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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Property Inspector: Preventing mold growth in your home
PHUKET: Phuket seems to be the mold capital of the world. We all battle the mold. It surrounds us 24 hours a day in the form of spores in the air and those that have settled onto every surface inside a home. These spores are time bombs waiting to go off. In almost all instances, they already have two of…
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Gardening: Pollinators big and small
PHUKET: Early the other morning I watched a solitary oleander hawk moth, whizzing from one ruellia flower to another, hovering over each flower for five seconds at a time. Not only are hawk moths one of the very few creatures which can hover, they also have a three-inch long proboscis, which, like a certain beer, can reach parts that other…
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Young sailors cruise to victory at Topper World Championships
PHUKET: Young Phuket sailors are making a splash at international events, with two local youngsters from the Phuket Youth Sailing Club (PYSC) winning gold and bronze at the 2016 Topper World Championships held at Ballyholme in Northern Ireland last month. While this is a big deal in itself, the fact that these children come from underprivileged backgrounds makes this even…
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Excuse Buster: The flaws of nutritional science
PHUKET: I recently had a session with a gentleman who from the outset spoke about his frustration with the health industry, particularly in regard to the constant opinion changing about what is healthy and unhealthy. I agree with his sentiment – seems every few years the ‘experts’ change their minds. I remember eggs were bad, then good again 10 years…
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Ajarn A and his ‘magical’ tattoos
PHUKET: With the answer to any question just a few taps away on a mobile phone, why do certain superstitions and beliefs in the supernatural still exist? If you’re one of Phuket’s magic tattoo masters, the answer is in the currency of belief. “Things exist only because people believe in them,” said Bunphet Limlai, who goes by the name ‘Ajarn…
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Profile: Miss World Australia 2016 visits Phuket
PHUKET: Madeline Cowe, winner of Miss World Australia 2016, visited Phuket last week as part of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s ‘Women’s Journey Thailand’ campaign. Her entourage included the runners up of this year’s competition, along with Courtney Thorpe, the winner of the 2014 pageant, and Deborah Miller, national director of Miss World Australia. Madeline and her group went to…
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Listing your property on social media
PHUKET: During the green season in Phuket, most real estate brokers spend their time listing new properties to boost up their listing stock ahead of the high season. Good & varied listings across the market segmentation of the property market are ideal to appeal to a wider spectrum of clients. Property listings need not necessarily be large in numbers, but…
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Phuket mother presented ‘Outstanding Mother 2016’ award
PHUKET: A hardworking single mother from Phuket was presented the ‘Phuket Outstanding Mother 2016’ award today. Suksan Promthong, 68, travelled to Bangkok for the ceremony, where HRH Princess Somsavali graciously presented awards to her and other winners. The awards were part of an annual event to honor Her Majesty Queen Sirikit on her 84th birthday, which is being celebrated as…
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Melting your worries away at Breeze Spa
PHUKET: Breeze Spa, located in the four-star Amari Phuket hotel in Patong, recently announced its partnership with leading American dermatologist Dr Howard Murad. Combining Dr Murad’s innovative skin therapies with Breeze Spa’s facilities, the partnership introduces five new facial treatments this month, which I, of course, had to try. Once I arrived at the reception area, I was welcomed by…
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Profile: Wicky Sundram – Boat Lagoon’s new brand builder
PHUKET: Last week, the Global Marina Institute (GMI) announced that Wicky Sundram, the new executive director at Phuket Boat Lagoon, was the latest ‘Certified Marina Professional’ (CMP) to join its ranks. Wicky is only the sixth person in Asia to receive this accolade and the first in Thailand. That’s a fine achievement for someone who, when he first joined the…
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Banyan Tree launches new luxury villas
PHUKET: Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts launched ‘Angsana Villas Resort Phuket’ as an addition to the Angsana family on August 1. It was rebranded from the former Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort and Villas. The resort has 48 villas and suites, with all rooms featuring living areas. Guests can opt for one, two and three-bedroom suites or three and four-bedroom villas…
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By The Book: Pricing your property accurately
PHUKET: When listing your property for sale, one of the most important things to do is establish an asking price. As the seller, you don’t want to set the price too low and miss out. Equally, you must not price too high as you can put off potential buyers. The first step to correctly pricing a property is to have…
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Municipality to hold mini-marathon in honor of HM Queen’s birthday
PHUKET: Cherng Talay Municipality will stage the ’12th Cherng Talay mini-half marathon’ on August 12 in honor of HM the Queen’s 84th birthday. The purpose of the marathon is to encourage locals to stay healthy. “About 800 people registered for the race last year,” said Somsak Limpawitthayanon of the Cherng Talay Municipality. “We are expecting about the same number this…
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Law, Life and Society: Waiver for prostitution
PHUKET: In my immigration practice, I assist many US citizens obtain visas for their Thai spouse or fiance. Last month, a client went to the final interview and came out distraught and crying. During the interview, the officer informed my client that they received an anonymous message from someone informing them that she was engaged in prostitution. My client was…
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Movenpick Karon certified as Asian leader in sustainability
PHUKET: Movenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket was named Asia’s top performer in certified sustainable practices by Green Globe, an industry renowned certification body. Green Globe’s 2015 report on Movenpick Hotels & Resorts revealed that the Karon-based resort has an overall compliance score of 86 per cent, while the group’s overall average compliance score is 84 per cent, 2.5…
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Diving: Becoming a super dive master
PHUKET: If you’re going to be a super Dive Master (DM), going from zero to hero isn’t the ticket – at best you’ll end up as Aqualad, making his debut in the 60s as the sidekick of the already lame Aquaman. However, that doesn’t stop the trend of people going from non-divers to professionals in a couple of months in…
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Modern loft-style villas launched in Chalong
PHUKET: A new residential project was launched in Chalong last month, revealed Wanthwa Phuengchai, marketing manager of the Phuket Exclusive Development Company Limited. The project will be called Aticha Villa Town, and will be suitable for residents who want to live in Phuket in a modern, loft-style villa, close to the amenities of urban living, but within the atmosphere of…
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King’s Cup holds course as marquee sailing event
PHUKET: The prestigious Phuket King’s Cup was first held in 1987 to mark the auspicious 60th birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest-reigning living monarch. His Majesty the King was a passionate sailor and created yachting history in 1967 when he and his daughter Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya won a gold medal in the OK dinghy class at…
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Light up your bathing experience
PHUKET: Many of the villas I have inspected have had one light for a good size bathroom, no wonder we guys miss the toilet so often. If you’re updating, there are many wonderful options. When you visit a lighting supply house you may get a headache from the mind-numbing task of looking at all of the delightful lighting fixtures. To…
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Locals, tourists team up to clean up
PHUKET: The Rawai Nai Harn Business Community organized a beach cleaning event last weekend at Nai Harn Beach. Supported by the Rawai OrBorTor and moderated by DJ Tom Tank of Radio 89.75, more than two tonnes of rubbish were collected from the front and back of Nai Harn Beach. Spearheaded by Claude Baltes of Sunsuri Phuket and in cooperation with…
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Multihull winners announced after a brisk day’s racing
PHUKET: With podium places on the line, the nervous excitement and anticipation of a great day’s sailing was clear to see by the feel at the breakfast tables around the Phuket Yacht club. What made it even better, Mother Nature decided to grace Chalong Bay with a westerly breeze of 10 to 12 knots, which promised to grow throughout the…
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Profile: Simon James – Phuket’s jet-setting race officer
PHUKET: The yachts may change, the weather always, but one constant in the Phuket yacht racing firmament is Race Officer Simon James. Up at the crack of dawn and ready on the start line as the racers roll out their sails, Simon James has officiated at almost every regatta in the Andaman and the Gulf of Thailand since the turn…
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B9mn allocated for pier improvements
PHUKET: A budget of 9 million baht has been allocated to spruce up Chalong Pier with plans to improve facilities for the hundreds of tourists who visit the ferry point daily. Transportation Division Chief Prasit Yotharak of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO) said last week that renovation plans include more seating, more toilets, shower stalls and a Muslim prayer…
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Across the land: Expats hit by Brexit fallout
PHUKET: Two days after the United Kingdom held a referendum to leave the European Union (EU), now famously known worldwide as ‘Brexit’, the global financial markets suffered US$3 trillion in paper losses. The aftermath is eerily quiet. The consequences of Brexit will unfold in the coming months and years ahead, and they will be far-reaching. Good or bad, they will…
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Property Watch: Implications of Condo Act and Hotel Act for Phuket
PHUKET: It can be completely legal to operate a hotel in a condominium, but there are lots of laws, regulations and requirements to comply with and meet. Recently, there has been controversy stirred up by announcements of enforcement of existing laws where unlicensed and non-compliant hotel operations are being thrown out of condominiums. I note it is often those who…
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Profile: DJ Retro hits the Phuket stage
PHUKET: Jeff Retro, a DJ from a top night club in Las Vegas, performed for thousands of guests at Illuzion night club in Patong on July 9. Jeff has been a DJ for about 15 years now. He was born in Ohio and comes from a musical background. He was raised by a single mother who majored in music in…
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Excuse Buster: Energizing smoothie to jump start your day
PHUKET: A lot of people ask me about how to make the perfect smoothie. Here are my steps on how to build a great green smoothie that is a meal containing fibrous carbs (veggies), protein and good fats, and is packed full of nutrition. A lot of my clients start the day with this formula and tweak it to suit…
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Blazing Saddles: Cycling and your sex life
PHUKET: There is no doubt that cycling is tremendously beneficial for your body and you only have to look at the fine physiques of such super-cyclists with strong Phuket associations as Chris McCormack, Clint Kimmins, Belinda Granger and Anan Duangsopa in order to see how true this is. But how good is cycling for your sex life and does it…
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Suffering for the sake of education
PHUKET: Just by reading this you are doing something 611,000 children in Thailand cannot do, which is to read at the most basic level. The Asia Center Foundation is a well-established organization doing great work here in Phuket. They provide basic education as well as safe houses for the poorest of the poor – helping not only Thai but Burmese…
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On Deck: BREXIT and the Phuket marine industry
PHUKET: Rather a lot has changed since my last column, at least in Europe. BREXIT. Lots has been said and written – lies, assumptions, crystal ball gazing and all the political back-biting that comes with such a momentous decision. I won’t go through the details here – there are many better qualified than myself for that – but I will…
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