Thai Life
Thailand guides, travel tips, cultural insights, and essential local information—discover everything you need to know about living, visiting, and experiencing the Land of Smiles. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for Thailand guides.
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Sponsored Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Phuket public health system goes digital
PHUKET: With the aim of utilizing IT and innovation to improve the healthcare sector, and public healthcare services in particular, the Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA) linked hands with the National Electronic and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC) to develop the Personal Health Record (PHR) system. The system has initially been launched at government hospitals in five provinces, including Phuket, Nakhon…
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Advice for first time triathletes
PHUKET: While the trend in sports and fitness is on the rise in Phuket, many people are still struggling to be fit. The Phuket Gazette caught up with Pruth Kulprasit, a first time triathlete in Phuket, to get some fitness tips for beginners. “I first started cycling in order to lose weight. About a year and a half ago, I…
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On Deck: Stewards of the future
PHUKET: Phuket’s low season, in my opinion, is the best time to be on the island. Sure there’s rain – and lots of it – but it’s warm, and in between the rainstorms there are some glorious days only the tropics can deliver. It’s also a great time to go sailing. The odd shower won’t put off any serious sailor…
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Property Watch: High hopes for smart moves
PHUKET: It is great to note that Phuket has the watchful eye and support of our PM General Prayuth with his visit for the opening ceremony of the new terminal at Phuket International Airport and the speech on ‘Phuket Smart City’ and ‘Startup Paradise’. Although Phuket has been experiencing growing pains from development, the island needs to develop to sustain…
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Gardening: Annuals and perennials
PHUKET: Some bedding flowers can be cultivated as annuals or perennials. It all depends on such imponderables as the climate or the whim of the gardener. Take begonias. They will not tolerate frost, so in temperate zones, if you intend to keep them for more than one season, they need to be brought indoors during the cold weather. For this…
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Sansiri brings new homes at Saransiri Koh Kaew
PHUKET: Residential property developer Sansiri recently launched the second phase of their latest Phuket development, Saransiri Koh Kaew. It follows the sale of all units in the first phase of the project. Located on 50 rai in Koh Kaew next to the British International School, the new neighborhood features a total of 202 two-storey detached houses, ranging in sizes of…
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Excuse Buster: Choose salad dressings with care
PHUKET: First rule of nutrition, as well as weight loss, is to choose real food that is minimally processed. Often real foods (except those naturally preserved) have a short shelf life. In the past, I have spoken of the potential health dangers of transfats, vegetable oils, MSG, sugar – especially high fructose corn syrup – additives, colorings, preservatives and so…
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Getting value out of waste
PHUKET: On an island like Phuket, with millions of visitors, expats and locals coming and going every year, one of the major problems we are left dealing with is pollution. Environmentalists cry about our bleeding oceans, but no one seems to pay much heed. Perhaps it’s time we change our approach to this issue by incorporating this mentality in our…
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Profile: Naphatwong Niyomadul – entrepreneur, connoisseur and philanthropist
PHUKET: Bangkokian Naphatwong Niyomadul holds the prestigious title of Owner’s Representative at Centara Blue Marine Resort & Spa Phuket, operated by Patong Cliff View Co Ltd. Well, you could say he is entitled to it and has a vested interest in the resort, which his family established in 2002. At age 36 years, Mr Naphatwong already has a wealth of…
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Looking Back: Two brothers contend for the throne
PHUKET: In the year 1851, when King Rama III died, Siamese nobles, led by Chaophraya Srisuriyawongse, supported Prince Mongkut and invited him to leave the monkhood to claim the throne. It was during this period that Siamese politics took an unusual turn. King Mongkut had a brother, Prince Chuthamani. When Mongkut became king, he elevated Prince Chuthamani to the rank…
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Across the land: Age of the robotic butler
PHUKET: Robot butlers could soon be seen in modern homes. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly building an artificial intelligence system to operate and control his entire home, and the system will apparently be ready to perform a demo in the very near future. When we think of butlers, we usually envisage a man traditionally dressed in a white-wing collar…
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On Deck: A look inside the Royal Pavilion
PHUKET: I recently attended the National Science and Technology Fair in Bangkok at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani. The attraction for me was a Royal Pavilion that included boats made by His Majesty the King of Thailand. Many will know that His Majesty has built a number of boats in his time. Twenty-five to be precise, all dinghies. His first was…
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CPN invests B20bn into new Central Phuket
PHUKET: Central Pattana PCL (CPN) recently confirmed long-awaited expansion plans for Phuket, announcing a 20 billion baht investment to build a second mega complex opposite Central Festival Phuket shopping mall. The new world class mega project in Phuket, to be named Central Phuket, is part of a 60 billion baht plan to develop and renovate 10 shopping centers nationwide between…
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Keep It Green: The cost of cutting trees
PHUKET: I live in Saiyuan in the south of Phuket. Every day for years and years, I have taken pleasure from the presence of a magnificent forest tree, probably a dipterocarp, high above the road and providing an arching green canopy to drive under on my way home. Inspiring… but in the blink of an eye, this tree, maybe 100…
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By The Book: The British love affair with Phuket
PHUKET: For a long time, the British have been coming to Phuket on vacation, for their retirement, and to set up businesses here. For a lot of Brits coming from aboard, Phuket is an attractive location for a holiday home or investment property, and UK buyers have established themselves as a permanent segment of the island’s property market. For the…
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Getting your Aussie visa application right
PHUKET: Often you will hear people say getting a visa to Australia is very hard, but the reality is, as long as you meet the basic criteria, it could not be easier. Many people make it much harder for themselves than is necessary, and hopefully this article will assist people to be successful the first time. 1. Make sure you…
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Law, Life and Society: The real cost of incarceration
PHUKET: Last month, Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya announced that methamphetamine will be removed from the list of Category 1 hard narcotics. It was met with controversy but it is a welcome change to a policy that has devastated Thai society. According to the Corrections Department, Thailand has a prison population of 371,347 which is the 8th largest prison population in…
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Volunteers clean beaches, reefs in honor of HM’s birthday
PHUKET: Though irreparable damage has been done to many of the reef systems along the Andaman, especially those near major tourist destinations such as Phuket, dive sites in the region continue to offer extraordinary experiences to rookie and veteran divers. Within the Phi Phi archipelago, a popular day-trip destination for dive companies out of Phuket, as well as those based…
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Indonesian yacht to kick off Asia Superyacht Rendezvous
PHUKET: Indonesian charter yacht S/Y Dunia Baru will help kick off the 16th annual Asia Superyacht Rendezvous for the first time this year. The 51m phinisi-style sailing yacht will be hosting the opening cocktail reception. Running from 16-18 December in Phuket, the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous is one of the largest gatherings of extra-large sailing and motor-yachts in the region, bringing…
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Profile: Mitr Kokopan – Around the world and back
PHUKET: Mitr Kokapan, or ‘Koko’, as he is better known to his friends and family, may look like your run-of-the-mill Phuket restaurant owner, but his life has been far from ordinary. Born in Isarn, he is the second of eight siblings. After moving to Bangkok at an early age, Koko started working at hotels to support himself and further his…
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Culinary fest, tourism fair to be held in Phuket
PHUKET: Mark your calendars for two fun festivals coming to Phuket next month. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office is hosting the ‘Phuket Tasty Fest 2016’ and ‘Andaman Hotelier and Tourism Fair 2016’ from September 9-11 at Limelight Avenue. The Tasty Fest will include live cooking demonstrations, as well as celebrity chefs creating their own dishes with local…
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Young chefs shine at Phuket Junior Master Chef 2016
PHUKET: Young chefs donned their toques for the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization’s Phuket Junior Master Chef 2016 event held last weekend at Phuket Vocational College. The event was chaired by Theera Jiasakul, chief of the PPAO council, and included both training and competitions. “We wanted to provide an opportunity for students aged 12-15 years, who love cooking, to be trained…
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On Deck: Local sailors making their mark
PHUKET: In sailing circles, attention is more often than not focused on the big international sailing events full of professionals: the America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, World Match Racing Tour etc. Locally though, and in the region, the focus is on the keelboat and multihull sailing events. As I write this, my 30th column (yep, hard to believe), the Olympics…
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Property Watch: Hiring a property expert
PHUKET: Sometimes the obvious is worth pointing out, because the obvious is very often overlooked or ignored. For example, driving safely reduces road accidents, injuries and deaths, so it is something worth repeating, over and over. Similarly, if you are looking for information on property investment in Thailand, then look to proven experts with a track record of success as…
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Property Inspector: Preventing mold growth in your home
PHUKET: Phuket seems to be the mold capital of the world. We all battle the mold. It surrounds us 24 hours a day in the form of spores in the air and those that have settled onto every surface inside a home. These spores are time bombs waiting to go off. In almost all instances, they already have two of…
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Gardening: Pollinators big and small
PHUKET: Early the other morning I watched a solitary oleander hawk moth, whizzing from one ruellia flower to another, hovering over each flower for five seconds at a time. Not only are hawk moths one of the very few creatures which can hover, they also have a three-inch long proboscis, which, like a certain beer, can reach parts that other…
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Young sailors cruise to victory at Topper World Championships
PHUKET: Young Phuket sailors are making a splash at international events, with two local youngsters from the Phuket Youth Sailing Club (PYSC) winning gold and bronze at the 2016 Topper World Championships held at Ballyholme in Northern Ireland last month. While this is a big deal in itself, the fact that these children come from underprivileged backgrounds makes this even…
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Excuse Buster: The flaws of nutritional science
PHUKET: I recently had a session with a gentleman who from the outset spoke about his frustration with the health industry, particularly in regard to the constant opinion changing about what is healthy and unhealthy. I agree with his sentiment – seems every few years the ‘experts’ change their minds. I remember eggs were bad, then good again 10 years…
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Ajarn A and his ‘magical’ tattoos
PHUKET: With the answer to any question just a few taps away on a mobile phone, why do certain superstitions and beliefs in the supernatural still exist? If you’re one of Phuket’s magic tattoo masters, the answer is in the currency of belief. “Things exist only because people believe in them,” said Bunphet Limlai, who goes by the name ‘Ajarn…
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Profile: Miss World Australia 2016 visits Phuket
PHUKET: Madeline Cowe, winner of Miss World Australia 2016, visited Phuket last week as part of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s ‘Women’s Journey Thailand’ campaign. Her entourage included the runners up of this year’s competition, along with Courtney Thorpe, the winner of the 2014 pageant, and Deborah Miller, national director of Miss World Australia. Madeline and her group went to…
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