailand | Thaiger

    A practical way to think about healthcare when living in Thailand

    Living in Thailand means co-existing with a healthcare system that’s brilliant in some ways and frustrating in others. Oftentimes, private hospitals feel like five-star hotels, with doctors trained internationally, and the costs seem reasonable compared to Western countries, until you’re actually sitting in that consultation room without insurance, watching the bill climb. Here’s the thing most people don’t tell you…

  • Why high-functioning professionals are seeking private recovery instead of group rehab | Thaiger

    Why high-functioning professionals are seeking private recovery instead of group rehab

    A growing number of high-functioning professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, and senior leaders are choosing private, one-on-one recovery programs over traditional group rehabilitation facilities. As workplace burnout reaches epidemic levels and the stigma around mental health challenges persists in corporate environments, many are discovering that confidential, personalised treatment offers a path to sustainable wellness that group settings cannot provide. Prana Bali, an…

  • Bangkok Design Week 2026 opens as Southeast Asia’s largest creative platform | Thaiger

    Bangkok Design Week 2026 opens as Southeast Asia’s largest creative platform

    The Creative Economy Agency (CEA) and partners officially opened Bangkok Design Week 2026 (BKKDW2026), Southeast Asia’s largest design festival. Now in its ninth edition, this year’s event is held under the theme “DESIGN S/O/S,” signalling that design serves as a solution to multidimensional challenges amid widespread crises across economic, environmental, social, and quality-of-life issues, while also elevating the city to…

  • GWM discontinues Good Cat, prepares ORA 5 SUV launch for Thai market | Thaiger

    GWM discontinues Good Cat, prepares ORA 5 SUV launch for Thai market

    Great Wall Motor (Thailand) has announced the discontinuation of its ORA Good Cat electric vehicle after more than four years on the market, making way for the launch of the GWM ORA 5 SUV and other new models in 2026. The ORA Good Cat, which first arrived in Thailand in October 2021, accumulated total sales of 20,827 units before production…

  • Thailand signs deal with Canva to improve digital learning | Thaiger

    Thailand signs deal with Canva to improve digital learning

    Thailand’s Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC) has signed a memorandum of understanding in Bangkok with Canva, marking a new collaboration to enhance digital learning and design capabilities in private schools across the country. The agreement was signed at OPEC’s Bangkok headquarters on January 26 by OPEC Secretary-General Monthon Phaksuwan and Canva Thailand Country Manager Pakapol Thangtongchin. The partnership…

  • How to use Binance in Southeast Asia | Thaiger

    How to use Binance in Southeast Asia

    The use of cryptocurrency in Southeast Asia is on the rise, and Binance remains one of the most popular exchanges for trading and investing. You can be in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, or Singapore, but you need to know how to open your account, fund it, and trade safely. This guide will take you through the most important steps, issues, and…

  • Thailand’s love for urban gardening | Thaiger

    Thailand’s love for urban gardening

    Walk down nearly any street in Bangkok, and you’ll notice something that doesn’t quite match the usual portrait of a Southeast Asian megacity. Between the concrete shophouses and glass towers, beneath the elevated train tracks and along the motorcycle-clogged pavements, plants are everywhere. Not manicured landscaping or municipal flower beds, but an unruly profusion of potted trees, herbs in plastic…

  • Where to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Thailand | Thaiger

    Where to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Thailand

    Valentine’s Day is coming in hot again, and no, you don’t have to panic-book the first candlelit table you see. Thailand does romance in many lanes, from private islands where the world politely disappears, to riverside dinners that feel cinematic. Here are the best ones. Where to go Date Location Why it’s special The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection Resort…

  • England brings it home in Reignwood Icons Of Football 2026 | Thaiger

    England brings it home in Reignwood Icons Of Football 2026

    England has retained the Icons Series Trophy, emerging victorious at the 2026 Reignwood Icons of Football. In a day defined by immense pressure, Team England finished the afternoon singles with a single-point 20-19 victory over a resilient Team World. The final session had fans worldwide on the edge of their seats as Team World launched a valiant fightback to erase…

  • Budget phones that are thin and light in 2026 | Thaiger

    Budget phones that are thin and light in 2026

    The budget smartphone market in early 2026 has achieved what seemed impossible just two years ago: delivering phones under 8mm thick with battery capacities exceeding 6,000mAh, all while keeping prices under 13,000 baht. The breakthrough comes from silicon-carbon battery technology, which packs 20-30% more energy into the same space by using silicon composite anodes instead of traditional graphite. For budget-conscious…

  • A crash course on Thailand market entry in 2026 | Thaiger

    A crash course on Thailand market entry in 2026

    Thailand’s market entry landscape in 2026 demands understanding beyond digital metrics. As AI integration becomes standard operational practice and e-commerce matures into habitual consumer behaviour, success depends on cultural fluency, regulatory compliance, and local partnerships. In this guide, AJ Marketing examines the playbook for 2026, analysing the tools, platforms, and trends shaping Thailand’s commercial landscape. On this page Section Short…

  • Astrologer predicts Thailand’s next prime minister for 2026 Election | Thaiger

    Astrologer predicts Thailand’s next prime minister for 2026 Election

    Astrological prediction becomes especially compelling when applied to unprecedented political situations, particularly when forecasts must be made before an actual term of office begins. According to JD Mukkarji, a scientific astrologer residing in Bangkok, unlike recurring events such as annual or biennial sports tournaments, where patterns are relatively easier to track, political transitions often lack predictable cycles. Events that occur…

  • Montien Hotel Surawong Bangkok hosts Bangkok Design Week 2026 | Thaiger

    Montien Hotel Surawong Bangkok hosts Bangkok Design Week 2026

    Montien Hotel Surawong Bangkok, in collaboration with the Bang Rak District Office, is honoured to be selected as one of the principal venues for Bangkok Design Week 2026 (BKKDW 2026). Organised by the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organisation) (CEA), the international creative festival will take place from January 29 to February 8 under the theme “Design S/O/S.” Bangkok Design Week…

  • Thailand reforms business, visa, and social laws to attract global expats | Thaiger

    Thailand reforms business, visa, and social laws to attract global expats

    Thailand is undertaking its most comprehensive expatriate policy overhaul in decades, introducing reforms across business law, visa regulations, property ownership, and civil rights that collectively aim to position the country as Southeast Asia’s premier destination for foreign residents and investors. Announced progressively throughout 2024 and early 2025, these reforms respond to regional competition for foreign talent and investment, particularly as…

  • 24 legendary football icons set to showcase their golf swing at Reignwood Park | Thaiger

    24 legendary football icons set to showcase their golf swing at Reignwood Park

    The special golf tournament, Reignwood Icons of Football, is ready to take centre stage, running grandly from January 31 to February 1 at Robinswood Golf Club, located within Reignwood Park, a world-class lifestyle community for all generations in Lam Luk Ka, Pathum Thani. This event marks another major milestone for Asian sport, featuring a globally broadcast golf competition where iconic football…

  • What to do in Bangkok this weekend (January 30 to February 1) | Thaiger

    What to do in Bangkok this weekend (January 30 to February 1)

    Ah, the passage of time. We’re finally entering the second month of 2026, which feels so fast but here we are. January barely logged out and February is already asking what the plan is. The good news is Bangkok is not easing us in gently. The city has gone straight into design takeovers, river hangouts, art that spills into public…

  • BoT flags suspicious cash withdrawals, tightens online gold trading rules | Thaiger

    BoT flags suspicious cash withdrawals, tightens online gold trading rules

    Thailand’s central bank, Bank of Thailand (BoT), is cracking down on suspicious financial activity after unusual cash withdrawals totalling 250 million baht were flagged across commercial banks. BoT Governor, Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, revealed on January 28 that commercial banks have been ordered to urgently investigate irregular cash withdrawal patterns. In one case, a customer withdrew 250 million baht in a single…

  • The quick history of Valentine’s Day in Thailand from the 1980s to now | Thaiger

    The quick history of Valentine’s Day in Thailand from the 1980s to now

    Valentine’s Day in Thailand bears little resemblance to its Western origins. What arrived as a foreign novelty in the 1980s has evolved into a distinctively Thai institution, one that blends bureaucratic ritual, spiritual intervention, commercial spectacle, and most recently, historic civil rights milestones into a celebration that reveals as much about Thai society as it does about romance. On this…

  • Where to find the best matcha in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Where to find the best matcha in Bangkok

    The matcha craze did not disappear with last year’s trends. It’s still very much part of Bangkok’s coffee and tea scene, with new spots popping up and old favourites levelling up their game. Ceremonial grade, culinary grade, single origin, umami notes, it can all feel a bit much when you just want a really good cup. To make things easier,…

  • How to secure your Muay Thai DTV visa without the risk | Thaiger

    How to secure your Muay Thai DTV visa without the risk

    A note to readers: This is commentary from Muay Thai Visa Thailand (MTVT), which provides enrollment in Muay Thai training and documentation support for the Muay Thai DTV visa and Muay Thai ED visa for international trainees. They earn revenue when clients purchase Muay Thai training and documentation services connected to visa applications. MTVT operates through Sor.Dechapant Muay Thai School,…

  • 17 best marketing and advertising agencies in Thailand (2026) | Thaiger

    17 best marketing and advertising agencies in Thailand (2026)

    Thailand has carved out its own spot among one of the most significant business destinations in Asia, and its growth in e-commerce, digital transformation and internet adoption backs this. However, success in this market is not as straightforward as you may think. It requires understanding Thai consumer behaviour, cultural nuances, and current marketing trends. Thai consumers have increasingly shifted to…

  • Last chance for tickets! Football’s global giants descend on Bangkok this weekend for Reignwood Icons of Football | Thaiger

    Last chance for tickets! Football’s global giants descend on Bangkok this weekend for Reignwood Icons of Football

    The wait is almost over for sports fans in Thailand as the world’s most iconic footballers touch down in Bangkok to trade their boots for golf clubs. The Reignwood Icons of Football takes place this Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1, at the prestigious Robinswood Golf Club, where Team England will face Team World in a high-stakes golf showdown.…

  • Etro Residences Phuket hits 830,000 Thai baht per square metre shattering island sales records | Thaiger

    Etro Residences Phuket hits 830,000 Thai baht per square metre shattering island sales records

    Etro Residences Phuket has made an explosive debut, setting a new per square metre sales record just days after launch. Located within the prestigious Gardens of Eden development in Bangtao, the ultra-limited collection achieved prices of 830,000 Thai baht (US$26,350) per square metre, more than four times Phuket’s branded residence average, and the highest on the island. Launched on January…

  • Thailand vs. Vietnam vs. Malaysia: Which is better for long-term living? | Thaiger

    Thailand vs. Vietnam vs. Malaysia: Which is better for long-term living?

    Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia have each carved out their own space in the long-term expat landscape. Thailand offers dependable healthcare and a well-established expat infrastructure. Vietnam stands out for rock-bottom costs and relentless urban energy. Malaysia brings modern living standards, cultural diversity, and an English-speaking environment that makes settling in remarkably smooth. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here. The right choice…

  • When is the Chinese New Year in 2026 and what is the Fire Horse? | Thaiger

    When is the Chinese New Year in 2026 and what is the Fire Horse?

    As the sound of firecrackers from the international New Year celebrations begins to fade, the atmosphere of the most important festival for Thai people of Chinese descent is drawing near. The year 2569 BE, or the Chinese zodiac Year of the Horse, carries special significance. According to Chinese astrology, it is a Fire element year, known as the “Fire Horse,”…

  • EDC Thailand announces new December dates following strong early-year momentum | Thaiger

    EDC Thailand announces new December dates following strong early-year momentum

    Following the success of EDC 2026, held just last week from January 16 to 18, Future Vibes, the developer and operator of international music festivals in Thailand, together with Insomniac, the global dance music experience curator and creator of Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), announced the return of EDC Thailand for its third edition. The festival will move from its traditional…