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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Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Phuket lifestyle: Lions Club of Phuket Pearl to present ‘A Ray of Hope’
PHUKET: The Lions Club of Phuket Pearl probably support a wider number of local charities than anyone else. Founded in 1991, the original members were women who called themselves the Lionesses of Phuket until they received permission from the International Lions Club that they too could be Lions. Now they have invited men to join them. “We formed the Lions…
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Phuket Lifestyle: Sansiri high on list of corporate Thailand’s good guys
PHUKET: All profitable and respectable organizations will eventually need to consider giving back to the communities from which their financial prosperity derives. Implementing meaningful Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is one effective way for firms to initiate positive social changes and enrich the corporate-communal landscape for the greater good of business and society. With so many pressing issues in society, deciding…
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Phuket Reminder: Family Rally to aid marine life conservation
PHUKET: Kriengsak Jarunonwiwai at Phuket Butterfly Garden & Insect World on Saturday, reminded everyone that the Family Rally to save the marine environment is still on for April 1. The Family Rally is a joint project supported by local government and private organizations that aims to return clownfish, seahorses and sea turtles to Phuket’s coastal waters. For more details and…
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Start your engines, the Phuket Invitational Car Rally is ready for road
PHUKET: Automotive tune ups underway, participants in the Phuket Invitational Car Rally are revving up for Sunday’s tour of the island which at the checkered flag will determine a top team of navigators, timekeepers and drivers. On Sunday March 11, this unique treasure hunt will start out from Chalong Pier Beer Garden at 10am. However, registration will begin at 9am…
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Phuket property: The hotel owners’ great debate: Is it better to buy or to build?
PHUKET: Decisions, decisions. Our lives often revolve around them like a lotus in a whirlpool. In through the ‘out’ door and out through the ‘in’. Or just ‘smash and grab’ like some random jewelry heist. But wait, we have a topic, and rolling into 2012 it has never been more relevant. Hotels coming into the market place in Phuket have…
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Phuket property: Creating a Scene on Rawai’s coast; UK’s leading travel agent inspects Kata Group
PHUKET: The Scene recently launched its new show house in Rawai with a concept based on functionality and modern design that compliment the attractive surroundings. The development is constructed and managed by The Fortress Real Estate group, who specialize in creating resorts and contemporary villas around Phuket island. The group, which has its own team of construction engineers and after…
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Phuket lifestyle: Making a dog’s dinner of it
PHUKET: A while back I wrote an article on the benefits of a raw diet for your dogs and while the debate still rages among veterinarians, food manufacturers and the dogs themselves – I thought I’d leave that to one side and focus on some of the dog foods now available here in Phuket. The variety of commercial dog foods…
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Phuket lifestyle: Breaking the school barrier
PHUKET: Seven intrepid stand-up paddlers will take to their boards on March 13 to navigate the 90 miles around Phuket over five days. The circumnavigation of Phuket is to raise funds to build a school for impoverished children in the Rassada Port area, on the east side of Phuket Town. The port area is well known as one of the…
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The Absolut Mango House Festival 2012 kicks off today
PHUKET: The Absolut Mango House Festival 2012 kicks off today at 3pm with the ‘Sushi Lounge Party’ hosted by DJ Colin Edwards. Colin is internationally known for his voice and immensely popular Funk It Up radio syndication show and his signature ‘soulful style’. Colin will be joined by DJ Nutrip and celebrity Japanese chef Massa, for a saucy afternoon of…
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PCs4Kids needs your help
PHUKET: PCs4Kids is a voluntary organization which re-builds functioning computers from donated components. The computers are then given to under-privileged kids in Phuket. In this way, they can get a chance to learn skills which will support a future career, whether it’s in IT, business or academia. Since the launch of our charity group last year, we have re-built 26…
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Phuket gardening: Vistas of paradise
PHUKET: It is always a great pleasure to be invited to a Phuket home, and to be asked for advice about aspects of the garden. This week’s visit proved predictably pleasurable and the upshot, hardly surprising – was a decision to write about the experience. The original intention had been to advise about pot plants but, as often happens on…
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Twinpalms designer Martin Palleros to join Phuket American Chamber of Commerce workshop
PHUKET: Noted designer of the Twinpalms resort, Martin Palleros, will be joining the panel of international designers speaking at the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) “Phuket Design Evolution” workshop at Royal Phuket Marina on Friday night (March 9). Mr Palleros is also renowned for his work on Baan Yamu and the ultra-residence Villa Mayavee on Kamala’s Millionaires’ Mile. Overseas, Mr…
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Patong readies for the Phuket Punchline
PHUKET: We’ve heard they’ve been scoffing our food, drinking our beer and eying up the women. Those dastardly comedians from the Whose Line Is It Anyway show have been seen floating around Phuket already, apparently “warming up” for their side-splitting show at the Holiday Inn tonight. That’s right folks, The Phuket Punchline Comedy Club’s exclusive and uncensored mirth-filled menagerie of…
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Phuket books: Battle of the Eco-Warriors
PHUKET: T.C. Boyle is the hardest working man in the literary business. Like the late Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, he writes seven days a week, and it shows. He has written 13 novels and nine collections of short stories. His first two novels – Water Music and Budding Prospects – are about the 18th century African explorations of Mungo Park and contemporary…
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Phuket property briefs: Hotel search engine; SALA group; APEC
PHUKET: In an effort to keep revenue streams out of the hands of OTA’s (online travel agents), six major hotel chains have invested in a new hotel search engine called Room Key. Joining in on the consortium are InterContinental, Hyatt, Marriott, Wyndham, Hilton and Choice. Technology for the system came via a third party acquisition of ‘helicopter’. Room Key DNA…
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Phuket property: New residential market demand is generated by wealthy Asians
PHUKET: Demand in Phuket’s residential and property markets is growing among wealthy Asian “tourists”, leading property consultancy Knight Frank Thailand has reported. Knight Frank’s latest research was conducted following the Airport Authority of Thailand report that Phuket International Airport had welcomed 20% more passengers in 2011.Statistics showed that 4.2 million arrivals had been counted at the airport last year, compared…
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Phuket Lifestyle: Go with the flow
PHUKET: One of the many perks of dressing in a sheer fabric, like silk chiffon, is the versatility of the material. This free-flowing style is destined to become a staple for every fashion-forward female in Phuket this year, as it can be dressed up or down depending on your wants and taste. Don a short version as a cover-up at…
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Phuket comedy: Whose line is it, Steve?
PHUKET: In the run up to The Phuket Punchline Comedy Club’s February 29 ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’ show, the Gazette asks each of the comedians about themselves. Phuket Gazette: Where and when were you born? Stephen Frost: Leeds, Yorkshire in 1955. Steve Steen: I was born at home, but I don’t remember too much about it, I was pretty…
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Phuket Blues Festival and Blue Sky Air Show set to play to large crowds this weekend
PHUKET: Only hours away, this year’s Phuket International Blues Rock Festival is set to bring the canvas roof down at its new venue in the Festival Marquee at the Laguna Beach Resort’s Y-Junction. It is the place to be today and tomorrow for a sublime celebration of blues rock music with some of the finest musicians ever to appear on…
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Phuket development funds continue to pour in: Tanan Tanphaibul
PHUKET: Bangkok based developers will pump as much as 30 billion baht into the local economy this year, the head of Phuket Real Estate Association (P-REA) has said. Demand for reasonably-priced homes and condominiums is luring many investors to Phuket, P-REA President Tanan Tanphaibul said at a recent press conference to announce the group’s “Phuket Life & Drive 2012” exhibition,…
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Phuket Books: Yoknapatawpha on the Hudson
PHUKET: William Faulkner’s novels take place in Yoknapatawpha County in Mississippi. William Kennedy’s novels take place in Albany, New York. His Albany Cycle of eight novels include two of the very best in American literature: Billy Phelan’s Greatest Game (1978) and Ironweed (1983) which was made into a movie for which both Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep received Oscar nominations.…
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Phuket Lifestyle: QSI Tigers unveil new den; QSI fun run
PHUKET: Quality Schools International (QSI) Phuket unveiled its new and improved sports den, with students rushing the field after the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The US$120,000 (just over 3.7 million baht) new facilities include a multipurpose basketball court, a football field enveloped by a 100-meter running track and a new garden and waterfall. Emotions ran high at the opening ceremony with large…
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Phuket Lifestyle: Kata’s hot spot to chill by the sea
PHUKET: RE KÁ TA (doesn’t that name shout out loud?) is the newest incarnation of the passed-away Oasis, next to Boathouse at Kata Beach. The base for the annual King’s Cup Regatta, it’s not hard to see how the place got its spiffy name. Essentially, RE KÁ TA is a beach club: Simply lay your 1,000 baht down and you’ll…
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Phuket Lifestyle: Facetime with Dr Paul Ekman
PHUKET: Dr Paul Ekman has built an impressive career around research on the human face and the many subtle micro-expressions which expose emotions. He believes that regardless of geography or culture, mankind has facial expressions in common that even reach to the world of primates. Recently he presented a lecture, Emotional Intelligence and Education: Reading Faces, Recognizing Feelings and Revealing…
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Bidding for Phuket Town’s Thavorn Grand hotel, soapy massage closes tomorrow
PHUKET: The bidding deadline for Phuket Town’s iconic Thavorn Grand Plaza Hotel and adjoining facilities will close tomorrow at 4pm.A spokesperson from Star Asset Management Ltd told the Phuket Gazette that closed bidding starts at 415 million baht.The package for sale is for the 17-storey, 154-room hotel, its attached grand ballroom, car park and the adjoining “soapy” massage parlor in…
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Phuket health: Signs you can’t afford to ignore
PHUKET: We tend to think that if it doesn’t hurt it must be fine, but ignoring irregular eye symptoms is a big mistake. Why? Because there are no pain receptors in the eye, so if you’re seeing things but feel no pain it doesn’t mean you’re okay. Today, we will talk about “floaters and flashing”. These two are important warning…
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Phuket property: Asia’s big two markets mature
PHUKET: Talk about “dream island destinations” in Asia and without a doubt Phuket and Bali rule the numbers game in terms of popularity. If talk turns to resort real estate both are heavyweight contenders in the title fight. Round after round, punches or blows only end with the ringing of a bell. Practically speaking, when it comes to the life…
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Phuket Property: Mövenpick celebrates; Budget brand takes on Asia
PHUKET: It was recently announced that Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts plan 11 new hotel projects across nine countries bringing the company’s total number of operating and planned hotels worldwide to 100. The new hotels are in France, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Thailand. The upscale company of Swiss heritage now has 69 hotels in operation and 31…
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Phuket Gazette’s weekly horoscope by Isla Star
AQUARIUS (January 21-February 19): Opportunities could be missed in the heat of the moment this week. Aquarians who aren’t on the ball are likely to miss out to others with keener attitudes. The stars suggest that you need to focus more strongly this is not an auspicious time for multitasking. The stars advise keeping negative thoughts to yourself as speaking…
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AMCHAM to stage Design Evolution workshop
PHUKET: Two leading home and building designers in Asia will head the Design Evolution workshop being held by the Phuket Chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) at Royal Phuket Marina on March 9. Phuket has long been hailed as the birthplace of the tropical island villa getaway in Asia. Follow the amazing journey that started at the Amanpuri…
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