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 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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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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Melbourne loses its crown as the World’s Most Livable City
PHOTO: Not the world’s most livable city anymore 1. Vienna, Austria 2. Melbourne, Australia 3. Osaka, Japan 4. Calgary, Canada 5. Sydney, Australia 6. Vancouver, Canada 7. Toronto, Canada (equal 7th) 7. Tokyo, Japan (equal 7th) 9. Copenhagen, Denmark 10. Adelaide, Australia Australia’s southern capital of Melbourne has finally lost the title of world’s most liveable city after a seven-year reign at…
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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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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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CoolSculpting: What is it and why is it so popular in Thailand?
“There is a growing trend for alternative body contouring treatments. Consequently, many medical tourists turn to CoolSculpting with some incredible before and after results, as well as reduced recovery time without the need for anaesthetic or incisions.” Darren Lyons from medical.thethaiger.com has noticed the upward curve in alternative non-invasive liposuction and vaser liposuction treatments in Thailand. Known as Coolsculpting or…
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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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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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Light me up! Like the human animal that I am
by Hayden Rhodes @ Healthy Richuals Sunlight is one of the best medicines for your brain and body Think of it like this… The light bulb has been around since 1879. In other words, human beings have only benefited from this invention for 140 years. (Give or take) Prior to that, our main source of bright light was from the…
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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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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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New additions to the Thailand Michelin foodie guide
by Khetsirin Pholdhampalit Thai street food eatery Jay Fai has retained its one Michelin star for the second consecutive year and the legendary Thai restaurant Methavalai Sorndaeng is among the new 10 additions to have been awarded one star, according to the announcement of eateries making it the second edition of Michelin Guide Bangkok. No restaurant has achieved the coveted…
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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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Thailand, third biggest medical tourism destination in the world
In the process of shrugging off its reputation for cheap back-alley plastic surgeries, Thailand is quickly catching up to South Korea as the world’s prime destination for cosmetic surgeries and treatments. Home to 64 JCI-accredited medical facilities – three times more than Singapore and 6 times more than Malaysia. JCI is the industry standard in global healthcare, where facilities are…
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“Don’t rush to legalise marijuana”
by Chularat Saengpassa A medical lecturer is cautioning policy-makers against rushing to legalise marijuana, even if it’s just for medical use. “Beware of becoming stupid, poor and hurt” read the title of a social-media comment posted by Assistant Professor Dr Thira Woratanarat in response to calls to fast-track medical-marijuana legislation. The Nation reports that Thira, who works at Chulalongkorn University’s…
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Is ‘cross fit’ still a thing?
Even today in 2018 CrossFit continues to become more and more popular worldwide, I am often faced with the questions: Is CrossFit good, or is it bad? Have I done it? Would I recommend it? In short, I think it’s both good and bad. Yes, I have done it and still do. And yes, I would recommend it, but not…
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Ninth measles victim in Yala, 3 remain critically ill
PHOTO: A mother holds her child as nurses at the Tambon Yala Health Promotion Hospital in Yala’s Muang district vaccinate him against measles yesterday. – Nakharin Chinnawornkomol Another child has died as a result of complications from measles in Yala province yesterday morning. This latest preventable fatality brings the number of deaths from the disease in the southernmost province to nine…
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The art of Thai massage – Chann Wellness Spa, Kamala
Time to relax, time to be pampered. You deserve some ‘me’ time to get refreshed and be indulged at the Chann Wellness Spa at Thavorn Beach Village Resort & Spa, Phuket in Kamala. Tim Newton headed to Kamala for an hour of well-deserved pampering. Chann Wellness Spa is one of the island’s most established spas combining experienced staff, the right ‘mood’…
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Savoury staples with a touch of the finest Swiss chocolate
Chocolate… mmmmm. But did you consider it as part of a broader savory menu? I enjoyed an evening of chocolate-infused cuisine and, well, it really works! Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket is treating guests to a new menu of savoury dishes with a sweet twist as Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts launches its ‘Chocolate on the Salty Side’ promotion.…
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Embrace ‘slow travel’ this Vegetarian Festival
PHOTOS: Airbnb Airbnb’s tips to travelling well, eating clean and supporting local farming communities… Thailand’s Vegetarian Festival is one of the country’s largest and most colourful annual festivals attracting locals and international travellers each year. A festival about spirituality and food, at its core is the cleansing of mind and body – a common theme amongst travellers today. Travellers now…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival program 2018
The annual Vegetarian Festival is back and promises to be a big year for the annual nine day celebrations starting next Monday. Some of the rituals are based around self-mutilation and daring acts of fire walking. A lot of the processions and ceremonies can be quite scary, especially for the young or squeamish. There will be lots of noise, lots…
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Medicinal marijuana by next year in Thailand
Thailand’s Governmental Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) is starting researching to develop medicines from marijuana in acknowledgement of evidence that the outlawed substance has health-enhancing properties. It is also seeking to initiate a legal amendment that would permit cannabis for medicinal use, possibly by May next year. Recreational use will remain illegal. GPO chairman Dr Sopon Mekthon yesterday says that with the…
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Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts unveils a global menu of savoury dishes and finest Swiss chocolate
ADVERTISING Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, part of the AccorHotels Group, is celebrating Swiss cuisine and the culinary versatility of chocolate with a new global menu of savoury dishes featuring a sweet twist. In Phuket the promotion will be at the Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach. The brand’s talented ‘food artisans’ have made Mövenpick chocolate the hero of seven dishes in…
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Pavilions Phuket welcomes Chef Rey
ADVERTISEMENT From humble beginnings in New Zealand, Chef Rey developed his profession with guidance from industry leaders, he has since taken his craft to Australia, Malaysia, Abu Dhabi and Vietnam. Before joining the team at The Pavilions Phuket, Chef Rey worked for well-known luxury restaurants and hotels, including the award-winning ‘2016 Top 50 restaurant’, Bracu, in New Zealand, under the watchful…
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Are people living in major tourism destinations happy?
Are people living and working in major tourism destinations happy and content, or miserable due to tourism? Or somewhere in between? A new global survey of local residents’ happiness in World Heritage sites called Planet Happiness has been launched to address the issue. In an age of escalating overtourism, the initiative aims to show that measuring community wellbeing and happiness…
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Clean The Beach Bootcamp heads to Surin Beach for World Clean Up Day
On Saturday, September 15, the Clean The Beach Boot Camp crew (CBBC) will be heading to Surin Beach to take part in another of their regular clean-ups. Now in its sixth year, the team and its dedicated followers will help celebrate World Clean Up Day, which also happens to fall on the same day, by cleaning Surin Beach. Clean The Beach…
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