Guides

Discover the ultimate Thailand Guides from The Thaiger, your one-stop resource for all things Thailand. Immerse yourself in local culture, explore breathtaking nature, indulge in vibrant cuisine, and learn to navigate the country’s lifestyle with ease. Find informative articles to help plan your unforgettable journey to Thailand – from top destinations and hidden gems to visa information and essential tips. Our in-depth guides are expertly crafted and regularly updated to provide you with the latest insights. Experience Thailand like never before with our guides that cater to seasoned travellers and first-timers alike.

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    Top 10 reasons for expats to get a comprehensive health insurance in Thailand

    Moving to Thailand offers plenty of excitement and adventure, but the local healthcare system can be complex to navigate as an expat. From unique health risks to high costs at private hospitals, having a comprehensive health insurance plan is essential....

  • The art of Thai massage – Chann Wellness Spa, Kamala

    The art of Thai massage – Chann Wellness Spa, Kamala

    Time to relax, time to be pampered. You deserve some ‘me’ time to get refreshed and be indulged at the Chann Wellness Spa at Thavorn Beach Village Resort & Spa, Phuket in Kamala. Tim Newton headed to Kamala for an hour of well-deserved pampering. Chann Wellness Spa is one of the island’s most established spas combining experienced staff, the right ‘mood’…

  • Savoury staples with a touch of the finest Swiss chocolate

    Savoury staples with a touch of the finest Swiss chocolate

    Chocolate… mmmmm. But did you consider it as part of a broader savory menu? I enjoyed an evening of chocolate-infused cuisine and, well, it really works! Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket is treating guests to a new menu of savoury dishes with a sweet twist as Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts launches its ‘Chocolate on the Salty Side’ promotion.…

  • Embrace ‘slow travel’ this Vegetarian Festival

    Embrace ‘slow travel’ this Vegetarian Festival

    PHOTOS: Airbnb Airbnb’s tips to travelling well, eating clean and supporting local farming communities… Thailand’s Vegetarian Festival is one of the country’s largest and most colourful annual festivals attracting locals and international travellers each year. A festival about spirituality and food, at its core is the cleansing of mind and body – a common theme amongst travellers today. Travellers now…

  • Phuket Vegetarian Festival program 2018

    Phuket Vegetarian Festival program 2018

    The annual Vegetarian Festival is back and promises to be a big year for the annual nine day celebrations starting next Monday. Some of the rituals are based around self-mutilation and daring acts of fire walking. A lot of the processions and ceremonies can be quite scary, especially for the young or squeamish. There will be lots of noise, lots…

  • Medicinal marijuana by next year in Thailand

    Medicinal marijuana by next year in Thailand

    Thailand’s Governmental Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) is starting researching to develop medicines from marijuana in acknowledgement of evidence that the outlawed substance has health-enhancing properties. It is also seeking to initiate a legal amendment that would permit cannabis for medicinal use, possibly by May next year. Recreational use will remain illegal. GPO chairman Dr Sopon Mekthon yesterday says that with the…

  • Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts unveils a global menu of savoury dishes and finest Swiss chocolate

    Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts unveils a global menu of savoury dishes and finest Swiss chocolate

    ADVERTISING Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, part of the AccorHotels Group, is celebrating Swiss cuisine and the culinary versatility of chocolate with a new global menu of savoury dishes featuring a sweet twist. In Phuket the promotion will be at the Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach. The brand’s talented ‘food artisans’ have made Mövenpick chocolate the hero of seven dishes in…

  • Pavilions Phuket welcomes Chef Rey

    Pavilions Phuket welcomes Chef Rey

    ADVERTISEMENT From humble beginnings in New Zealand, Chef Rey developed his profession with guidance from industry leaders, he has since taken his craft to Australia, Malaysia, Abu Dhabi and Vietnam. Before joining the team at The Pavilions Phuket, Chef Rey worked for well-known luxury restaurants and hotels, including the award-winning ‘2016 Top 50 restaurant’, Bracu, in New Zealand, under the watchful…

  • Top 10 overseas destinations for Chinese travellers

    Top 10 overseas destinations for Chinese travellers

  • Are people living in major tourism destinations happy?

    Are people living in major tourism destinations happy?

    Are people living and working in major tourism destinations happy and content, or miserable due to tourism? Or somewhere in between? A new global survey of local residents’ happiness in World Heritage sites called Planet Happiness has been launched to address the issue. In an age of escalating overtourism, the initiative aims to show that measuring community wellbeing and happiness…

  • Clean The Beach Bootcamp heads to Surin Beach for World Clean Up Day

    Clean The Beach Bootcamp heads to Surin Beach for World Clean Up Day

    On Saturday, September 15, the Clean The Beach Boot Camp crew (CBBC) will be heading to Surin Beach to take part in another of their regular clean-ups. Now in its sixth year, the team and its dedicated followers will help celebrate World Clean Up Day, which also happens to fall on the same day, by cleaning Surin Beach. Clean The Beach…

  • M Beach Club makes waves at Mai Khao

    M Beach Club makes waves at Mai Khao

    ADVERTISING Sip champagne by the sea at the new M Beach Club. Set on the broad, sandy shores of the island’s northern coast, M Beach Club welcomes you to drink, dance, dine, lounge and swim against an eminently Instagrammable backdrop. This stretch of Mai Khao Beach, just 14 kilometres north of the international airport, comes with sprawling sea views…

  • The 9th Floor September specials

    The 9th Floor September specials

    The ‘Angels’ at Patong’s famed The 9th Floor restaurant are singing to the heavens about the new September seafood menu. Gourmet lovers can now savour a five-course chef’s menu paired with premium wines from France, Germany, Italy and Australia in portions compatible with the dishes and the most discerning gourmet’s palate. In September turbot, hailed as the monarch of Dutch…

  • Kata Rocks joins the World Wellness Weekend 2018 global event

    Kata Rocks joins the World Wellness Weekend 2018 global event

    The Infinite Luxury Spa is hosting an exclusive yoga session to relax the body, mind and mood in celebration of World Wellness Weekend 2018, taking place this year on September 22 to 23. The special ‘Sunset Rocks Yoga’ experience is scheduled to be held on Saturday, September 22 from 5:30 to 6:30pm and is complementary for 10 participants on a…

  • Bahrain # 1. Thailand #18. Expat Insider Survey 2018.

    Bahrain # 1. Thailand #18. Expat Insider Survey 2018.

    Where is the favourite place for expats to settle in the world? Bahrain has won the distinction again in the annual Expat Insider survey of 68 countries in the world where expats like to live. How about Thailand and ASEAN countries? Thailand didn’t even get a podium position this year in the survey. It scored fourth behind perennial favourite, the…

  • Surviving Phuket’s rip currents: everything has changed

    Surviving Phuket’s rip currents: everything has changed

    (12 minute read) By Associate Professor Robert Brander, PhD, Coastal Geomorphologist, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia Daren Jenner, Marine Safety Officer, International Surf Lifesaving Association. Rip currents are strong, narrow seaward flowing currents, like ‘rivers of the sea’, that exist on many beaches when waves are breaking across wide areas. These potentially deadly currents are also responsible for…

  • Alcohol – no safe level for consumption. ‘Lancet’ report.

    Alcohol – no safe level for consumption. ‘Lancet’ report.

    Just a single glass of alcoholic a day will slightly increase your risk for long-term health problems. This is the startling finding of a major study into the affect of alcohol on individuals’ health. The report says that there is no evidence that any level of alcohol consumption could confer any health benefits, a finding that runs contrary to previous…

  • Where do you live? Planet Earth or Planet Sloth?

    Where do you live? Planet Earth or Planet Sloth?

    “Houston … we have a problem” “What’s going on up there?” “Well Sir… we’re just floating around… we want to sit down sir” “Enjoy it up there, we’ve got enough to deal with down here, gravity is pulling everyone down” Let’s face facts. Planet earth is suffering from The Sloth. Remember in the movie SEVEN (SE7EN) – starring Brad Pitt…

  • “There is no safe level of alcohol use” – The Lancet

    “There is no safe level of alcohol use” – The Lancet

    The Lancet, the world’s most respected scientific and medical journal, reports that there is no ‘safe’ level of alcohol consumption in a new report. The journal has editorial offices in London, New York, and Beijing. The findings of the study were released yesterday (Thursday). The report follows up on evidence collected in an analysis of 2016 global alcohol consumption and…

  • HoverGlide lightens the backpacker load

    HoverGlide lightens the backpacker load

    PHOTO: Lightning Packs HoverGlide. Marty McFly’s hovering skateboard from ‘Back To The Future 2’? A new monorail in Bangkok? No. TravelWire Asia is reporting that the new HoverGlide by Lightning Packs is being hailed as the “world’s first floating backpack.” They say it’s the perfect back-pack solution for hiking, running, commuting or just strolling around town. But it’s not floating in…

  • Kata Rock’s ‘Rainy Day Bliss Package’

    Kata Rock’s ‘Rainy Day Bliss Package’

    Few things in life are better than pampering yourself with a luxury spa package on a rainy day. If you’re in need of quality ‘me time’ and are looking to get out of the house, Kata Rocks provides the perfect escape. Experience total rejuvenation with our ‘Rainy Day Bliss Package’, inclusive of a gourmet lunch at our award-winning restaurant. Kata…

  • Top 10 busiest airports in the world – first half of 2018

    Top 10 busiest airports in the world – first half of 2018

    Beijing Capital International Airport is still the world’s second-busiest airport by passenger traffic, witnessing with nearly 50 million passengers passing through in the first half of this year. This from the Civil Aviation Data Analysis, a civil aviation data platform based in Shanghai. The list, comprising 17 international airports around the world, ranks airports in terms of passenger traffic as…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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 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…

  • 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…