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.
-
Sponsored Limited-time deal: Save 20% on Cigna's expat health plans forever
Starting a new life abroad is exciting—new culture, new lifestyle, and new chances to grow. But living far from home also means taking steps to protect your health in unfamiliar surroundings. Without the right coverage, even small health issues can...
-
Phuket Lifestyle: Feat of a dancer
PHUKET: Internet sensation Matthew Harding recently visited Yaowawit School in Phang Nga to record a section for his new video which will feature the schoolchildren performing with “Dancing Matt”. The filming and publicity are part of efforts to encourage donations for the school and to help promote the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s latest campaign “Go Thailand: All that is missing…
-
Phuket Lifestyle: Asia is seventh heaven for Chapman’s yacht designs
PHUKET: Born into a family of architects in England, it is hardly surprising that Jody Chapman became interested in product design and eventually graduated with an honors degree in industrial design from the University of Brunel in Surrey. He later went to work for the luxury car manufacturer, Austin Martin, where he used his design talents on the V8 Vantage.…
-
A call to arts: ThinkDesign Art Festival at the Royal Phuket Marina
PHUKET: The first annual ThinkDesign Art Festival will be held from December 27 – 30, at the Royal Phuket Marina and will showcase the talents of over 150 visual and performing artists from Thailand and around the world. This is the largest gathering of creativity on the island since the Phuket Andaman Painting Exhibitions held over ten years ago. Michael…
-
Phuket Property Briefs – Village wins again; luxury movie; private jet facility
PHUKET: The Village Coconut Island, has been awarded “Best Shared Ownership Development” in the inaugural South East Asia Property Awards which assists in promoting high levels of real estate opportunities available in South East Asia. The Village Coconut Island’s latest accolade sits aside the 2010 Thailand Property Awards “Best Villa Development” and recognition as one of Asia’s Top 20 Resorts…
-
Phuket Property – check your project management
PHUKET: When buying property in a managed estate in Phuket, careful scrutiny of the project management might be one of the most neglected points. This may have negative consequences particularly in cases where the applicable laws or regulations do not provide minimum standards and a legal framework regarding project management. Typically, poor management causes disputes between residents and their project…
-
Water, water, everywhere!
PHUKET: Property and families have been destroyed by the recent floods in Thailand. What is Mother Nature trying to tell us? When I flew across the Pacific some weeks ago, the final descent took us over the central plains of Thailand. Looking down, there was water as far as the eye could see. It was a scene awash in melancholy:…
-
City park high-rise promising
PHUKET: Annual returns of up to 10 per cent are being promised to those who invest in the condotel portion of The Light Suan Luang condominium project in Phuket Town. Backed by Phuket Living Co Ltd, a former partner in the Royal Place Condominium project on the bypass road, The Light Suan Luang is a 447 million baht, 15-storey complex…
-
Phuket History – Nyonya-Baba link to Phuket and Penang
PHUKET: The Chinese community in Malaya grew rapidly during the 19th century. During this period, many Chinese immigrants were arriving in Malaya in hopes of finding jobs in the booming tin-mining industry. Most of the Chinese immigrants were concentrated around large tin centers along the Malay Peninsula, such as Malacca, Penang and Phuket. Chinese immigrants were usually young unmarried men.…
-
Phuket’s electronic music and dance festival to hit Karon
PHUKET: Following a trend in electronic music festivals around the world, Phuket is set to throb and pulsate its way into the New Year with its very own festival. Last year Pattaya was host to a Creative Electronic Music and Dance Festival organized by the Department of Intellectual Properties and the Ministry Of Commerce. This year’s Phuket Electronic Music and…
-
Phuket Lifestyle – King’s Cup review
PHUKET: It has been quite a few years since I’ve joined the melee of press at Phuket’s King’s Cup Regatta. But this year was special. It was the 25th regatta and the closing party was a celebration of a sailing event that has survived such catastrophes as tsunamis, bird flu, economic disasters, change of venues and unreliable sponsorship. The King’s…
-
Mandala Phuket takes home best condo award
PHUKET: Mandala Condominiums took home the prestigious Best Condo Development at The 2011 Thanachart Bank Thailand Property Awards, held recently at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok. Mandala Condominiums – a collection of 24 over-sized apartments, all with private pools and located in Phuket’s prestigious Laguna area, was recognized at a gala ceremony attended by more than 600 CEOs,…
-
Phuket decor – Love for Oriental life
PHUKET: Oriental living is an established purveyor of exclusive interior design concepts and Asian art, renowned for their influence in establishments on Koh Samui for over 20 years. With a great degree of interest in Oriental Living’s diverse product range coming from Phuket, managing director Michael Dietvorst, decided to expand the company’s profile. On December 8, a grand opening ceremony…
-
A blistering effort yields stout respect
PHUKET: They may not have made their way into the Guinness Book of World Records, but Jay Walker and Russell Distance Russell made their way into local folklore on December 11 after walking three-legged for over 16 hours and 40 minutes and covering over 70km. The two men, also known on the island by their DJ monikers “Shark” and “Sniffer”…
-
Phuket Property – some legends get better
The highly anticipated InterContinental Samui Baan Taling Ngam Resort has announced its opening date as February 1, 2012. Located on the former site of Baan Taling Ngam Resort, the stunning 22-acre property has a legendary status as Koh Samui’s first ever luxury resort and opens following a 10-month multimillion dollar renovation project led by some of the region’s best known…
-
Phuket Lifestyle – treetop dining at Peang Prai
PHUKET: We arrive at Peang Prai after a downpour. As the mist rises from the hills beyond and the drizzle is still apparent on the surface of the nearby lake, we peruse the menu and wonder if the food is as good as the view. The restaurant’s location is indeed unique. The name Peang Prai means ‘like a forest’ and…
-
Phuket Property – Andaman Bay aims to remain green
PHUKET: Andaman Bay is a multi-faceted and sophisticated ocean-front community, designed both to enjoy the natural benefits of its location and to demonstrate the real ability of such communities to care for and maintain the natural beauty of its setting. So says Jack Le Breton, Project Design Manager at the Andaman Bay, Phang Nga Resort Destination. This community is built…
-
Four awards for Phuket developers
PHUKET: The winners of the inaugural South East Asia Property Awards 2011 were announced on November 30 in Singapore. Over 300 industry leaders and guests attended the glittering Gala Dinner and presentation ceremony held at Hotel Fort Canning. Phuket developers walked away with four awards including Real Estate Personality of the Year (South East Asia) which was won by Ho…
-
Phuket Lifestyle – monsoon season is here
PHUKET: While Thailand is internationally recognized for its cuisine, it is not generally famous for its fine wines, but Monsoon Valley wines are trying to change that preconception. At a Monsoon Valley wine dinner held at the Ruen Thai restaurant in the Dusit Thani, Laguna Phuket on December 1, German winemaker Kathrin Puff presented the best award winning wines from…
-
Phuket Books – Through the gun smoke of Wyatt Earp’s wild life
PHUKET: Resident bookworm for the Phuket Gazette, James Eckardt reviews Jeff Guinn’s The Last Gunfight (Simon & Schuster, New York, 2011, 392 pp), the latest in a long line of books and articles about October 26, 1881, the day when Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan Earp along with Doc Holliday squared off against the four cowboys of the Clanton and McLaury…
-
Island Investor – eighteen year property cycle
PHUKET: The holiday season is fast approaching and some of us will soon be heading back to colder climes to enjoy the festive period with our loved ones. Many of you will remain in Phuket enjoying your Christmas dinner in a tropical climate, whilst for those of us jetting back to the UK we hope to be able to put…
-
Mixed messages: Phuket short on teachers, or schools short on job ads?
PHUKET: Last month the Gazette ran a headline that read, “Phuket schools relax rules for hiring English teachers“. The opening sentence of that story read, “The Phuket Primary Education Area Office has relaxed the requirements for foreigners to be hired as English-language teachers at government schools in Phuket.” Almost immediately after publishing the story, optimistic job seekers flooded the Gazette‘s…
-
Phuket Gardening – beautiful bauhinias
PHUKET: I was recently asked to offer my advice about landscaping the entrance area to an up-scale estate. After studying photographs of the site area and making a long list of possible plants, I paid a visit to my favorite nursery to discuss tactics, availability and prices with the Thai owner. She knows what she is talking about as her…
-
Phuket Lifestyle – Executive Chef Puwin has heart
PHUKET: Mr Puwin Chunesiri, new executive chef of the Sawaddi Patong Resort on Phuket’s west coast, has traveled the globe gaining experience in the culinary arts. Chef Puwin’s career started at age 16 with no experience in cooking but plenty of passion. “I always found the art of cooking fascinating. I was born and raised in a Chinese-Hainanese family, and…
-
Hairy Healer’s feelin’ Phuket
PHUKET: Globetrotting British clairvoyant and Reiki healer John Campbell is turning his attention to someplace new – Phuket. The bearded 49-year-old, once dubbed the “Hairy Healer”, towers at six-foot five inches yet he is softly spoken and exudes a calming tell-me-your-secrets aura. He has always been a clairvoyant, as he believes everyone is on some level, but picked it up…
-
Phuket cinema – purrfect family fun
PHUKET: From the Shrek movies comes the popular Puss in Boots character voiced by Antonio Banderas with the addition of Kitty Softpaws (Selma Hayek) and Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zack Galifianakis) who are trying to avoid Jack (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris). The usual funny scenes and lines with cat references are there, but there are also many dramatic,…
-
Phuket Books – Tortured Hemingway
PHUKET: Paul Hendrickson, a veteran journalist at the Washington Post, has written books on people involved in the Vietnam war and the civil rights movement. His first book, Seminarian, is a favorite of mine because I was a Catholic seminarian too and empathize with his insights about the long-term effects such rigorous training has on character. His latest book is…
-
Phuket Lifestyle – the legend of Dark Fiber
PHUKET: Dark Fiber is every telecom executive’s nightmare. “When the internet works, fiber optic cables light up but when it is down or is unused it is known as ‘dark fiber’ and that’s not good news.” says Gary Crause. He’s an ex- telecoms expert whose office, at the entrance of Boat Lagoon, is next to Telecom company 3BB where rolls…
-
TwoVillas multiply in Phuket
PHUKET: Since launching some of Phuket’s first affordable luxury pool villas in 2003, the Twovillas Group has expanded and added a flourish of trendy concepts. Twovillas is now widely recognized as a developer of vibrant communities. In just eight years, the Twovillas team of local architects has developed over 20 residential projects, with 264 pool-villas nestled in desirable neighborhoods around…
-
Phuket Decor – Blume blurs living lines
PHUKET: When Ralph Lauren began his distressed fashion concept, Grace Carrey was part of the research and development team based in Hong Kong that sourced materials and processes for the American fashion icon. Years later, having built up considerable R&D knowledge of Asian textile and manufacturing industries, Grace struck out on her own to bring Phuket a range of furniture…
-
Phuket’s Eden Oasis is now complete
PHUKET: Developers of the Eden Thailand property development near Karon Beach recently announced that the 11 newly completed units of Phase Two of their Eden Oasis project are now for sale. Eden Oasis includes seven one-bedroom condominiums and four two-bedroom, two-level duplexes ranging in price from 4.9 million baht to 8.2mn baht. Eden Oasis is nestled on the hillside with…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.