Opinion

The Thaiger Opinion Columns

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    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...

  • Two decades of Shinawatra influence fades as Yingluck flees

    Two decades of Shinawatra influence fades as Yingluck flees

    EDITORIAL Now a fugitive from Thai justice, just like her brother, Yingluck Shinawatra is thought to have fled the country as early as last Wednesday. Photos of her praying at temples on Wednesday were probably bogus distractions. Yesterday’s no-show was yet another day of high drama in Thailand’s tortured political history. Various reports say she either travelled by private jet…

  • Animal shows in Phuket. ‘Not in my back yard’!

    Animal shows in Phuket. ‘Not in my back yard’!

    OPINION by Tim Newton Three years ago the issue came into sharp focus in Phuket when a Ukraine company established ‘Nemo’, the first dolphinarium in Phuket, right next door to the Chalong Zoo. The dolphinarium drew a lot of kick-back from locals who took the NIMBY approach – Not In My Back Yard. They were applying their western values about the…

  • Bangkok Deputy Governor’s bad case of foot-in-mouth

    Bangkok Deputy Governor’s bad case of foot-in-mouth

    EDITORIAL Yesterday we reported on the current figures relating to HIV infection in Bangkok. Although the statistics look bad, in isolation, the general trend is of reduced new infections. The 2,000 new infections of HIV in Bangkok over the past year are not significant when compared to the city’s population of (probably) over 10 million. But getting the story completely…

  • ‘Safety’ mayhem on Phuket’s waters

    ‘Safety’ mayhem on Phuket’s waters

    Editorial by Duncan Worthington Let’s be clear from the off that we’re talking about speedboats, specifically day tour operators who pack in the tourists on an overpowered wooden speedboat and then zip off (at speed) to stop A, B, C and D, with a lunch thrown in along the way. In Phuket’s high season, these overpacked “cattle tours” can be…