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 Planning to extend your Thai visa? Why health insurance is more important than ever
If you plan to stay longer in Thailand, having health insurance is now more important than ever. Thai immigration often asks for proof of medical coverage when you apply to extend your visa. This applies to many types of visas,...
-
Orient Express luxury brand announces first hotel in Mahankhon
The King Power Mahanakhon Building in Bangkok, Thailand’s tallest, will have the world’s first Orient Express Hotel. At 78 storeys high, the Mahanakhon Building is currently the tallest building in Bangkok, pushing the slightly shorter Baiyoke Tower into second place. Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, CEO of King Power Group, said they spent over 100 million baht on the new hotel. The new…
-
Thai artist uses sex workers’ hair to make social critique in BKK installation
PHOTOS: Vivianne Chow Thai artist, Imahathai Suwatthanasilp new work at the Bangkok Biennale has brought attention to the prostitution industry in Thailand. Through her work the artist critiques preconceptions on sex workers while highlight their prevalence. Imahathai’s new work involved hair, specifically hair collected from a number of sex workers in Thailand. Her passion for hair started when her father was…
-
Fine tuning on same-sex Bill before it goes to Cabinet next week
by Kornrawee Panyasuppakun The Life Partnership Bill has been updated to recognise more rights for same-sex couples before it heads to the Cabinet for approval next week. The latest version of the bill now includes a phrase that says non-heterosexual couples will have the right to “make medical decisions” and “hold a funeral” for their incapacitated or deceased spouse, both…
-
Pulp Fiction – Phuket tourism by numbers
by Bill Barnett This week netizens have been captivated over a photo in the blogosphere proclaiming that “Phuket high-season was dead as a dodo.” Excuse me as I digress for just a minute on the subject of dodo’s, which is clearly something I know nothing about, hence putting myself on par with the individual proclaiming the ‘end of days’ for…
-
Hua Hin expat postpones attempt to cross the Gulf. On a paddle board!
A Russian living in Hua Hin is attempting to cross the Gulf of Thailand. And he’s not going on the daily ferry. His mode of transport is just a paddle board. Vladimir Kruchinin was scheduled to depart on Monday from the shores of Pattaya, according to his Facebook page. “Exciting times at 4am for the start of our Pattaya to…
-
Thailand Yacht Show and Rendezvous – January 10-13
The fourth edition of the Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous is set to take place in Phuket January 10-13 at Royal Phuket Marina. Targeting yachting enthusiasts and lifestyle-seekers from all over the region, the Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous has become a key marketing platform and revenue generator for the industry, as well as positioning Thailand in its rightful place…
-
Phuket vs Penang – The two pearls go head to head
…including some reflections by guest writer TravellingMitch There was a time when Penang was the ‘Pearl of the Orient’, for some western travellers the only ‘orient’ they would know outside of Singapore and maybe Hong Kong. It was the 1950s and 60s when jet travel had just started making the world smaller and the western middle class were in search…
-
The new Galaxy Roof Club opens in Patong
The new Galaxy Roof Club Patong had its official launch as Patong’s first and only roof club under the slogan “Where all stars meet.” Dr. Josef Kastenberger – Owner, Ms. Olga Kotelenets – Managing Director and Mr. Nunthidej Phatanachinda – Advisor to Galaxy Roof Club Patong, are offering a new experience as the first and only roof club in Phuket…
-
“Meute” House/Techno marching band at Wonderfruit
PHOTO: Steffi Rettinger Just drums and brass, that’s all they need. Hailing from Hamburg, Germany this modern take on the marching band concept is comprised of eleven musicians and, boy, are they good! With their iconic red jackets this group dares to rearrange house and techno music to bring it to the street. Started in 2015 by trumpet player Thomas Burhorn, this…
-
‘Wonderfruit’ so far – in pictures
Photo: Monocle.com Wonderfruit music festival is taking place right now in Pattaya, and you should be there. Founded by Pranitan “Pete” Phornprapha alongside musician friend Montonn “Jay” Jira in December 2014 the festival prides itself in its go green attitude and pledge to social responsibility and raising awareness. Photo: Mont LD Watanasiriroch (Facebook) Photo: Instagram/Bitoeysiam A blend of burning man and…
-
Well Hotels signs new Pattaya resort on Phratamnak Hill
Well Hotels & Resorts has announced the signing of a management contract for a new boutique property that will be branded Phratamnak Well Resort Pattaya. The property is set to open in late 2019 with 78 rooms and suites. According to the agreement, Well Hotels & Resorts will take on the responsibility for the pre-opening and full operational management. Phratamnak…
-
New WHO world road death report – Thailand drops to number 8 but still high
Thailand’s roads remain some of the deadliest in the world. But the Kingdom has dropped from its previous number two position to number eight, behind a collection of backwater African states and other undeveloped countries. A new report by the World Health Organisation shows that the road safety situation in Thailand hasn’t improved. The shocking news is outlined in a…
-
Who is Miss Thailand, last weekend’s runner-up in the Miss World competition?
PHOTOS: Sereechai Puttes/Time Out Bangkok “Beauty is seen in action and how much you give to society. Beauty is what you do for other people and what you say to other people to make them feel better about themselves.” She was the runner up in this year’s Miss World competition held at Santa, China last Saturday night. She was also…
-
Cleaning the concrete and paving in Thailand
With the wet season comes the rain. And with the rain, plus the ongoing hot weather, mould and algae growing on all our outdoor walls and paving. Rain + algae + mould looks awful and can be very slippery. Stains can also make your investment look old and unwanted. Black mould can cause allergies for some people You have two…
-
Dystopian Thai film approved by censor board
A new Thai movie ’10 Years Thailand’ will screen nation wide next week after having finally been approved by the censor board last Monday. The film is a dystopian anthology made by four Thai film makers and is based on the 2015 Hong Kong film ‘Ten Years’. The film is directed by Aditya Assarat, Wisit Sasanatieng, Chulayarnon Siriphol and Apichatpong…
-
Tail-rotor control failure linked to Vichai helicopter crash
A British investigation centered on the helicopter of the late Thai billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanprabha, reports that his helicopter had spun and lost control only moments after clearing the stadium’s roof. The investigation found that the blue and white helicopter was used for most home matches as Vichai would always land and take off from the centre. The report indicates that…
-
Remembering King Bhumibol, the musician
In remembrance of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Thaiger is proud to share one of His Majesty’s many talents, his musical prowess. A renown Jazz musician, he started at age ten with the clarinet and, due to his talent, learned to play the saxophone and trumpet as well. Late in his life he jammed alongside some of the jazz greats…
-
“Plastic, the Material that Binds the Planet” – Talk in Phuket
by Ocean Recovery Alliance Join us for a deep dive talk on plastic pollution and some of the global activities underway to slow the flow of pollution to our waters. Speaker, Doug Woodring, was recently awarded the Prince’s Prize for Innovative Philanthropy from Prince Albert of Monaco for his work on this topic, and he is a leading global thought…
-
Government poised to cast tax net over online transactions
As the world continues its relentless move online, and away from traditional retail, governments are having to find new ways to track and tax online transactions. The Thai Revenue Department is poised to cast a wider net over online vendors and other businesses that have been evading taxes. The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) is soon to approve amendments to the…
-
How much should you be paid working in Thailand?
The Thailand Board of Investment has an entire website listing key jobs and the wages that should be expected to be earned in the land of smiles. The webpage also lists years of experiences, penalty rates, public holidays, overtime payments and severance entitlements. So, as a Senior accountant, with five years experience, you should be earning up to 80,000 baht…
-
The Long March towards electric cars
by Syed Mansur Hashim – The Daily Star They’ve sold 770,000 electric vehicles last year, up 50% on the year before. And there’s already 352,000 electric buses on their roads already. When it comes to electric vehicles (EVs), the world has some catching up to do. According to Forbes magazine, Chinese manufacturers produced and sold 770,000 EVs in 2017. This…
-
Internet freebies rolled out for Christmas
The government is finalising plans to give more than 11 million low-income Thai citizens free internet SIM cards and other subsidies that will together cost taxpayers billions of baht. The roll out is part of a charm offensive from the ruling NCPO in the lead up to next year’s poll, scheduled for February 24. The Finance Ministry is proposing that…
-
Measles outbreak closes Tak school
A school near the Myanmar border in Tak’s Mae Ramat district has been closed indefinitely after local public-health officials discovered 13 students were contagious with measles. Tak is on Thailand’s central west border with Myanmar. Six of the students from the New Road Learning Centre are currently in serious condition in hospital. Most of the school’s students are Burmese children…
-
Minister promises a year of ‘Khon’
“The ministry will next year nominate nuad thai (Thai massage) and the southern traditional dance nora for inclusion on the UNESCO list.” The Culture Ministry is planning a year of activities to further promote ‘khon’, the classical masked-dance theatre that has now been added to UNESCO’s list of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’. Members of the UN Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation…
-
Dam levels low in some regions – Dry season
PHOTO: Srinagarind Dam, Kanchanaburi The Royal Irrigation Department says there be enough water for domestic consumption this dry season. But they acknowledge that water reserves in many dams around the country are running low. The RID director-general, Thongplew Kongjun, is assuring the public that the country will have enough water for domestic consumption and businesses during this dry season. But…
-
Walking on air. 314 metres above Bangkok.
PHOTO: The Nation King Power International Group has opened what is being marketed as the world’s biggest glass-bottomed skywalk. The new tourist (and local) attraction is on the rooftop of the 78 storey Mahanakhon building on Narathiwat Road in Bangkok’s Bang Rak district. Mahanokon is Thailand’s tallest building at 314 metres. The glass skywalk has 360 degree panoramic view, vertically…
-
SHOW DC launches new 60,000 capacity outdoor SHOW DC Arena
Latest event space establishes SHOW DC’s positioning as the events venue of choice in downtown Bangkok with combined capacity of 90,000 Large scale events have a new stage in downtown Bangkok at SHOW DC, which has launched the biggest outdoor event venue in the city. Named SHOW DC Arena, the 120 million baht investment in a 31,790 sqm outdoor entertainment space…
-
Chiang Mai official says the hotel sell-off is “because there were too many tourists”
PHOTO: This hotel is not for sale! Manager Online is claiming that a senior tourism official in Chiang Mai says the reason people want to sell hotels in the northern city is not because there are so few Chinese tourists now. It is because there are so many. Chiang Mai’s former tourism industry chief Pornchai Jitranawasathian, who now runs the…
-
Chiang Mai’s small to medium hotels face challenges
FILE PHOTO (This hotel is not for sale!) Chiang Mai’s small to medium accommodation sector is facing fresh challenges as the tourist mix in the northern city changes, and shrinks in arrival numbers. The fallout from declining tourist arrival numbers, especially Chinese since the Phuket Phoenix tourist boat tragedy in mid-July, is forcing more than 10 small hotels and hostels…
-
Phuket’s world champion flow-boarder is back in town
Annissa Flynn, Phuket’s young surf star, has done it again by retaining her world title in the arena of flow-boarding. ‘Anni’ won through in the final using her well-honed skillset of wake-boarding, surfing and skateboarding to put together three winning runs at the FlowRider FLOW Tour World Flowboarding Championships, hosted by Surf House Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Annissa…
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.