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 Living on a budget in Thailand? Here’s how to stay healthy without breaking the bank
Thailand is a popular place for people who want to enjoy a good life at a lower cost or even on a budget. Many expats, retirees, and digital nomads choose to live here because daily expenses are cheaper than in...
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Thailand’s first local Covid-19 infection recalls the stigma
Thailand’s first locally transmitted case of Covid-19 recalls the stigmatisation he endured and wants the public to open their minds and not shun those who have recovered from the disease. Thongsook Thongrach was a taxi driver and wants his story to be known. He contracted the virus from foreign customers during the early stages of the outbreak in Thailand. His case was…
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Cyber minister wants Netflix-like Thai streaming platform
Thailand’s minister of digital economy and society, aka. “cyber minister” says that Thailand should have its own streaming platform to bring in revenue and promote Thai movies and television overseas. Puttipong Punnakan remarked at a forum that creating a Netflix-like platform to stream and sell Thai films and series to foreign audiences would reel some sweet, sweet subscription revenue into…
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Internet scam offers dodgy amulets for lottery wins
Police are warning of new internet scam offering lucky amulets to guarantee lottery success, claiming, falsely, that they’ve had helped celebrities win the lottery multiple times. The announcement from the deputy spokesman for the Royal Thai police yesterday. “Investigation officers have looked into this matter and found a group of people who offered to buy lottery tickets after they had…
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Thai netizens in stitches over 158,000 baht Gucci “Granny” dress
A 158,000 baht dress, described by the fashion house Gucci as, “a ready-to-wear silk taffeta dress with a detachable cape” is being mocked by Thai fashionistas who point out the similarity to traditional outfits worn by older Thai women. In Thailand, “women of a certain age” will often don traditional silk clothing to make merit at the temple or during…
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First female doctor in Thailand celebrated by Google
If you do any search on Google today you’ll see a graphic of a doctor holding a baby. The image is of Thailand’s first female doctor, Margaret Lin Xavier, and today marks her 122nd birthday. Xavier, whose Thai name is Lin Srivisarnvaja, was an expert in obstetrics and gynaecology. She opened a private clinic with her sister who was a…
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Thailand’s property market set to experience brokerage megashift
by Bill Barnett It’s clear that Thailand’s real estate sector is expected to undergo a megashift as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and search for a ‘new normal’, if that’s even possible. That said, one of the country’s leading PropTech groups FazWaz says the crisis has only accelerated dynamic charges to the sector that have been bubbling to the…
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Phase 4 of relaxations may come sooner according to CCSA
The government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported today that pubs, bars and entertainment facilities would be permitted to reopen in the coming weeks if the regular count of new Covid-19 cases remains in single digits. Dr Taweesilp has confirmed that the Covid-19 situation in Thailand continues to improve and has dropped to single digits for the past 22 days.…
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Phuket’s economy is more than just tourism
by Bill Barnett While Phuket’s brand and economic reality is that nearly half of its contribution to GPP (gross provincial product) comes from tourism is true, it’s important to understand that there are other generators that will aid in the island’s post-crisis recovery. The island’s real estate sector, that currently has a market value of over 100 billion baht (according…
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Movies in a Covid world – The case for the return of the Drive In
One of the industries hard hit by the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak has been the film industry. At both ends the industry has been shuttered – the making of the movies and then the watching of the movies in cinemas. At some stage the movie making machine will chug back to life and, sometime, we’ll be allowed to go…
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Thailand rescue dog from meat trade performs on Britain’s Got Talent
A dog rescued from Thailand’s illegal meat trade brought tears to those on the TV show Britain’s Got Talent. There was silence as the story of Miracle the dog played on a screen to the audience. A photo flashed on the screen of when the dog was crushed in a cage piled high with dogs. “When the dog rescuer first saw him…
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Rock legend Little Richard – dead at 87
The music world has lost an icon: Little Richard, a pioneer who, with a few others, transformed Chicago (electric) blues into the frenzied new style called rock ‘n’ roll, has died. He was 87. His outrageous antics showmanship and lightning-fast rhythms intoxicated crowds in the 1950s with hits like “Tutti Frutti” and “Long Tall Sally.” Rolling Stone magazine said yesterday…
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Actor and singer Matthew “Deane” Chanthavanij, recovered from Covid-19, donates plasma
Actor, singer and Muay Thai aficionado Matthew “Deane” Chanthavanij, who fell ill with Covid-19 in March and has now fully recovered, has donated blood plasma to help other patients. Deane appeared in a Facebook post by Dr Yong Poovorawan, a virologist at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University yesterday. “Today we have a hero come in to donate plasma for Covid-19 patients.” Australian-born…
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Bangkok’s Chatuchak weekend market is reopening
Chatuchak, Jatujak, JJ, whatever you choose to call it, Bangkok’s legendary weekend market is reopening tomorrow. The massive indoor/outdoor market, popular with both Thai and foreign tourists, will reopen this weekend after weeks of being shuttered, but visitors will be required to observe physical distancing and wear face masks…. you know the drill. Walaya Wattanarat, deputy permanent secretary of the…
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South Korean supergroup BTS suspends their world stadium tour
South Korea’s hugely successful music export, BTS, are suspending their world stadium tour over worries about the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Map to the Soul Tour, was to build on the back of the success of their latest album, Map to the Soul:7, one of this year’s biggest selling albums in the world and, underlining the achievement, its…
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Online video platform TikTok assessing live streaming in Thailand
TikTok, the most downloaded app in the world for 2 years running and the world’s leading short-video platform, has announced a trial of its first live streaming series in Thailand as part of its push to develop platform experiences for users around the world. TikTok’s first live streaming in Thailand was hosted by Vuthithorn “Woody” Milintachinda, a celebrity and influencer,…
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Thailand’s road to a ‘new normal’
Spokesman of the Covid-19 Centre, Taweesin Visanuyothin, says guidelines for a “new normal” are being drafted amid talks of a gradual reopening of business around the country. He said the government is pleased with the dropping number of new cases and is considering relaxing restrictions, though people can not ignore “good practices” such as social distancing, wearing a mask and…
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Up to 100,000 Thais at risk from alcohol-related ‘withdrawals’ during national ban
Yesterday experts announced that up to 100,000 Thais who have become seriously dependent on alcohol are at risk during the nationwide booze ban. The ban on alcohol sales was imposed in order to minimise large gatherings and also to curb coronavirus related infection risks, especially during the traditional Songkran celebrations. According to the director of Centre for Alcohol Studies at…
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Still here, there and everywhere. The Beatles bringing joy 50 years after break-up.
BTS, Bangtan, RM, Jimin, V, Jin, Suga, J-Hope and Jungkook The Beatles may have broken up 50 years ago, on April 10, 1970. But the music is still bringing happiness around the world, to the generation that were around when the Fab Four were at the pinnacle of their career, and to a new generations who are just making the…
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The post-Covid-19 era: Radical changes in Bangkok’s property market
Property consultants CBRE have come up with their own evaluation of the current Bangkok office market, already getting pounded by regional trends and a high baht, now suffering another challenge – the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. They report that this situation will “create another split in our historical timeline – pre and post Covid-19” in Thailand. “At present, people are talking…
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Thailand’s reservoirs and dams reaching critically low levels
The start of the annual wet season isn’t far away, maybe this month, but Thailand’s water sources are running on empty. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported today, that Thailand has seen a large drop of useable water in dams and reservoirs by an average of 30% of their capacity, due to the lack of rain in the…
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Amazon cafe suspends ‘bring your own cup’ campaign
Thai coffee shop chain ‘Amazon’ announced today the suspension of their promotional campaign called “Café Amazon for Earth” which was aiming to reduce plastic waste by allowing customers to bring their personal cup when buying a beverage and receive a discount of 5 baht. The company says the decision to end the promotion was made to increase customers’ awareness to…
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Monkey brawl shocks Lop Buri – VIDEO
Central Thailand’s Lop Buri province was a battleground yesterday, with fierce skirmishes raging through city streets. Fortunately no casualties were reported. No human ones, anyway. Rival monkey gangs took to the streets and brawled for hours. Lopburi is home to two monkey clubs, with thousands of members: city monkeys and temple monkeys. The temple monkeys control the area around Phra Prang…
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Violette Wautier new release “Brassac”
Violette Wautier’s new dreamy alternative pop single “Brassac” proves is met with excitement from her fans both in Thailand and around Southeast Asia! After more than a year away from the recording studio, Thai-Belgian artist “Violette Wautier” has returned with an instant alternative pop hit, “Brassac”. Premiered on March 8th 2020 on YouTube, the highly anticipated English single has already hit 200,000 views overnight. Spotify has also picked up the…
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Government launches “Have problems, consult the PM” charm offensive
Thailand’s government yesterday launched a new program, dubbed “Have Problems, Consult the PM,” to allow the public to voice grievances and problems directly to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Prayut welcomed groups representing farmers, civil society and independent entrepreneurs at Government House. The PM told them that the program is his own initiative at a time of challenges, including Thailand’s economic…
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‘Watching the Thais’ – understanding Thai culture
Why does a Thai smile at you after crashing into the back of your car? Why do Thais deplore walking? The heat, the heat. What about the weather? Why is everything done as a pack? What is all this ‘face’ stuff about? Lies? Confrontation? Sleeping and shopping? Just what is it with the Thais? What’s it all about? Author and…
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No monkeying around: coronavirus fears mean monkeys in the South are going hungry
It’s not only humans being affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak; monkeys in the southern province of Songkhla, usually dependent on food from tourists, are facing a shortage. Tourists from Singapore and Malaysia, normally abundant in Songkhla, are cancelling tours amid worries over the outbreak, resulting in far less daily food for the monkeys there. Local fruit vendors, taking pity…
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National police get tough on… hair
Thailand’s National Police Command said yesterday it will inspect its ranks at random to ensure that the new haircut regulation is strictly followed. Spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen said the buzz cut, with the sides and back of their heads shorn and only a small patch of hair on top of their scalps,must be adopted by “all officers except those working undercover.”…
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Legendary Thai singer Suthep Wongkamhaeng has died
A Thai icon is dead. Legendary “luk krung” singer Suthep Wongkamhaeng died today at his Bangkok residence, aged 86. A team of police and a doctor from Chulalongkorn Hospital were dispatched to Suthep’s house to examine the body and attempt to determine the cause of the death. Luk krung (Thai: ลูกกรุง, literally “child of the city”), also called phleng luk…
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Condo developers allow transfer delays for Chinese buyers, due to slowing sales
Thai property developers are sharpening their pencils on sales and allowing variations to contracts on some deals to accommodate some of the challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak. Now some developers in Thailand have started to extend the transfer period from 3 months to 9-12 months for Chinese clients, according to Angel Real Estate Consultancy. Chinese buyers have paid 30%…
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Bangkok has a surplus of 100,000 new condos as Chinese buyers stay home
Bangkok’s condominium market is facing its biggest challenge in decades with one of its key feeder markets sitting it out at home. The capital’s soaring condo market, once a favourite for Chinese investors, looks towards a bleak year with Chinese investors having other things to worry about, or simply unable to travel to Thailand, due to coronavirus fears. Bloomberg economists predict…
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