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 Why retirees in Thailand are choosing long-term health insurance over quick fixes
Retirees in Thailand are increasingly seeing the importance of health insurance in protecting their well-being during retirement. With insurance requirements for retirement visas and rising healthcare costs, many are moving away from short-term plans and choosing long-term coverage. Long-term health...
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Why is Thailand so popular for medical tourists?
Considered to be one of the most popular destinations for contemporary medical tourism, Thailand continues to see a surge in patients seeking top-quality, affordable care. From Bangkok to Chiang Mai and the beaches of Phuket, thousands visit annually, combining luxury travel with first-rate quality care, for the ultimate medical tourism holiday. It appears convenience is one key component as to…
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Olta is the newest ‘olternative’ in Bangkok’s Suan Phlu
Scottish Chef Jamie Wakeford, of noted Phuket restaurant Bampot Kitchen, is rolling out a new restaurant in Bangkok. Themed as ‘modern British’, and named Olta, the outlet has just opened in the Suan Phlu neighborhood. The Suan Phlu area is described as one of Bangkok’s latest dining enclaves, with new fashionable openings arriving every month. Currently, Suan Phlu is currently…
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Top 10 things to know about Phuket for beginners (2019)
1. Welcome to Phuket Phuket is an island and a province. It’s the largest island in Thailand – 48 km north to south, 21 km east to west. It’s about 20% smaller, in area, than Singapore but much less densely populated. Whilst the island nation of Singapore boasts a population of nearly 6 million, Phuket has a permanent population of…
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Top 10 most plastic polluted rivers in the world (2019)
Would you believe that 90% of plastics in the ocean comes from just 10 rivers? 9 are located in Asia and one of them borders Thailand. So what are the most plastic polluted rivers in the world? Every year, we, the world, produces 300 million tonnes of plastics, and 8.8 million tonnes of these are dumped into the oceans. That’s…
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Thai Tapas at Ginja – a truly remarkable taste sensation
I am invited to special dinners many times a week and most are wonderful nights exploring new flavors and presentation at some of the island’s best restaurants. Last night was exceptional and beautifully presented at the award-winning Ginja Taste in Mai Khao. JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa invited Chef Prasertchai Trongvanichnam (aka. Chef Jack, Chef de Cuisine of Flavor…
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Ice ice baby! Social Egg Freezing arrives in Thailand
Could 2019 be the year of the egg? It may very well be thanks to a recent growing trend into “social egg freezing.” For less than $3 a day a major healthcare provider could see many infertile patients reaping the rewards. According to recent reports, Borderless Healthcare Group are set to launch their unique fertility services in the Thai capital.…
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Top 10 world’s busiest flight routes
… and the rising stars So where is the world’s busiest airline route? Beijing to Shanghai? New York to Los Angeles? Eight of the Top 10 routes are based in Asia and nine out of ten of the world’s fastest-growing flight routes are also in Asia. You get the idea. Whilst the US has the world’s largest aviation market it’s…
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Thailand named in top ten places in the world to retire
Thailand has again been named in the top ten retirement places in the world and Number 2 in Asia. The list is part of an annual report by International Living magazine and names Panama at the top of the list. Malaysia came in fifth place but Thailand sneaked into the Top 10 at Number 9, pushing evergreen retirement favorite, Spain,…
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2019: It’s all about you
2019 comes with all sorts of expectations – a new beginning, a renaissance, a rebirth. You may be looking ahead for individual tweaks and improvements or perhaps you want to change something altogether. From cutting out chocolate to saturated fats, many will look at altering their figure. Thanks to numerous technological advancements and greater accessibility to overseas travel, you may…
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Phuket’s Top 10 Brunches
Brunch has become a weekend staple on the island and its seems everyone has their own take on this beloved mix of two meals… a chance to slow down, enjoy some amazing food and try a little bit of everything. Whether you want something casual or prefer taking a boat to a private island, Phuket gives you the options to…
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Pattaya ranked fourth healthiest city in the entire world
Pattayatoday.net has the enthusiastic headline…. “Pattaya ranked fourth healthiest city in the entire world by UK website” The study, carried out by UK travel site TravelSupermarket, saw Chiang Mai ranked in second place and Pattaya ranked fourth out of 100 other cities around the world. Paris was in first place, while Barcelona came in third. The study ranked each city based…
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Top 10 conditions where medical cannabis was prescribed in 2018
Thailand has legalised Medical Cannabis for prescribed medical use only. The penalty for recreational use of cannabis in Thailand remains a serious matter, where those found in possession of 10 kilograms of herb or less could expect to do up to five years in prison. Anything more and you’re facing life in prison. No information is currently available on the process of…
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Bangkok Tonight: La Casa Nostra restaurant pop-up at Small’s Bar
If you live in Bangkok I know that it can be easy to very overwhelmed by all the choices around you, whether it is food, drink or partying, you have a lot of options, but not tonight. Tonight head down to Sathorn’s Soi Suam Plu, for a very special pop-up event being hosted at one of Bangkok’s most celebrated and…
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The Top 10 Beaches in Phuket
Phuket’s beaches have undergone a substantial upgrade since the 2014 military government swept commercial businesses from the sands of west coast Phuket. Little shanty restaurants, the ubiquitous plastic sun lounges and tatty old umbrellas were removed. After the dust settled we’ve now got limited sun lounges and umbrellas for rent along most of the beaches, not all. You’ll still find…
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Battle of the Buddha Bulge – Tackling the monk obesity crisis
Or “Too Much Junk for Chunky Monks” “Monks often live an unhealthily, sedentary lifestyle but exercise is a particularly sensitive subject. They must not be seen to be vain, and also cannot wear shoes, two factors that make working out and fitness something of a spiritual minefield.” Contrary to the well-known depiction of a Buddha as a man with a…
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Laguna Phuket Triathlon’s date announced – Registration opens today
PHOTO: Triathlon Magazine Canada Laguna Phuket has announced the 26th annual edition of the Laguna Phuket Triathlon. It will take place on Sunday, November 24, 2019. Comprising LPT signature race distance of 1.8Km Swim, 50Km Bike, and 12Km Run, registration for 2019 edition of Asia’s longest-standing triathlon race is now open. Interested athletes are advised to book their slot as…
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Maravilloso. Taco Bell is coming to Bangkok, but we have options
PHOTOS: BK-Asia, Taco Bell A media release says that Taco Bell is opening its first Thailand location on the first floor of Mercuryville mall in central Bangkok. Partnering with Siam Taco Company, part of TTA (Thoresen Thai Agencies) they bring the Mexican-inspired cuisine to the big mango in early 2019. Although we are all waiting on the edge of our…
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Medical marijuana approved in Thailand
Photo: South China Morning Post “This is a New Year’s gift from the National Legislative Assembly to the government and the Thai people,” Somchai Sawangkarn, said chairman of the drafting committee. Thailand will be the first country, in a region with some of the strictest drug laws, to approve cannabis for medical use. In an extra-parliamentary session addressing bills before…
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Hemp being proposed as alternative to medical marijuana
The UN is considering whether to downgrade the classification of cannabidiol – currently a narcotic under international law, says Kasetsart University agronomy lecturer Vichien Keeratinijakal. Vichien claims the UN was considering reclassification because cannabidiol, found both in hemp and marijuana, had been shown to have medical benefits without the intoxicating properties of other cannabinoids, such as psychotropic tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Some…
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Overtraining and the Stress Bucket
“If you want to train hard, you best learn to recover hard” – Krix Luther Believe it or not, training can increase the amount of stress in your life, and stress accumulates over time. I work closely with many Thai boxing gyms in Phuket and I get asked a lot about overtraining. These guys punish their bodies for six to…
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Fighting age with exercise
by Krix Luther The female beauty industry in 2017, was worth US$265 billion. That’s 8.7 trillion baht, with a further US$21.9bn (719bn baht) spent on cosmetic surgery. The desire to stay forever young dates at least as far back as the ancient Egyptians, many of whom used an ointment made from myrtle plants to avoid getting wrinkles, while Cleopatra bathed…
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Floating clinic opens in Kanchanaburi
PHOTO: Pattaya Mail Last week saw residents and visitors to Srinakaring Dam in Sri Sawat district, Kanchanaburi, in Thailand’s west, witness the first day of operations of a new floating medical unit. The Bangkok Post reports that the dam is a huge tourist magnet which attracts 800,000 tourist a year in an area where 140 businesses operate and over 600…
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Top 10 most popular Asian cities 2018 – Agoda
Bangkok ranks on top of the list of most-visited Asian city tourist destination for 2018. This is from Agoda, a fast-growing online travel booking platform. With millions of online bookings each year they have the data to back up their findings. Other cities in the top 10 include Tokyo, Kuala Lumpor, Hong Kong, Osaka, Taipei, Seoul, Singapore, Bali and Pattaya.…
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Thailand urged to shun single-use plastic
by Pratch Rujuvanarom Thailand’s environmental experts are urging people to make small changes in their lifestyle to help tackle the huge plastic waste menace. They say it’s important for people to make small changes in their daily lives in order to cut down on the huge amount of plastic waste being generated. Thailand faces critical problems caused by plastic pollution.…
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Pru gets Phuket’s only Michelin gong
PHOTO: Trisara Phuket now has a Michelin star restaurant in its midst. The only restaurant in the Phuket or Phang Nga region to score a gong in the second Thai Michelin foodie guide. Montara Hospitality’s farm-to-table restaurant Pru at Trisara has earned a Michelin star. The guide whas expanded this year to cover the best dining venues in southern Phuket…
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Hua Hin seafood sellers told not to overcharge customers
“Sea Write author Somchai Liewwarin complained that he was charged several thousand baht for just a few plates of seafoods.” PHOTO: Downshiftology Food-shop owners and street food sellers in Hua Hin say they will sign an MoU with the Hua Hin municipal office which will require them to strictly abide by trading rules and not to overcharge their customers, especially for…
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Time for a street food makeover – Tourism Ministry
The Thai Tourism Minister says it’s time for an upgrade of Thai street food. The Nation reports that Weerasak Kowsurat says he would hold talks with the Public Health Ministry and the BMA on how to upgrade the quality of dishes sold by street vendors in the capital. He has revealed plans to bring together stakeholders to discuss how to…
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Thailand Medical Tourism 2018: REVIEW
It continues to be another busy year for Thailand’s private hospitals, clinics and dental facilities, with the seemingly endless arrival of international patients from across the globe. Whilst the volume begins to subside a little as the year comes to a close, the guys at MyMediTravel put together their analysis from a sample of 1,000 of their English-speaking, non-Thai based…
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Putting the ‘social’ into social media – Facebook Dating
Facebook has officially launched its dating services with Thailand the first market in Asia and second in the world for the new service on the world’s third most popular website (#1 Google, #2 YouTube). Facebook Dating is available to users of the social network who are aged at least 18. Nathan Sharp, product manager of Facebook Dating says that the…
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Top 10 Luxury Homes in Thailand (that you can buy)
HEAVENS (Koh Samui) This exclusive home, to be completed in October 2019, is one of only 6 villas in The Heavens project located on Koh Samui island, in the sheltered Gulf of Thailand. While this 5 bed and 5 bath villa is in walkable distance to the famous Lad Koh Viewpoint, the views from the villa itself are even better.…
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