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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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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 –…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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High performance coaching to be at your best!
by Hayden Rhodes @ Healthy Richuals Philosophy plays an important role in determining how you live and the results that you get in life. Did you ever consider that life could be improved by changing your philosophy? Think about it. How you think, dictates how you will act. And your daily actions reflect your living philosophy. Imagine fine tuning your…
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Let’s take that leap of faith
Sooner or later we need take one ‘ginormous’ deep breath and take that Leap of Faith. Saturday afternoon is a good as time as any. We hadn’t even started our lunch when Ghan served me up a little challenge – “Dude I’m going to send you a random picture and you have to write about the picture. You only have…
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Kata Rocks Collective Series 12 unmasked
Kata Rocks’ Collective Series 12 ‘Venetian Masquerade Party’ delivered on its promise of another classy event with over 80 guests enjoying an evening of exceptional food, live DJ entertainment and acrobatic performances. Infinite Luxury Marketing Director Michael Nurbatlian says this was one of the best Collective Series events to date as the event’s exotic theme, attire and party ambiance came…
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Top 10 English-language movies made in Thailand
Thailand is active in attracting foreign movie makers to the Land of Smiles, and has been for decades. Many well known movies have been either partially or totally filmed in Thailand. From ‘The Killing Fields’ to ‘Around the World in 80 Days’. Here is our list of the Top 10 English-language movies that were at least partly made in Thailand.…
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High performance coaching secrets for life and business
by Hayden Rhodes I recently spent time in New Zealand and this special country reminded me of fundamentals required for optimal mental and physical performance – fundamentals that are mandatory to be put in place so that you can live and work at your best, day in and day out. Remember, fundamentals are vital for the long-term success of any…
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Top 10 reasons to live in Thailand
(10 minute read) Let’s move to Thailand! Many travel to the Land of Smiles and some even stay, drawn by it’s culture, climate, opportunities, cost-of-living or maybe even ‘love’. Here are our top ten reasons to move to and live in Thailand. 1. The weather Thailand’s weather, north to south, can vary quite a bit but most of the year…
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Cyclists and shiny, new shoes
with Bike Centre Phuket New bike shoes are so inviting. Sleek and shiny, and limitless in the bike shop. On display isn’t just a mere shoe, with it’s flavour of FRESH start and clean slate, but a ticket to endless possibilities and adventure. In the shop, there is no apprehension stuffed in the shoe. The shoe is loaded with conviction.…
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Top 10 Spots to Escape the Crowds in Phuket
The island of Phuket is abuzz with tourists throughout the high season, but it is also staying busy now during the traditional ‘low’ season as well. We no longer have the dramatic influx during the silly season and super quiet during low season, it has flattened out and we now have tourists all year round. Expats and locals welcome the tourists…
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Playing the Long Game
with Darren Scherbain One of my favorite sessions is to run barefoot in the deep sand on Karon Beach. It’s a grind and hard yards. Not only a great session for the proprepceptors in the lower limb, it’s also a fantastic session for stabilising the contra lateral forces in the body inherent to running. The only drawback is that it…
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Why does everything have to happen NOW?
by Darren Scherbain My face instantly lit up when Kurt told me that there were more trees for me to chop in his garden. I’ll be over this afternoon I told him …. “Hold on”, he continued, “it’s not ready to be spilt yet.“ When did getting plugged in to EVERYTHING become the required speed at which we hustle through our…
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Childless couples in Thailand increase 300% in 30 years
Between 1987 and 2015 the number of childless couples in Thailand has risen 300 percent. Nattaya Boonpakdee, an official at the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), has attributed the increase in the number of childless couples to the cost of raising children, a perception that children are a burden, and the fact that many Thais are getting married at a later…
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Going grey – The ‘Gold’ App for Thai seniors
The Government will later this month launch an app, called “Gold Application”, for elderly citizens to keep them informed of the rights, benefits and opportunities they are entitled to. “When they type the number of their national identification card into the app, they will be able to access useful information or request help from the state,” Older Persons Department’s director-general…
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On time – cultural differences in being punctual
How late is late? Is being 5 minutes late, late? 10 minutes? An hour? Depending on where you live and a number of other cultural factors, the definition of being late can be quite different around the world. In Japan your lateness can be measured in unites whilst in Thailand and parts of southern Europe you will get a solid…
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The Great Convenience Store Gourmet Challenge – Episode 5
– Ryan Arboleda, Swissôtel Resort Patong Beach
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It’s so easy to talk a good game
by Darren Scherbain Spouting out the affirmations and broadcasting your good intentions makes a cute little Instagram post. Talk is cheap! Talk gets you another stint in rehab. Talking about doing something is not the same as actually doing it! Setting your intentions will not get your butt up the hill. Talking is just good for …. talking. Talking about doing it;…
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Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list – “Biased, commercialised and a big publicity stunt.”
By Clinton Palanca The winners of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants has been announced, the list released. There will be the usual accusations that the list is biased, commercialised, a big publicity stunt and, most important, that it is of very little value to the vast majority of the population. Food tourism has become a big deal. I remember when I…
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Phuket to be a foam-free city
Phuket Vice Governor, Thavorn Kongkaew, chaired the signing of Memorandums of Understanding between the government sector, the private sector and local associations. The MOUs are aiming to stop the use of foam material containers in Phuket. There were 13 companies granted a certificate of honour for being foam-free. “Phuket is one of the most popular tourism destinations in the country.…
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Fear is your friend – ‘Winds of Change’ TEDx UWCT
by Darren Scherbain Who am I to share my story? I’m nothing but an ex-snowblower, who can still wrestle with that voice that says it’s so much easier to sit down and fit in then it is to stand in your strength and expose your raw nakedness. Life and the race course do not respect past results. All those Ironman…
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