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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5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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4 ways Thais use Twitter. Which one are you?
With hundreds of millions of users globally, Twitter is many things to many people. Amongst Thailand’s growing Twitter community, it’s interesting to see how users are evolving the way they use Twitter. Trending topics change rapidly as Thai users jump from one hot topic to another, while favourite celebrities and musicians remain relatively consistent. Below are just four ways Thais…
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Phuket 1988: Thai expat digs out his old Super 8 movies
David Barrett gets out his Super 8 projector for another film night – this time we see Patong in 1988, already quite developed even though mass tourism was still more than a decade away. The few high-rise are certainly not cluttering up the skyline at this time. David is sharing his early Super 8 movies with us as we wallow…
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Ocean Property launch first Phuket development
Thai real estate developer, Ocean Property, are continuing to expand outside of the capital with the launch of their first real estate development in Phuket – a townhome and modern commercial home office project “Ocean Town Muang-Ratsada”. Located in the heart of Phuket providing owners with easy access to all major infrastructure and island facilities, prices start from just 2.69…
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Cooking spotted eagle ray is OK – Fisheries spokesperson
“The use of spotted eagle rays as a main ingredient in a reality TV cooking show is not illegal, though the aquatic animal should be conserved rather than consumed.” This from the Deputy Fisheries Department Director General Arunchai Puthcharoen. He referred to controversy over the use of eagle rays as the main ingredient in the Thai MasterChef program, raising concerns…
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18 busted in e-cigarette and vaping raid in bangkok
Whilst a new vaping and e-cigarette lobby group continue to push the government for a review on laws on vaping and e-cigarette products, the police are notching up more crackdowns on the sales of products related to vaping. Read about the lobby group HERE. Sixteen Thais and two Burmese men have been arrested in Bangkok for selling e-cigarette devices, nicotine…
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Event Round-Up – March 2019
The month kicks off with one of Thailand’s most unique and bizarre festivals and celebrations, that of the Tattoo Festival in Nakhon Chaisi in the province of Nakhon Pathom, around 50 kilometres west of Bangkok. Held at the Wat Bang Phra temple on 2 March, the festival also goes by the name Wai Kru Sak Yant after the spiritual tattoos…
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Parents urged to monitor children on ‘Momo Challenge’
PHOTOS: NBT / NNT The Mental Health Department is urging parents to closely monitor children’s online activities due to the ‘Momo Challenge’ reports. The Nation reports that ‘Momo Challenge’, associated with a grotesque bird, has sneaked into YouTube and its YouTube Kids platform and coerced young watchers to take up risky, potentially deadly challenges. The Momo Challenge, dismissed by many…
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Vaping network urges Thai authorities to rethink e-cigarette laws
“Thai authorities had demanded a 40,000 baht bribe from a Frenchwoman to free her after she was arrested for possessing an e-cigarette.” E-cigarette users are calling on the Thai government to quickly come up with appropriate solutions to regulate e-cigarettes, and clarify the current laws, in order to protect the country’s image among foreign tourists. The network say it also…
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Come into my world. Tribhum is now open.
“Tribhum – The Mystical Three Worlds” is Phuket’s newest tourist attraction situated in the new Central Floresta. It’s a 3D walkthrough adventure theme park in which visitors are transported into a mystical realm of Siamese legend and fantasy. “Tribhum” is pronounced try-POOM (with soft ‘OO’ sound). Located on the roadside of the new Central Floresta, “Tribhum – The Mystical Three…
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Undoing a 90 year ban on female monks
STORY & PHOTOS: Kate Geraghty Perspective from Sydney Morning Herald writer Kate Geraghty. It’s not only western religions that bar woman from participation in religious teachings. It’s 4am and the odd rooster is crowing in the cool hours before day breaks and three saffron-robed monks from the all-female Songdhammakalyani Monastery are making their way through the back streets of Nakhon Pathom,…
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New points system for traffic violations comes into force mid-year
Keeping your license will now be a bit more complicated under amendments to the Thai Road Traffic Act. But good drivers have nothing to worry about. There’s now a new points system added to the Road Traffic Act which will come into force when it’s finally announced in the Royal Gazette. The National Legislative Assembly sat yesterday to vote the…
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Japan’s legendary cherry blossom is only 5 hours away
by Kaoru Do you travel frequently between Thailand and North America and want to break your journey on the way? Or are you simply looking for somewhere to escape the scorching weather forecast for the next few months? Japan has become a very popular holiday destination among Thais with visitor numbers expected to reach one million a year. Many of…
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No alcohol sales today – Makha Bucha Day, February 19
The 24 hour ban on alcohol sales for Makha Bucha Day will remain in effect until midnight tonight. Makha Bucha is a sacred Buddhist holiday taken to refer to a day to honour the third lunar month and, in particular, the Buddha and the teachings that he delivered on the full moon day of the fourth lunar month. Any person…
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Now you can study the success of K-pop band BTS – University of California, Berkeley
PHOTO: BTS members posing with South Korean President Moon Jae In 400 million views, 500 million, 600 million. Just scroll through the group’s songbook on YouTube from the past five years and you will be watching music history in the making – a success built on a new pop genre, new ‘music business’ model and seven young South Koreans hell-bent…
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Amnesty for possession of cannabis in Thailand?
The Government is looking at a plan to grant amnesty to those who have been using, or have, cannabis in their possession, But only if they report to authorities within a given time frame. The Drug Committee approved three draft legislations for amnesty yesterday. If the drafts become law even possessors of cannabis, who are not patients or research units,…
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Proposal to ban alcohol sales on Songkran day, April 13
Coming up with another blunt tool to help curb Thailand’s horrendous annual road toll during Songkran, the Alcohol Control Committee is proposing a ban be placed on the sale of alcohol on April 13, Songkran day. The ACC has passed a resolution to ban the sale of alcoholic drinks on the national Songkran holiday but says the proposal will have…
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Thai-Indian Funfair in Bangkok tomorrow
The fifth Thai-Indian Funfair returns to Srinakharinwirot University in Bangkok tomorrow (Saturday) to strengthen cultural relations between both countries. The fair arrives at a time when Indian tourist arrivals are on an upswing with new direct flights into Bangkok and Phuket providing new routes and cheaper fares. This annual popular event, held from 3pm to 9pm, is jointly organised by…
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Kamala’s Twinpalms Montazure poised to welcome guests in July
Set on the golden sands of Kamala Beach, Twinpalms MontAzure will welcome its first guests in July this year. Already a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the boutique beach hotel offers beautifully appointed Suites, Penthouses and Private Pool Suites. Suites range in size from 70m2 to Penthouses with private pools and sea views boasting large living spaces…
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Valentine’s roses leap in price this year
Roses are red Violets are blue A red rose used to cost 15 baht Now it’s 52! The price of roses has spiked to almost double from that of the past two years. The popular Valentine’s gift was retailing for up to 70 baht each, a substantial increase from last year’s 50 baht average around Bangkok. In Bangkok, flower vendors…
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Co-working space – not just for start-ups
PHOTO: HUBBA-TO co-working space in Bangkok by Thanchanok Phobut | Senior Coordinator, CBRE Thailand CBRE, an international property consultancy company, reveals that co-working space seems to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue these days. There was a time when no-one knew what the term “serviced office” meant or why someone would want such an option. But today, you can’t…
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Stunning new Lux Neo villas at Chaweng, Koh Samui
Sun, sea, new, views, pool villa, Samui. All the words you want to hear. Lux Neo is now available, combining stunning sea views and outstanding modern design. Lux Neo is the newest award winning project by the “Neo” team with critiqued unique villa design and award winning styling. Click HERE to read more about the Neo design team and some…
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Boom boom on the border – Thailand’s unlikely red-light district
PHOTO: The attractions of Thailand’s southern border town usually become apparent after sunset On one side of the Thai/Malaysian border is Sungai Golok, on the Malaysian side it’s the town of Rantau Panjang. The two towns are separated by the Golok River as well as decades of furious fighting between Muslim separatists who want to reclaim some of the southern…
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Thailand’s property market surges with Chinese confidence remaining high
Chinese investors are still spending big in Thailand’s property market. The country’s ‘teflon’ tourist reputation and uncertain national election outcomes are doing little subdue investor enthusiasm. Two coups in a decade have done little to cool enthusiasm in Thai property. Tourists from Asia’s top economy continue to recognise Thailand as a top spot for holidays, and investment. According to data Chinese real…
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Illegal foreign cigarettes flooding in as new local tobacco taxes loom
Growers of tobacco in Thailand, and those selling cigarettes and tobacco products, are feeling the pinch as illegal foreign cigarettes flood the local market. Sanook reports that the Thai Tobacco Monopoly says changes to excise regulations means a packet of the cheapest Thai cigarettes would rise from 60 to 90 baht per pack from October this year. A tobacco retailer…
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[Music Release] Suki to Iwasetai – IZ*ONE [MV]
ปล่อยเพลงที่สองออกมาแล้วสำหรับ IZ*ONE (아이즈원) กลุ่มไอดอลสาวเฉพาะกิจจากรายการ Produce48 กับเพลง ‘好きと言わせたい อ่านว่า Suki to Iwasetai ท่วงทำนองเพราะ ๆ สนุก ๆ พิสูจน์ด้วยหูของท่านเองได้เลย
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A third of expats may have to leave – Survey on new ‘retirement’ visa extension
Thailand’s farang forum, Thaivisa, has conducted two unofficial polls that indicate that many expats will be calling it quits and leaving the Kingdom. The polls are a response from the affected ThaiVisa audience, not indicative of the total expat population living in Thailand. The polls have been undertaken in the wake of new regulations issued by Thai immigration requiring retirees to lodge…
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Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra celebrate Shamita’s birthday in Phuket
Actress Shamita Shetty travelled to Phuket as her birthday destination. Shamita turned 40 on February 2. Shamita Shetty is one of Bollywood’s most popular actresses and an interior designer, along with her famous sister Shipla. Her sister Shilpa Shetty, brother-in-law Raj Kundra and friends Sarita Madhavan, Rohini Iyer and Akanksha Malhotra also accompanied her to Phuket. Glimpses from Shamita’s pre-birthday…
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Elephant Boat Race comes to Bangkok March 29
Anantara Hotels Director of Operational Excellence & Events Tim Boda has announced Thailand’s first “Elephant Boat Race & River Festival” to be held between March 29 – 31, 2019. “The new three-day festival offers a wide range of activities, races and concerts aiming to raise funds to support domestic and wild elephants throughout Thailand.” Located next to Anantara Riverside Bangkok, the…
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Immigration officials push back against the new retirement visa guidelines
Days after new rules for the processing for foreign retiree visas were published, immigration officials are reportedly pushing back against them. The report was in Khaosod English citing inside sources. According to the Immigration department, starting March 1, foreign retirees must either show a monthly income of at least 65,000 baht or hold a minimum of 800,000 baht in Thai…
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Thai Immigration clamps down on requirements for Retirement visas
A story in ThaiVisa is providing a lot of concern for people making applications for ‘Retirement’ and ‘Marriage’ visas so they can remain in the Kingdom. The announcement follows several of the embassies last year explaining that they will no longer be issuing a ‘proof of income’ for the purpose of visa applications in Thailand. “Foreigners now need to keep…
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