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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What a difference an airport could make
Phuket’s Northern neighbour Phang Nga, and its key tourism magnet of Khao Lak, is seeing increasingly broader demand. One clear sign of the times is the new international offerings in the current pipeline including such brands as Sheraton, Holiday Inn and Avani. And a new airport to service the area as well. Read more about the confirmed new Phang Nga airport HERE.…
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5 property checks buyers mysteriously overlook in Thailand
by Desmond Hughes In many countries, once a decision to purchase a property has been made, a deposit paid, the parties should be able to sit back and handover legal matters to their lawyers, and concentrate on admittedly stressful practical matters such as furniture removal, checking boilers / heating / air conditioning systems and often working through a ‘chain’ of…
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Kathu Culture Street Festival until Sunday night
The tenth annual Kathu Culture Street Festival is on until Sunday night (July 29) and is being held on Wichit Songkhram Road, showcasing the cultural heritage of one of Phuket’s oldest and most vibrant communities. Vice Governor Snith says, “this is the second time that I am taking part in the Kathu Culture Street Festival. The festival is important to…
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Same-sex civil union bill ready for Cabinet in two months
A same-sex civil partnership law should be drafted and discussed before next year’s elections. Pitikarn Sitthidech, the Rights and Liberties Protection Department chief, saystThe law, allowing same-sex couples to formally register as life partners, should be drafted by September. It would then be submitted to Deputy PM and Justice Minister ACM Prajin Juntong, who would decide whether it should go to…
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Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort – focussing on family fun
Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort is inviting families with kids of all ages to enjoy the ultimate island experience with comfortable family bungalows, child-friendly facilities and features, all set within 70 tranquil acres of beachfront beauty. Offering stunning seaside stays for the whole family, Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort boasts two freeform infinity pools overlooking the white-sand beach…
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Singapore Airlines back on top. Thai Airways in 10th place.
PHOTO: Flyer Talk Singapore Airlines is back on top after a decade held out of the top airline position by middle-eastern competition. It’s their fourth win since the Skytrax World Airline awards started back in 2001. The island nation’s national carrier was named Airline of the Year at the 2018 Skytrax World Airline awards. Singapore Airlines was last top of the…
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Water Park Wars – Phuket wettest battlefield
by Xinyi Liang-Pholsena of ttgasia.com ttgasia.com is reporting that the water park battle in Phuket is getting very intense as new players enter the marketplace. Among them Blue Tree Phuket, poised to open its doors early 2019 as an upscale family entertainment and lifestyle complex. The sprawling 22.5ha development, located around Cherngtalay, is the result of a joint venture comprising…
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Pavilions Hotels & Resorts announce two important acquisitions
The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts has made two important appointments as it continues to expand its portfolio and strengthen its management team. Scot Toon takes on a new role as the company’s Managing Director, Asia while Tim Sargeant becomes the Director of Marketing for The Pavilions Phuket. Both are highly skilled and experienced hospitality professionals who join The Pavilions Hotels…
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Thais travel more, but not too long – Visa
Thais travel more on average than any other nationality, according to Visa’s Global Travel Intentions Study. Suripong Tantiyanon of Visa Thailand says the study also reveals that people are travelling more, but their trips are getting shorter. Thais are expected to leapfrog ahead of other nationalities in the number of vacation trips they take each year – with 3.9 trips…
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Trang airport terminal expansion on track for 2019 completion
The Trang International Airport passenger terminal expansion will be completed mid next year. The announcement comes from the director general of the Airports Department. Darun Saengchai says 116 million baht had been allocated to add another 3,000 square metres to the 6,000sqm facility, which was proving inadequate in high tourist season. The expansion would enable the terminal to accommodate 600…
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Habitat Group launches three projects valued at 3 billion baht
Habitat Group is poised to launch three new projects with a total value of 3 billion baht in the second half of 2018. Recognising the growing trend of buying properties for investment, the company reveals this sector is growing 10-20% per year and foreigners looking to invest in property assets are making up a increasing part of that growth each…
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The ‘Sano-Tik’ collection – Phuket’s unique batik
Phuket has introduced a new, unique style of ‘Batik’ cloth called ‘Sano-Tik’ collection, inspired by the mineral, tin, an important resource in Phuket’s early days. The project’s opening ceremony was hosted by the Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong and Chief of Community Development Office Kittipon Wetchakun. The ceremony was held at Merlin Hotel. Governor Norrapahat says, “We have introduced a unique…
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Alpine tourism ignites billion dollar resort property market
by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com Niseko visitor numbers continue to climb on the back of a sharp increase in airlift. Tourism arrivals to Asia’s leading alpine destination, Niseko, rose 17% year-on-year in 2017 and bumped up a 5-year growth spree with an impressive 16% compound annual growth rate. One clear sign of market maturation is a push to a year-round…
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Phuket Yacht Club getting kids started in sailing
Twenty three junior sailors aged between seven and fourteen descended on the Phuket Yacht Club last Saturday for a day of fun and excitement in the first O’pen BIC sailing challenge in Thailand. “We were certainly overwhelmed by the response” said the club’s Commodore, Scott Duncanson. “As this was the first time we have held a junior sailing regatta we…
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10,000 runners expected for this year’s Pattaya Marathon
A major international sporting date in Thailand’s calendar of festivals and events is the Pattaya Marathon, and 2018 marks the 27th edition of this popular race with organisers expecting 10,000 runners from around the world. The event is being held on July 15. The ‘Pattaya Marathon 2018’ race route is designed to impress both participants and spectators. It begins at Central…
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The first Leopard 50 arrives in Phuket in July
By Joe Lim/luxuo.com The first Leopard 50 has arrived in Asia, and a special partnership event between Yacht Style Magazine and Lux Inc Media will be held at Ao Po Grand Marina from July 7-8. Since the launch of the Leopard 50 at the Miami International Boat Show, she has proven to be one of the most successful products launched by…
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Three new luxury show suites open at flagship Twin Palms Residences
MONTAZURE ON STUNNING KAMALA BEACH MontAzure, the upscale mixed-use residential resort community set on 454 rai (178 acres or 72 hectares) of mountainside to beachfront land in Kamala, has launched 3 new on-site beachfront show suites at the award-winning beach condominium development, Twinpalms Residences MontAzure. Considered by real estate experts to be one of the most compelling lifestyle investment opportunities on Phuket, the development…
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Law and Order: Tangled Thai defamation laws
PHOTO: Rights defender Andy Hall goes on trial for criminal defamation & computer crimes Living in the Land of Smiles you need to mind your Ps & Qs, as an expat, tourist, company or just about anyone actually. Thai defamation laws can be used to silence people, even in the most innocuous situations. It’s different from the West and, living…
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Sansiri launches THE BASE Central – Phuket
Sansiri launched another one of their ‘BASE’ branded condos with the launch of ‘THE BASE Central Phuket’. Quoting from their media release, “The design is influenced by an enchanting lifestyle where the native people and Chinese from across the seas come together to create the Peranakan culture under the new concept ‘MARK MY BASE’.” Poomisak Julamaneechot, Vice Managing Director of…
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Sadvertising: The art of making us cry and selling stuff
“Sadvertising is a consumer advertising trend in which ad creators are using a certain set of strategies to play on people’s emotions and touch off feelings of sadness, melancholy or wistfulness. Touching or emotional advertising has become increasingly popular in recent years as companies work to create strong emotional ties around their products. This is based on a belief that…
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The world’s longest flight needed new airline seats
PHOTO: Aviation International News Imagine sitting for 19 hours in one seat, travelling nearly 17,000 kilometres, from Newark to Singapore. The route, a return to long distances for Singapore Airlines since it canned the same route with the Airbus A340 in November 2013, will now be a lot more comfortable. The Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 Ultra Long Range service is…
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APEX launch Phuket’s most exclusive address
The Residences at Sheraton Phuket Grand Bay on Phuket’s east coast, a four billion baht development, includes a 5-star Sheraton resort and Phuket’s first Sheraton-branded residences of which 70% are already sold. Panoramic views across Po Bay to Ao Phang Nga National Park and the Phi Phi Islands beyond are what greet residents and visitors to Phuket’s most exclusive residential…
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More than 4 million Asians took a cruise last year – a 20% increase.
PHOTO: Travel Daily Media More than 4 million Asians took to the seas in 2017, aboard an ocean liner. A record-breaking 4,060,000 Asians took an ocean cruise in 2017 according to Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) – a 20.5 per cent increase from the 3,370,000 Asian passengers who boarded a passenger ship in 2016. At 20.5 per cent, the 2017…
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Changes to the leasehold bill ‘unlikely to impact property market’
Changes to the Leasehold Bill looks likely to update the way foreigners can maintain rights to use land in Thailand. A new bill has been approved by the Thai cabinet and could become law following the public hearing process that finished yesterday. The intention of the changes to the bill, mooted last year, is to make leasehold arrangements more secure…
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Awaken life’s potential at Santosa Detox & Wellness Center
Located in the jungle-clad hills above Kata Beach on the Southwest Coast of Phuket, Santosa Detox & Wellness Center is a tropical retreat specialising in detox & wellness programs. If you are looking for an authentic detox experience with a personal touch, Santosa is the best choice. The dedicated staff at Santosa work with guests at their own pace to…
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Santiburi Koh Samui ‘launches’ a floating breakfast
Santiburi Koh Samui has created a choice of Exclusive Culinary Experiences for guests staying in one of the resort’s Grand Reserve Pool Villas or Grand Deluxe Pool Villas, as well as introducing more personalised in-room dining options for all resort guests. Those staying in a Grand Reserve Pool Villa or Grand Deluxe Pool Villa can indulge in the ultimate resort…
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Two more Chinese airlines flying into Pattaya
PHOTO: Planespotters.net More Chinese airlines heading to Thailand. This time they’re adding services to the eastern seaboard. Two Chinese airlines are headed to U-tapao airport, 36 km south of Pattaya. Donghai Airlines is flying from Wanzhou to U-tapao, while Kunming Airlines is launching a service from Kunming this July. Donghai Airlines is already flying three times a week to U-tapao…
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SPECIAL REPORT: Saving paradise by setting limits
By Piyaporn Wongruang Maya Bay has finally been closed down. On Thursday, park rangers at Had Nopparat Tara-Mu Ko Phi Phi marine national park placed buoys demarcating a no-access zone to prevent tourist boats getting in, as a part of a long-term rehabilitation process for the park’s world-renowned Maya Bay. The bay was made famous by the 2000 Hollywood film…
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A tale of two cities, Phuket style
By Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com The raindrops keep falling on my head. Rainy season always brings with it time to dust off the classics, and strangely enough, straight off my top shelf came Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. Life is played out so well in these tattered pages, which are turned a mottled brown on the edges. There…
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Visiting the Elephant Sanctuary Park in Chiang Mai
By Sebastian Jacobitz At the end of last year, I had the opportunity to travel for more than three months through Southeast Asia. I have already stated my travel plans before, and now the time has come where I want to recap on visiting the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Chiang Mai. It was hands down one of the best experiences…
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