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 New in July: Save 10% for life on family health plans in Thailand
Cigna has a special offer this July for families in Thailand. When you sign up three or more people on a family health plan, you will save 10% on your premiums for life. This deal helps you get affordable, high-quality...
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Strong interest of foreign investors in Phuket’s resorts – JLL report
PHOTO: Dhawa Phuket “In the Asia Pacific, Phuket is one of the three hotel investment markets in the region that have been highlighted.” Buoyed by the rise of experience-driven travel and an affinity toward locally-inspired hotel offerings, resort assets remain a top target among investors. According to JLL Hotels & Hospitality’s Global Resort Report, resort sales accounted for 20% of…
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Thai government introduces property stimulus package
PHOTO: homeservicerayong.com “Buyers must earn no more than 100,000 baht a month and be registered on the Revenue Department’s tax database.” Thailand’s Finance Ministry spokesman Lavaron Sangsnit says that the three major housing associations are ready to support the government’s latest stimulus measures to support home purchases. There was a meeting between Ministry officials and the Housing Business Association, Thai Real…
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A Thai grandmother, a stroke, four dogs and a cat = musical magic
A Thai grandmother, singing soothing ballads to her chihuahua ‘Jew Jam’, has become an unexpected internet hit. In the video (below) there is also a cat that sings along with the guitar accompaniment provided by Malinda Herman. Malinda says she sings the songs to the pets (the chihuahua is adorable) to “exercise her facial muscles”. Malinda was in a car…
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Prostitution, the CIA, David Bowie and Patpong – Undercover in Bangkok infamous red light district
PHOTO: patpongmuseum.com Let’s start from the very beginning, a very good place to start. Where did Bangkok’s Patpong get its name? It actually goes back to a Chinese immigrant named Luang Patpongpanich. He purchased the land when it was just a banana plantation (I can hear the Benny Hill theme already). During World War II, so the story goes, Patpongpanich’s son and…
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University to allow transgender students to wear female uniforms
Chulalongkorn University has finally agreed to allow transgender students to the wear female uniforms. For Ince Jirapat, a transgender student, it was a dream come true. In November 2018, Jirapat, a student at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Education, was forbidden to wear a female uniform in class and was insulted by a lecturer. Jirapat turned to human rights activists, a…
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Utopia Music Festival: Dare to Dream!
On November 11, 2019, Utopia Corporation arranged the Utopia Music Festival at their condominiums in Nai Harn Beach, using a theme of superhero. The concept of ‘Dare to Dream’ showcases the outstanding and unique properties under Utopia Corporation. The music festival started with a speech from Utopia CEO Hachi Yin and Vice President Leo Li, who explained their various…
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TAT opens 100 baht tourism scheme
TAT’s ambitious ‘฿100 Travel Around’ scheme opened yesterday. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has opened registration for its “100 Baht Travel Around” campaign. According to the TAT website, the project is to promote domestic tourism by providing 100 baht packages for domestic tours and rooms. Registration will only be open on the four “catchy dates” of 11-11 (November 11),…
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Thailand drops to #74 out of 100 countries rated for English language skills
PHOTO: Study International For the third year in a row, Thailand’s ranking on the English Proficiency Index has dropped and the country now ranks 74th out of a total of 100 countries. Thai PBS World reports that the index was prepared by Education First (EF), a Swiss organisation specialising in language training and educational travel. The company reports that in…
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Broadway in Bangkok…unplugged. Live theatre in BKK
Book now for the matinee or evening show on Saturday now (details below). ‘Broadway in Bangkok…unplugged’ is a unique and exciting night in Bangkok, featuring classic songs from hit Broadway musicals, performed by two fantastic musical superstars. Live theatre right here in the capital. If you missed Big Mango’s last amazing production in January, then here is your chance to see musical…
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New land tax forces land owners to evaluate their options
PHOTO: SCMP The new Land and Property Tax, which takes effect in January 2020, will be a challenge for the Thai property market, according to the managing Director of CBRE Thailand. In an open report to the media, CBRE says owners of vacant sites will pay significant taxes once the new law comes into effect. Many will try to avoid the…
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Government promoting “active ageing” for Thailand’s elderly
Deputy government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek says that as of 2018, the number of Thai citizens who are aged over 60 is 12 million, or 18% of the population as a whole. She was speaking after the recent National Elderly Person Committee Meeting, at which the government discussed how best to help the ageing population to continue contributing to society while…
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Protest at sacking of school director
Teachers, present and former students and parents gathered at Bangkok Christian College yesterday (October 28) to protest the suspension of school director Supakit Jitklongsap, who they say was dismissed unfairly. They said they’d continue their protest until the new director of the school, as well as the Church of Christ in Thailand, clarified the issue. They held signs demanding his…
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Farmers seek injunction on chemical ban
A farmers’ organisation will appeal to the Central Administrative Court on Monday October 28 for an injunction on the ban of three agricultural chemicals – paraquat, chlorpyrifos and glyphosate – which was approved by the unanimous vote of Hazardous Substance Committee on Tuesday. The secretary-general of Federation of Safe Agriculture (FSA), said on Saturday that the FSA and representatives of…
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Guaranteed rental returns – Are they real?
If you’re looking to invest in overseas property, search the market and it’s not unusual to find condos for sale with guaranteed rental returns of 40%, and some even higher. Yes, it DOES seems too good to be true, but the offers are out there and the packages often come with free legal fees and other such benefits. Clearly, before…
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Four hundred made redundant as tyre factory in eastern Thailand shuts down
The closure of a tyre canvas production plant in Rayong province, eastern Thailand, has led to four hundred workers being left unemployed. Thai PBS World reports that the SRF Industries (Thailand) factory shut down yesterday, blaming operating losses caused by the slowdown in the country’s economy. It’s understood that management at the plant informed workers of the crisis on September…
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Thirty public parks in Bangkok to open for Loy Krathong festival
Bangkok will open 30 public parks for the forthcoming Loy Krathong Festival, which is set to take place on November 11. Thai Residents reports that the parks will enable both locals and tourists to participate in the festival by floating krathongs in the parks’ ponds. A krathong is a floating container that holds various items including incense sticks, a candle,…
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Tax on salt content being considered
The Excise Department is considering imposing a tax on the salt content of food to encourage food producers to reduce the sodium content of snacks, instant noodles and seasoning cubes. The director of the Office of Tax Planning said that the department is discussing a limit on the amount of sodium food can contain, in line with the standard set…
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Green Day heading back to BKK in 2020
Green Day, five-time Grammy Award winners, are embarking on a global tour in 2020, including a stop-over in Bangkok during March. The rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Fame inductees will perform a series of concerts throughout Europe, UK, North America and Asia. “Green Day Live in Bangkok” takes place on March 11, 2020 at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani. But…
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500 people own 36% of equity in Thai companies
Roughly 36% of Thailand’s corporate equity is held by just 500 people, highlighting wealth inequality in the Kingdom, according to a study released by the Bank of Thailand’s research institute. Each of these 500 amass some 3.1 billion baht (102 million USD) per year in company profits, according to the report from the Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research. In…
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Sex Reassignment Surgery in Thailand (male to female) – a quick guide
MONTAGE: People Magazine Thailand has a well-deserved reputation for excellence in sex reassignment surgery and the before and after care of patients. The country has a long relationship with Kathoeys, affectionately referred to in Thailand as ‘ladyboys’, and consequently, a well-developed approach to quality surgery in this area. The following article has been prepared by My Medi Travel. Kathoey or…
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Thais go bananas over freak plants in pursuit of lottery numbers
PHOTOS: Daily News The answers are in the banana leaves. Thai people LOVE playing the lottery (and gambling generally). In fact they’re BANANAS about the twice-monthly lottery (it was drawn again today). Daily News has reported about two unusual banana trees growing in front of a shop in Klong 4 Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok. The trees did not have blossom…
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The K-pop Olympics: performers battle in the K-pop festival
by Claire Lee On the streets, in parks and garages, seven Cuban youngsters spent seven months practising K-pop moves to secure a spot on their dream stage: an appearance in South Korea to imitate their idols. 13 final teams from 80 countries are competing in the 2019 event. At the grandly titled and government-funded Changwon K-pop World Festival contestants from…
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‘Always Smile Journey’ raises fund to provide free English classes for underprivileged people
On October 18, the ‘Always Smile Journey’ group and its partners will host an exhibition with plenty of fun activities at the Yak Yai Market, near Chalong Circle, in Phuket. This event was designed to raise funds to provide free English classes for underprivileged people on the island of Phuket on Saturdays and Sundays. The group does not accept donations…
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Professor: Military government too interested in tourism – not people’s welfare
A professor of Rangsit University has criticised the previous military government for focusing too much on tourism and not enough on the welfare of the Thai people. The professor was speaking at Chulalongkorn University at a seminar discussing street stalls and urban development. She questioned the National Council for Peace and Order’s policy of clearing street vendors in all but a…
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King Bhumibol Adulyadej – an enduring legacy
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej (December 5, 1927 – October 13, 2016) was Thailand’s monarch for just over 70 years. At the time of his passing in 2016, King Bhumibol was world’s longest-serving head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history. Amongst his many other gifts, he was was revered as a calming and compassionate influence overseeing Thailand’s stormy political history in the…
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Phuket’s Surf House team head to South Korea for Flowboarding Worlds
PHOTO: Making waves in flow boarding around the region – SurfHouse Phuket The Surf House brand in Thailand is synonymous with being exceptional in the world of competitive Flowboarding. And 2019 has been a stellar year for competitors who have been broadly supported by SurfHouse over many years. Bringing home the gold from Flow Tour Asia 2019 held in Chong Qing, China is…
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Stricter controls and paperwork putting brakes on residential property market
The honorary president of the Thai Housing Business Association, Atip Bijanonda, is tipping the local residential market may fall by up to 10% this year starved of economic confidence, the global economic slowdown and the loan-to-value limits. But he also believes the situation is far from the situation leading up to the 1997 economic collapse. The Greater Bangkok residential market…
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BTS first foreign artists to perform solo concert in Saudi Arabia tonight
PHOTO: BTS performing in front of 60,000 fans during their “Love Yourself” tour in Hong Kong – SCMP No band has ever commanded a concert stage, alone, in Saudi Arabia. Remarkable but true. But South Korea’s BTS is breaking down yet another barrier with tonight’s stadium concert in the Kingdom. Aside from being their first ever concert in Saudi Arabia,…
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“Broadway in Bangkok, unplugged” – Musical theatre comes to Bangkok in November
PHOTO: Daniel Koek and cast. Daniel played the lead role of Jean Valjean in the original production of Les Misérables at the Queens Theatre Two of the brightest international musical superstars, are returning to Thailand next month to perform in a new show called Broadway in Bangkok…unplugged. If you missed Big Mango Production’s last amazing concert in January, then here…
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Property Perfect launch promotion to boost flagging condo sales
Thailand’s property market will grow only 3 – 5% this year and the condo market is likely to end up 25% down – the executive director of Property Perfect claims it’s the the most severe situation in 10 years. The Nation reports that Wongsakorn Prasitwipat is primarily blaming the loan-to-value measures imposed by the government on Thai banks last April, along…
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