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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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Alzheimer’s patient forced out of Thailand. Immigration rule changes mean mother can’t stay.
PHOTO: 77 year old American Alzheimer’s patient Anna Padgett with care home staff on a field trip “Thailand talks about being a hub for medical care but the immigration rules are just not conducive to that, especially in our case.” The daughter of an Alzheimer’s patient has told ThaiVisa how her stricken mother is being forced out of Thailand. The…
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Incomes on the rise for Thai expats
“The Thai economy has continued to see an upward trend in recent years, with a steady and sustained increase in overseas business…” The pay and benefits packages of expats in Thailand has seen a major increase, with the overall package of an average overseas worker increasing by US$27,917, according to a new survey. Lee Quane of ECA International said the…
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30,000 baht bill for diarrhoea treatment at private hospital
FILE PHOTO It’s enough to give you the s**ts! An unnamed private hospital is being asked to explain how it charged a patient 30,000 baht for the treatment of a simple stomach infection. A source at the Internal Trade Department says that a review of the medical bill indicates the hospital bill was “unreasonable”. “The hospital will be asked to…
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New date for Coronation Day holiday announced
Thailand, the land of a thousand temples. And, it seems, the land of a thousand public holidays. Now, the Cabinet has announced May 4 as the official new Coronation Day official holiday. So it’s not actually a new holiday, but it replaces the date of the previous Coronation Day in Thailand. The new holiday date marks the day that His…
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Update on Chikungunya cases in Thailand
“Chikungunya Virus is an arbovirus of the alphavirus genus, transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, same way Dengue is spread.” The Bureau of Epidemiology, along with the Thailand Health Ministry, are reporting 3,379 chikungunya cases in 23 provinces up to May 13 this year. Phuket, Songkla and Ranong have been the most affected by the mosquito borne viral…
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Twitter and Facebook work to block anti-vax misinformation
If you search for the word ‘vaccines’ in Twitter, the first thing you see from today is a post from the US Department of Health and Human Services pointing you to reliable health information instead of misinformation from the anti-vax adherents. Twitter says it now has a new tool in ‘search’ prompting users to head to vaccines.org, which is run…
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10 million Thais to learn CPR and other life-saving techniques
The King’s Volunteer 904 Central Coordination Centre has assigned the Public Health Ministry to provide training to 10 million Thais in basic life-saving skills, principally learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) machines. The ministry will formulate a curriculum for training the public in CPR and AED and publish the materials online. The project…
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Ban on alcohol sales and consumption for Visakha Bucha Day
The Royal Thai police remind us that today is a sacred Buddhist holiday and there will be no alcohol sales throughout the country. The ban for Visakha Bucha Day is in place for 24 hours from midnight last night (Friday) to midnight tonight (Saturday). People caught selling alcohol are liable to a 10,000 baht fine and six months in jail. The holiday…
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The Nation goes online-only from July 1
PHOTO: Somchai Meesen, CEO of Nation Multimedia Media Group, speaks to Nation TV yesterday about The Nation’s future. “Over the past five years, The Nation has lost 30 million baht a year on average.” The Nation newspaper will stop its print editions and go fully online from July 1, when the independent English-language daily turns 48, to focus more on…
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Expat life in Thailand – a balancing act
We all come to live in Thailand for vastly different reasons. Sometimes love, sometimes an adventure, sometimes escaping something at home and sometimes for business. Our journey to the Land of Smiles, and then our settling in, can be fraught with shocks, cultural and financial. Here is one man’s story as told in ExpatLifeInThailand… by Shane Irvine I didn’t come…
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University of Canberra urgently evacuates students after ‘gas leak’
…but Asian students wouldn’t have bothered rushing to the doors. Tertiary students have had to evacuate an exam room in the Australian capital of Canberra following a suspected gas leak and foul stench that was making the students ill. Staff at the University of Canberra library were forced to evacuate the building. But a search from security staff found that…
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Patient reveals he contracted HIV from donated blood
“We are continuously improving the screening process for donated blood.” A young Thai-Japanese man has contracted HIV via a blood transfusion given as part of his leukaemia treatment at a Bangkok private hospital 15 years ago. But Bumrungrad International Hospital, where the man received treatment for years, says the infected blood came from Thai Red Cross Society and it was…
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We test drove the winner from the Phuket’s best burger competition
by Carl Gulliver Last month Boat Lagoon hosted the annual Phuket’s Best Burger Competition (this year named ‘Dare to Dream’), and although we weren’t able to make it to judgement day, we made sure we test drove the winner. Phuket’s Best Burger Started in 2013, Phuket’s best burger competition has awarded the coveted first prize to Xana Beach Club, Kata…
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Cannabis is not a cure-all, doctors warn
“Even paracetamol can be lethal if it is wrongly used, so we should not idolise cannabis as a panacea and entirely replace conventional medicines with cannabinoid medicines.” Consumers are being warned that cannabis is not a panacea and cure-all for many illnesses and must be used cautiously under the management of health professionals. The warning comes from medical experts at…
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Syphilis on the rise again in Thailand
Syphilis is again on the rise in Thailand. Although curable, this sexually transmitted disease can turn fatal if patients fail to recognise their infection and thus lose a chance to get timely treatment. The Bangrak STD centre, which is under the Disease Control Department, recently warned on its Facebook page that the number of syphilis cases had been rising at a…
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Where in the world is the best cuisine?
A review of the world’s top ten cuisines, not surprisingly, has included Thai food. Some of the other choices might shock (like their number one choice) you but to kick off here is the reviewers thoughts on Thai food… Street eats are a Thai attraction. Flip through a Thai cook book and you’ll be hard pressed to find an ingredient…
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Could cannabis cigarettes be available in your local convenience store?
Thailand’s Tobacco Authority is continuing to lobby for a license for the production of cannabis-based cigarettes but has a few legal, and moral, hoops to climb through before anything happens. Using the ‘health benefits’ argument, the Thai tobacco industry is hoping it can get the go ahead to manufacture cannabis-based cigarettes which could, if given permission, be as available in…
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Phuket ranked sixth Best Destination in the World – Trip Advisor
PHOTO: Patong Beach. Phuket was the only Thai destination in the 2019 list of the World’s Best Destinations Last year’s royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has put the Brexit-obsessed London on top of a list of the World’s Best Destinations in the TripAdvisor’s annual Traveler’s Choice Awards. London beat its close European counterparts, Paris and Rome in…
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Two out of three Thai workers are happy at work
Most Thai workers say they have a happy work life but are hoping the new government will boost the minimum wage and provide better medical welfare benefits. Just some of the results of a recent National Institute of Development Institution (NIDA) poll. The poll was conducted around the country to gauge worker ‘happiness’ and ask what they expect from the…
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Thais encouraged to talk about death
by Wannapha Kunakornvong – including excerpts from “Greying nation must talk about death” Refusing life-sustaining medical intervention during a terminal illness is now the right of every Thai. It is not guaranteed under the law. Yet most Thais don’t know about the options or about palliative care services which help terminal patients die “naturally” and comfortably, instead of being kept alive…
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For the love of mangoes
Thailand’s mangoes, famed for their smell and golden colour, often seen in the company of sticky rice and topped with coconut cream, are as local as you get when it comes to Thai cuisine. And is there anything better than a mamuang pun (mango smoothie) on a hot Thai day?! Mangoes have been cultivated around South Asia for thousands of years…
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Na-Oh, taking off daily into a brand new culinary adventure
PHOTOS: The Nation | Na-Oh A restaurant with a theme, a grand gothic theme – a flying vessel taking survivors of a post-apocalyptic world to a safe zone. Na-Oh (a play on Noah and his journey-to-safety story) promises that its menu will constantly change to reflect a new theme set by the restaurant every three or four months, usually reflective…
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Give your stretch marks a makeover – the tattoo solution
Stretch marks, we’ve all seen them and many of us have a few. Both men and women can be affected. But Inked In Asia has a possible solution. Stretch marks are a natural indication that your body is growing and changing. It can be said that it’s your body’s way of ‘celebrating’ your growth – many would disagree. They are…
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Thong Dee, the Kathu Brasserie loved by foodies and Phuket locals
The Thaiger was invited to a special ‘taster’ at one of our favourite restaurants on the island of Phuket, Thong Dee. As usual, the food spoke for itself – no fuss, classy, so so tasty, eclectic. The Thaiger was a guest of the hosts Patrik and Ponchan for the evening. Thong Dee – The Kathu Brasserie, located in Kathu in…
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Private hospitals overcharging: 30-300 percent
More than half the private hospitals operating in Thailand are overcharging for medical services and prescription drugs. Of the private hospitals alleged to be overcharging, the rates have been calculated to be 30% up to 300% over the actual production cost. The Director General of the Internal Trade Department claims that 295 of the 353 private hospitals have submitted their…
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Thailand still in the world’s Top 14 for TB cases
Thailand is struggling with tuberculosis, and remains in the list of the world’s 14 worst hit countries. Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but they can also damage other parts of the body. TB spreads through the air when a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs,…
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Hyatt Regency open new Spectrum Rooftop Bar in Bangkok
PHOTO: Award-winning Japanese architecture firm Super Potato tops off Hyatt Regency Bangkok Bangkok’s newest rooftop bar opens its doors this week as a sparkling new entry in the list of Bangkok’s top-shelf night spots. Designed by the Japanese design firm Super Potato, the Hyatt Regency Bangkok’s new Spectrum Lounge & Bar is a multi-faceted venue. On three different levels, the expansive…
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Farmers Council helps growers, patients register for medical marijuana
The National Farmers Council is assisting farmers and patients register for medical marijuana, which was legalised late last year, so they have a better understanding of their legal rights and opportunities the new legislation offers. Since the legislation is already in place, the NFC is conducting a road show to educate the public about the issue. The deadline for registration is…
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Mummy makeovers rising trend in medical tourism market
Mummy makeovers in Thailand? You may not have heard about this phenomenon but it’s a real thing in the medical tourism market. Thanks to Thailand’s burgeoning medical tourism sector, more and more women are going under the knife to regain their pre-pregnancy stomach. Opting for lavish trips to South East Asia, female patients are travelling to Thailand for numerous treatments…
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Top 10 restaurants in Phuket (2020)
There are many excellent restaurant experiences in Phuket in 2020. Now Phuket has a broad and sophisticated range of restaurants that befit a Michelin guide dedicated to the region’s best. From floating restaurants to fine-dining, southern-style Thai cuisine to European fusion, Phuket’s got some of the best these days. Here, in no particular order, is the list of the Top 10 restaurant…
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