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 Why health insurance costs more each year and how expats in Thailand can save more money
Each year, many expats living in Thailand see their health insurance premiums go up and often without a clear reason. This can be frustrating, especially when you're trying to plan your budget. But by understanding why prices rise and learning...
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Gardening: Laying down the lawn
PHUKET: Michael Hickman, an experienced Kalim gardener, has some questions about grass. The first concerns grass varieties, their availability and maintenance. “We laid the lawn in our garden six years ago and have tried to keep it regularly cut, weeded and fertilized,” Michael said. “However there are areas where we have lost the battle against some invasive grass type”. Michael…
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Baba Beach Club aims for top tier
PHUKET: Only a perch at the very top is good enough for a 42-rai super project just across the bridge on Phang Nga’s Na Tai Beach, which is being developed by well-known Charn Issara Development Plc in partnership with China-based Junfa Real Estate Company. Called Baba Beach Club, this massive development will have a hotel and a beach club, six…
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Island Fever: After the thrill is gone
PHUKET: We have just hit midair turbulence as the captain turns on the fasten-seat-belt sign. In the row opposite me, an older mother of two has her son in a headlock, and a spare hand clamped over his mouth to muffle the droning noise of what appears to be a manic case of attention deficit disorder. A quick bite to…
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Phuket Pads: Layan villa beckons buyers
PHUKET: Some would say location and convenience are two of the main attractions, in addition to exceptional property value, in what is a very up-market area of Phuket Island. The Laguna, Layan areas are known for houses and villas with starting prices above 20 million baht, which makes this value-for-money gem a great buy. This villa is a part of…
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Yacht Solutions ramps up for superyachts
PHUKET: Renowned marine services provider Yacht Solutions opened its second office in Phuket on May 1, anticipating a surge in the number of high end yachts and superyachts seeking to call Phuket home, or to use the island as a base for charter operations. Interest in Phuket from yacht owners around the world is increasing year on year and in…
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Up in the air: Thalang Technical College launches aviation industry program
PHUKET: Thalang Technical College (TTC) has launched Thailand’s first vocational program to prepare students for a wide range of careers in the aviation industry and help support the growing need for skilled staff at nearby Phuket International Airport (HKT). TTC Deputy Director Kochakorn Butsaraporn, who administers the school’s aviation program, told the Phuket Gazette that TTC is proud to be…
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Art: Double-dose of spice features comedy, Indian food
PHUKET: Those looking to add a double-dose of spice to their lives, gastronomically and satirically, need travel no farther than the Spice Box Indian restaurant on Boat Avenue on May 30. That’s where and when internationally renowned American stand-up comedian Tom Rhodes takes the stage to dispense his unique blend of razor sharp and often irreverent comedic commentary. Beginning at…
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Books: Powwow with Chief Red Cloud
PHUKET: The histories of wars are told by the victors. We have Caesar’s Gallic Wars, nothing by Vercingetorix. Entire libraries are devoted to the white man’s wars against the American Indians, whose leaders remain largely mute. The exception is Red Cloud, the war chief of the Sioux. His war in 1866-1867 resulted in victory, withdrawal of the United States Army…
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Across the Land: Strong baht, fewer buyers means soft summer market
PHUKET: The Year of the Goat (Sheep/Ram) was heralded February 19 and signaled the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year. After a disastrous Year of the Horse – two major airplane crashes, unrest in Ukraine, ISIS kidnappings and be-headings, social turmoil in Thailand – the Year of the Goat is much welcomed. For a start, The Tourism Authority of…
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Excuse Buster: Magnesium – A powerhouse mineral
PHUKET: Guess which mineral deficiency makes you twice as likely to die as people with healthy levels? According to a study published in The Journal of Intensive Care Medicine, the answer is magnesium. Many people have heard of the benefits of getting enough magnesium to relax muscles (reduce muscle cramps) and promote sleep, but did you know magnesium is responsible…
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Diving: Seldom seen sea creatures revealed in Kata Beach night dive
PHUKET: If you haven’t figured it out yet, you might not be at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, but you sure aren’t listening well – Kata Beach diving is amazing, and so are the night dives there. Of course, it feels a little like bragging about going to a underground Rolling Stones’ show after the fact, but for those…
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Shop, chill and eat at Phuket’s liveliest marina
PHUKET: The Lighthouse Weekend Market returns to Boat Lagoon this Friday for a three-day weekend extravaganza, the last of the year as the southwest monsoon season officially rolls in. The events kick off with a nightly Happy Hour from 5pm to 7pm, during which half-priced drinks and two-for-one specials will be offered at all the dockside bars and selected eateries.…
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Phuket Pads: Get resort feel in bay villa
PHUKET: This type of beachfront villa in the south of the island is rare. But, why? We should start by saying that all beach fronts on the island of Phuket have been occupied by hotels and resorts, and the cost of land is so expensive that to build a private villa, for most budgets, would not be economical. Furthermore, Thai…
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Island Fever: Recall – Sportsmanship, winning
PHUKET: I’m not quite sure what compelled me to join the flock of media-crazed sports fans and buckle up for the fight of the century between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. The fact it was a Sunday made the decision to couch surf a little bit easier. But in the end, I, like so many others who once went past…
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Rainmakers berth
PHUKET: The wet weather in Singapore shouldn’t have damped the spirits of Phuket’s leading brokers and charter companies who joined the Singapore Yacht Show (SYS) last week. Many leading marine-industry operators in Phuket attended the show in hopes of tapping into the lucrative Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. “The presence and enthusiasm of serious buyers and HNWIs [high net worth…
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Phuket’s Hideaway breaks ground
PHUKET: Despite a nationwide slow-down in the property market, a new residential estate construction project is on track, according to the scion of a local tycoon family. Boon Yongsakul, deputy managing director of Boat Development Company, said Hideaway@Bypass is up and running as transfers of the company’s first project near Bypass Road, Bypass Biz Town, are underway. “We have about…
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On your mind: Message plays second fiddle to messenger
PHUKET: I first became skeptical about the print media 20 years ago when my family (wife, son, and daughter) were returning to the United States from a trip to Peru. We flew out of Lima and arrived in Houston, Texas, where I picked up a copy of that day’s New York Times, which included a story about political unrest in…
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By the book: Phuket’s condo market surges
PHUKET: Phuket’s property market has changed dramatically over the past decade. One particular segment which has seen huge changes is the condominium market. More than 10 years ago, there were very few condo developments in Phuket, as the majority of new expansions were large villa developments. This was because land was much cheaper than it is now, as were labor…
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Across the Land: Phuket expat community living
PHUKET: If you are living in a foreign country where there is already a well-organized expatriate community, there can be many benefits. Having catered to an expatriate society for many years, Phuket is one such destination that is popular among foreigners – and for many reasons – including, of course, the tropical climate, beautiful beaches and the warm and friendly…
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Books: Four of five ain’t bad
PHUKET: I have long wanted to read the five Patrick Melrose novels by Edward St Aubyn. Many critics have compared him to the early Evelyn Waugh, which is nonsense. While Waugh and St Aubyn share a common public school, Oxford University background and a fascination with landed gentry, their literary styles are quite different. Waugh was a terse and detached…
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Looking Back: Elephants’ role in Thailand
PHUKET: Elephants have always held an important place in Thai history and culture. In an age that predated bulldozers and cranes, Siamese builders and loggers tamed mighty elephants and used their incredible strength to clear forests, transport heavy loads and even build cities. In war, Siamese kings and generals rode elephants into battle. Sitting atop elephants not only gave Siamese…
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Excuse Buster: Bare your soles – The benefits of barefoot training
PHUKET: IT’S hard to complain about life when you’re sweating it out with sand between your toes, the tropical sun on your back and the stunning blue of the Andaman ahead of you. It’s a good thing that barefoot training is catching on and becoming more popular with trainers and coaches. Many people are aware that barefoot running has been…
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Gardening: Second foray into peas
PHUKET: WHEN I was a boy, my mother always reminded me before I left home to ‘mind my Ps and Qs’. The meaning was clear enough: Literally, it meant ‘look after the detail’, but the general sense as I understood it was ‘mind your manners’, or more positively, ‘be on your best behavior’. But why Ps and Qs? The likeliest…
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Blazing Saddles: Rudy rides against cancer in global cycling tour
PHUKET: ‘INSPIRATIONAL’ is the word I would use to describe many of my fellow cyclists who I met when I cycled Bangkok to Phuket last December with Siam Bike Tours. However, one individual stood out above all others for his sheer bravery, tenacity and individualism – a 55-year-old Canadian Fire Department Captain named Rudy Pospisil. Fifteen years ago, Rudy was…
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Environment- University students head Down Under for inspiration
PHUKET: Prince of Songkla University (PSU) continues its campaign to build a strong foundation in sustainability on the island through well-educated environmental leaders. The youth environment leadership project ‘Our Common Backyard’ was an initiative to do just that through the new International College of Arts and Sciences Phuket, with the help of funding from the Australian government. The students were…
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Phuket Pads: Find supreme elegance at Villa Verai
PHUKET: In terms of value for money, Phuket has it all, especially when the vast number of mid-range to luxury villas in all price ranges and located in all areas of the island is considered. Yet there is one incredible villa on the island that is likely to evoke envy in almost everyone, and this villa takes the spotlight this…
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Nai Harn Beach Condos on top
PHUKET: In the highly competitive condominium arena it takes a lot to get ahead, and among those that have done so is the stunning Nai Harn Beach Condominium, which recently won applause for its low-density structures. The development is nestled into a prime location on the island, cheek by jowl to Nai Harn Beach, which was recently rated among the…
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Gardening: Splashing out on plants
PHUKET: Some time ago I encountered a stranger in a bar – as one does in Phuket – who was engaged in a project crafting massive, textured, handmade ceramic pots in his Chiang Mai atelier. Encouraged by his enthusiasm, I responded by writing two pieces about suitable big plants for big pots. One, about aquatic plants, featured water lilies (nymphaeas)…
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Fresh food, antique decor at Phuket’s Chicroom Cafe
PHUKET: As you are driving down Phuket Road toward the Surin Circle clock tower in town, you may have noticed on the right-hand side a beautiful, modern looking building called the Chicroom Cafe. This cafe doubles as a gallery of all things eccentric and antique. The decor resembles a fancy secondhand store with all the treasures that you always wanted…
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Phuket’s secondary property sector drifts into autopilot mode
PHUKET: A familiar term for anyone with children is, ‘Where do we go from here?’ Those inquisitive, blank, questioning looks that penetrate deep into the heart of the seemingly innocent question about what’s next? Lately, the topic seems to have shifted to adults in the island’s real-estate trade. It’s been nearly a decade since the dining tables shifted from a…
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