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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Bicycling for barflies
PHUKET: Bicycling Baz is only too aware that his is not the only opinion when it comes to cycling in Phuket. With this in mind, he asked his erstwhile drinking associate, Hugo Barfly, to write an alternative viewpoint from the perspective of a well-padded bar stool in Rawai. Here’s Hugo’s take on cycling in Phuket. So, I was sitting there…
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Walking the brand dogma: Hotel-branded residences
PHUKET: One of my recurring nightmares is that of a tropical island sunset framed by a sinking orange ball, and the erotically charged image of a scantily-clad, swimsuit-model type gently grasping onto the edge of a mega-villa infinity swimming pool, staring aimlessly onto an empty horizon. Please bear with me, I have not entirely lost my mind. Not yet anyway,…
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Expat Business: Rocket Scientist and Phuket entrepreneur Don Battles tells his story tonight at RPM
PHUKET: NASA rocket scientist, farmer, entrepreneur, intellectual and whiskey-drinking former Phuket resident Don Battles will launch his autobiography ‘Merchant of the Orient’ tonight, 6:30pm, at the Speakeasy bar in Royal Phuket Marina. Now living in Chiang Rai in his 30th year of Thai residence, Don will also tell us what he thinks a foreigner needs to do – and not…
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At the mercy of the sea
There are two crazy Frenchmen sailing around the world on a tiny boat and they are here in Phuket but leaving in one hour. That was the first word we heard at the Gazette of the adventurers who were in Phuket on a brief hiatus from their voyage in Poseidon’s watery world. Scenes from great ocean-faring tales were instantly resurrected…
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Don Battles: Author of the Orient
PHUKET: From growing up in a poor family after the great depression, to rocket engineer during the Cold War missile and space-race era, to entrepreneur in Thailand during the turbulent 1997 financial crisis, and to successful chili farmer in China and Northern Thailand – Don Battles’ life could fill many books, but for now, one will have to suffice. The…
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Experts gather in Phuket to discuss scientific advancements in AEC economy
PHUKET: The National Science Technology and Innovation Policy Office (STI) last week called a meeting in Phuket of the 10 Asean countries to discuss scientific advancement and flow of manpower as the inception of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) looms. “The objective of this workshop is to provide a forum in which experts can exchange their views and ideas about…
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Soi Dog Foundation completes Phuket stray dog sterilization program
PHUKET: The Soi Dog Foundation has completed a campaign to sterilize stray dogs in every area of Phuket with the aim of creating a healthy, sustainable canine population on the island. The program was completed last week, the foundation said. With cooperation from the province’s local authorities, the Soi Dog Foundation has sterilized and vaccinated more than 15,000 dogs and…
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‘Music is My Life’ party kicks off tomorrow night at Diamond Beach Club [Video]
The ‘Music is My Life’ party kicks off tomorrow night at Diamond Beach Club in Surin. Well known local club DJs Taz (Phuket House Mafia), Nemo (resident of Catch), James Dougall (Evil Twins) and an international DJ (former music director at Bed Supperclub in Bangkok) are set to perform some killer sets in tribute to DJ Josh Ezelle, a former…
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Wine evolution or wine revolution? – Dinner at the Boathouse Bar & Grill
PHUKET: There is more to question about the glass of wine on your dining table than the usual “Is it half full or half empty?” The world’s thirst for wine has turned fermented grape juice into a precious commodity, and what used to be, and luckily in many places still is, considered art, has been turned by the forces of…
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Phuket Arts: Young artists on show at BIS
PHUKET: Phuket has been showing the signs recently of a burgeoning art scene that is maturing rapidly. Many resorts offer art displays in their gift shops or lobbies and Phuket Town has a number of galleries that host various media covering a wide range of genres. Keeping art alive and passing on the visual expression of culture to younger generations…
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Phuket Music: Celebrating a life in music
PHUKET: The recent tragic death of well-known and respected club DJ Josh Ezelle in a motorcycle accident, which left his four-month-old son Christian fatherless, has inspired fellow DJs and performers who worked alongside him to organize an event to celebrate Josh’s life and gather support for the young family he left behind. The event titled “Music is my Life” will…
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Phuket Events: Phuket Bike Week 2014
PHUKET: Just in time for Songkran comes this year’s Phuket Bike Week 2014. Celebrating its 20th year, the event is expected to attract huge crowds of “rolling thunder” for the six days of festivities in Patong and Phuket Town. The first four days of the event will be hosted at Loma Park in Patong, from April 11-14. Activities will include…
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Phuket Property: When you’re expecting
PHUKET: Life is odd. When you are young the future has no limits, time-frame or even, for the most part, a firm direction. Sadly, we get older, not wiser, and the time-line gets shorter by the day. Some nights, I lay awake and instead of counting sheep, start doing the math. This is not a happy place to be and…
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Phuket Gardening: More vinous virtuosos
PHUKET: Asked what “vinous” means, most people would opt for something to do with grape vines or wine. But in fact the epithet can be applied to any kind of vine or climbing plant, of which there are literally hundreds, ranging from creeping figs and ivies to towering tropical lianas. For the gardener, the important distinction is between tendrilous or…
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Phuket Lifestyle: Music is my playground [video]
PHUKET: Polish born pianist Katarzyna Wieczorek has turned music into her way of life. Her skills and reputation have taken her to countless festivals, won her numerous awards and let her visit the farthest corners of the globe – turning her life into a never-ending adventure filled with melody. Katarzyna Wieczorek recently performed at the British International School Phuket where…
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Phuket Lifestyle: Affordable autos at Central Festival
PHUKET: The 18th Andaman Motor Show now on at Central Festival Phuket until March 19 is featuring the latest affordable autos under a million baht from a variety of Phuket car dealers, each offering very competitive low-interest deals and down payments. Also exhibiting at the Grand Hall on the first floor of Central Festival are new luxury imports with multi-million…
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Video Report: Phuket Diving – Mermen need skills to hang with mermaids
PHUKET: It wasn’t going to happen. After three failed attempts at completing a 50-meter-underwater swim – in a merman tail – it became startlingly clear that the island’s first merman might not be gold merfolk material. His freediving skills simply weren’t shaping up for high-end mythical creature status. Things aren’t like they use to be. In the old days, merfolk…
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Phuket Property Legal: Your lease could be buried with you
PHUKET: Leasing has become a popular option for foreign property buyers to acquire interest in land or apartment units, due to legal restrictions applying to the purchasing of property in Thailand. Many of us may have heard that the maximum term under Thai law for residential leases, that a lessor and his lessee can agree to register with the land…
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Phuket Property Watch: Samui staying strong
PHUKET: One of my favorite movies in recent memory has to be Up in the Air. Given a hectic travel schedule, it’s certainly a subject I can identify with. One of the classic scenes has to be George Clooney, jumping into line behind some people of Asian descent at the foreboding metal detector and commenting how they “travel light”. Profiling,…
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Phuket Property: The luxury of privacy
SUPERYACHTS, private planes, exclusive jewelry and privacy are just a few of life’s luxuries that people crave and strive for. Wait – privacy? Sadly, yes. It’s supply seems to be shrinking by the day, with the help of our friends from NSA, Google, Facebook and others. It might seem that the ship has sailed and not much can be done…
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Phuket Travel: Escaping just got easier
PHUKET: There always comes a time when you need a time-out. An inaudible beckoning call comes out of the ether when the pressure and daily grind of work, home life and the day-to-day routine wear on you and you just have to escape. Escaping can be a chore in and of itself and you might find yourself in search of…
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Phuket TECH: Internet freedom now in jeopardy
PHUKET: In case you haven’t heard the hype, internet neutrality recently suffered a blow in the “land of the free”, the United States. In the recent case of Verizon versus the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), the federal court overturned the FCC’s net-neutrality-promoting rule which prohibited service providers from imposing discriminatory charges and limitations. So, what is net neutrality and why…
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Phuket TECH: The mirrorless revolution
PHUKET: Here in Thailand, which has earned itself the title of world “selfie” capital, pictures are important. Whether it’s locals snapping shots while out and about to upload to Facebook, tourists looking for that exotic portrait from their trip abroad or the pros clicking away to beef up their stock portfolio, cameras are everywhere, all the time. Although it might…
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Phuket Gardening: Climbing to new heights
PHUKET: A few columns back I threatened to return to the topic of easy-to-grow climbers. Some of the varieties mentioned then are indeed tough and resilient, but they are not natural vines inasmuch as they lack aids in the form of suckers, twining stems, modified leaves or tendrils to help them cling and ascend. That they are substantial and weighty…
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Phuket Property: An emerald on the isle
PHUKET: Located in the heart of the rapidly developing Phuket Central Business district, Emerald Central Condo has matched quality design with a prime location to create an excellent opportunity for investors and owner-occupiers alike. The developers behind Emerald Central, Phuket Future Development Co Ltd, say the project was created with the three guiding principals of “quality, design, and functionality”. Managing…
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Phuket Events: Get revved up for the rally
PHUKET: Get those engines revving! The upcoming PVCPhuket.com Invitational Car Rally has automotive lovers and treasure hunt aficionados amped up and ready for action. The non-profit event on March 23 will see competitors exploring the paradise island in teams of two or more and finding sights even seasoned expats may have missed. “It’s a real opportunity to visit places that,…
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Phuket Property: When privacy is paramount
PHUKET: The Onella Co Ltd has launched sales for Privé 49 low-density residence in central Phuket with superior hospitality services catering to executive urban lifestyles. Phuket-based developers The Onella Co launched the latest addition to central Phuket’s residential property market on Friday, February 7. Investors are being introduced to an innovative urban living concept featuring resort-style hospitality services and facilities…
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Dusit Thani Laguna appoints new GM
PHUKET: Denis J Thouvard was recently appointed as the new General Manager of Dusit Thani Laguna, a five-star luxury resort in Cherng Thalay. Mr Thouvard previously held the position of Area General Manager at the Centara Grand Beach Resort in Karon Beach, Phuket. Mr Thouvard brings to his new role over 20 years of experience in five-star hotels and resorts…
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Laguna holds 20th Phuket sea turtle release
PHUKET: “Sea turtle with fish net wounds saved on Phuket beach”, “Phuket sea turtle on the hook – saved”, “Six injured sea turtles beach in Phuket, Phang Nga in one day” – these are just few of many Phuket Gazette headlines chronicling the plight of the region’s sea turtles in the last couple of years. No wonder that five of…
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Phuket Property Watch: A whole lotta lanta
PHUKET: As Phuket continues its geared up development drive towards an increasingly urban resort landscape, travellers are looking further afield in a move to get out of the box. One nearby set of island’s, Koh Lanta, has all the makings of a classic resort destination. West coast sunsets, white sand beaches and the international airport within close proximity. Lanta is…
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