Opinion
The Thaiger Opinion Columns
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Sponsored 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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Opinion: Turning the tide on flooding
PHUKET: As the annual monsoon strengthens and the gripefest begins, Phuket residents might want to pause for a moment to reflect on what a wonderful climate we enjoy year round, every year. According to records dating back to 1951, the temperature ‘extremes’ in Phuket Town are listed as follows: record high 37.8°C (about 100°F); record low 17.4°C (63.3°F). That is…
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Opinion: Lack of local involvement in politics
PHUKET: Tueanjai Subanjong is a Phuket native who has spent more than 20 years volunteering for local projects. She is a community representative of Srisoonthorn sub-district and is also involved in many Corporate Social Responsibility projects, such as saving preserved forests and volunteering for the National Human Rights Commission, among others. Here, she talks about the problem of lack of…
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Island View: And then there was beef
PHUKET: For me, one of the most exciting things about moving to Phuket was all the delicious Thai food one could ask for. However, once I had moved, there was just one thing I craved – a nice, juicy beef steak. Thai people can cook a lot of different kinds of food, with spices that can make the sweat drip…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Befriending local fishermen
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
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Governor’s Letter: Improvement plans for Phuket
PHUKET: Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada assumed his role as Phuket Governor on September 30, 2015. He is a Phuket native with a Master’s degree in political and administrative science from the National Institute of Development Administration. Last month, he was awarded the honor of ‘best drug fighting governor’ by the Deputy Prime Minister. Here, he talks about his plans to improve…
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Island View: A little help is all I asked for
PHUKET: A few days ago, I had some business to take care of in Cherng Talay. On the way back, my car started smoking up and shut down in front of the 7-eleven near the Heroines’ Monument. I was a bit shocked and turned on the hazard lights for the safety of other drivers. I exited my car and asked…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Time of service delivery
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
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Opinion: Reconsidering our stance on plastic marine pollution
PHUKET: The current government has made a commendable effort in convincing the European Union (EU) and other international observers that it will impose some order over illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) practices in the Thai fishing industry. The fact remains, however, that bureaucrats from Brussels to Bangkok have little to no control over the commercial forces that are turning our…
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Island View: Irrefutable commandments for Phuket farangs
PHUKET: Remember, I am the whiteness of thy skin. Despite how burned thou may become, I have led thee out of the land of the West, out of the bondage of actual behavioral standards. These are my commandments to you, Chosen People! THOU shalt not pay less than 200 baht for a taxi fare, regardless of the distance or length…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Mythological Tree of Women
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
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Opinion: Phuket chosen as ‘model city'”¦ again
PHUKET: While the media narrative abroad regarding our Land of Smiles has focused on such lofty issues as democratic development, freedom of expression, human rights and so forth, it is somehow reassuring to know that here on the ground the saying plus ็a change, plus c’est la m๊me chose still seems to apply as far as daily life is concerned.…
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Opinion: Sorting out messy overhead cables
PHUKET: Wichan Praenam is a Phuket native and the manager of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), Thalang Office. He has been working in this position since 2014. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Phuket Rajabhat University. Here he talks about unorganized overhead cables and the progress the PEA has made to improve the situation. As…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: You need an expensive car
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.For…
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Opinion: Implications of the Hotel Act on Phuket
PHUKET: Despite the additional damage it may inflict on Phuket’s long moribund property market, the Thai Hotels Association (THA) is justified in pushing the government for better enforcement of the Hotel Act. This legislation was intended to create some semblance of a level playing field over the vast and varied Thai lodgings industry, but its reasonable objectives have not been…
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Opinion: Improving communication to prevent accidents
PHUKET: Wang Huijuan is the Chinese vice consul general and head of the Chinese Consular Office in Phuket. Originally from Beijing, she has been working in this position since 2014. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Nankai University in China. Here, she talks about her suggestions to solve the problem of unexpected incidents and accidents involving…
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Opinion: Leisurely stroll through Old Town
PHUKET: As a first time traveller to Thailand, I’ve spent some time aimlessly wandering around Old Phuket Town, which, despite the constant buzzing of crowded telephone wires and motorbikes, can actually be quite peaceful. This town isn’t really intended for the casual stroller. Locals will hop on a motorbike just to cross the street and if they have to walk,…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Worship Thai basil pork
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
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Governor’s Letter: Evaluating plans to develop Phuket Bay
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada has held his current position since September 30, 2015. He is a Phuket native with a master’s degree in political and administrative science from the National Institute of Development Administration. Here, he shares his perspective on plans for the 63-billion-baht Phuket Bay project – a 3,000 rai artificial island proposed as a host venue for…
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Island View: First street food adventure in Phuket
PHUKET: A friend of mine, who intends to visit Phuket shortly, asked me what the street food was like here. Being a picky eater and mostly cooking for myself at home, I realized I hadn’t tried much in the way of street food for the year that I’ve been in Phuket. Armed with dozens of recommendations from friends and colleagues,…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Welcome to the farang flying club
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.For…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: ‘Spa’ is not necessarily professional
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
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Opinion: Importance of responsible publishing
PHUKET: Busaya Jaipiam, 56, is the Phuket Provincial Public Relations Chief. She is originally from Surat Thani, and received a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. She also obtained a master’s degree in Political Science from the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA). Here, she talks about the media’s – and all citizens’ – responsibilities when…
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Island View: If it ain’t broke, why fix it?
PHUKET: I have lived and worked in Phuket for quite a few years. I’m sure we all agree that driving on the island is one of the biggest challenges in our daily lives. Getting to work and making your way home each day is a matter of luck and skillful maneuvering, but I am not going to complain about any…
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Opinion: Putting the public’s safety first
PHUKET: Reports of structural damage at the Jungceylon shopping complex in Patong need to be taken seriously to protect shoppers from potential danger, but calls to close down the entire complex indefinitely appear to be unduly alarmist given the situation on the ground – and beneath it. News that support pillars in the basement of the complex were damaged apparently…
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Opinion: Education key to “Smart City’ success
PHUKET: Given its present status as a mass tourism destination, Phuket has potential for development as one of the enthusiastically-dubbed ‘Smart Cities’. In the broader sense, however, the real key to our future success in this digital age lies in raising local educational standards. Previous successive governments have trumpeted similar grandiose schemes, but without adequate funding or ever directly addressing…
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Opinion: Extending tourism benefits to locals
Charan Sangsarn has been the Secretary General of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce since 2014. He’s earned Bachelor’s degrees from the Faculty of Law, Ramkhamhaeng University and Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, as well as one from the Faculty of Public Administration, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University. He also has a Master’s degree in Political Science from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University and…
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Island View: Phuket’s perennial road-flooding problems during rainy season
PHUKET: With the return of the rains last week, Phuket’s perennial road-flooding problems also made a dramatic comeback. But not on one stretch of highway that has been blighted for over a decade by impassably deep puddles. The junction by the TOT’s main office on Chao Fa West was transformed into a no-go lake with every heavy tropical downpour –…
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Opinion: Limiting the damage to Thailand’s precious resources
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette supports the government’s efforts to return stolen mangrove land to the state, only if the investigation can be conducted in a fair and transparent way, that punishes the real wrongdoers and limits damage to innocent third parties. Dating back to the start of the tin mining era in the 1930s, the destruction of mangrove forests at…
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Opinion: Island View: Daily brush with death
PHUKET: Living in Phuket and being surrounded by beautiful hills and beaches, one sometimes tends to forget what a gamble braving the island traffic on a motorbike can really be. Not to say that motorbike riders are hardly to blame; that’s far from being the case. However, only those of us who regularly risk our lives on two wheels in…
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Opinion: Article 17 brings long awaited relief from unscrupulous tour operators
PHUKET: The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) was correct to invoke Article 17 of the Marine and Coastal Resources Management Act (2015) to afford greater protection to the Koh Khai island group, which for too long has been exploited by unscrupulous tour operators. Located just five kilometers off Phuket’s lower east coast, the islands are perfectly situated to…
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