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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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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Phuket’s Wine Connection Asian empire at 33
PHUKET: WINE Connection is no longer just a place to pick up a bottle for a special occasion. It is expanding rapidly, launching new bistro-bar-deli outlets nationwide. Four out of the six Phuket branches are going in this direction. The company’s new 150-seat flagship eatery at Central Festival is a testament to the new business model and how far the…
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Phuket deli delights: A day at Delish Cafe
PHUKET: Delish lives up to its name. Since opening last December this little cafe in Rawai, next to Fisherman Way, has carved out a firm following with expats and tourists as the place to go for a fix of fresh. Here are 10 reasons why the Phuket Gazette tips its hat to Delish. Ice Coffee: Start the day straw-in-mouth slurping…
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Just a hop across the bay from Phuket
PHUKET: With traffic, construction and tourist arrivals all on the rise here in Phuket, its island paradise factor is easily lost amid the flurry of commerce. But Phuket is located in one of the most scenic regions on Earth, and little pieces of paradise do remain within very reasonable price – and boat – range. One such gem is Koh…
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Soi Dog Phuket facing closure, B5mn needed
PHUKET: THE Soi Dog Foundation’s future (SDF) on Phuket is uncertain. Currently situated on 11.5 rai in Mai Khao, the foundation, which has been tackling Phuket’s severe stray dog problem since 2003, purchased half of the site in 2009. They are now facing pressure from the landowner to buy the other half, which SDF currently utilizes, by October for 10…
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Pencilling humor into Phuket people’s lives
PHUKET: THE provocative and amusing work of Dutch artist Iskander Walen is everywhere, even on Phuket. His art has been exhibited in Paris and Singapore, featuring regularly in Today newspaper, FHM and I-S magazines to name a few, as well as being published in two best-selling books. His popularity lies in the simplicity of his art. Whether it’s a sculpture…
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Bypass Bali, go for the Gilis
PHUKET: BALI is a bit overrated these days, having been bombarded by Eat, Pray, Love-inspired hippie wannabes and Australians on their version of spring break. From Ubud to Kuta, Bali’s understated charm is morphing into commercialized hell. But there’s a way to escape this: Bail out of Bali and head to the Gili islands. The “Gilis” comprise three small islands…
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Rapid rise for Phuket’s Chicky Net network
PHUKET: WHAT started out from a Phuket expat wanting to expand her social circle has grown into a commercial network of its own, connecting 1,400 women all over Thailand – in just two years. Chicky Net was launched in 2009 when Berthe Mandaat, 34, originally of the Netherlands, relocated to Phuket. The website started off as an online group for…
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Phuket’s Blue Elephant dazzles guests
PHUKET: Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide’s top salespeople were on Phuket earlier this month as part of the organizationn’s “Dazzling Thailand 2011” incentive trip. The once-in-a-lifetime incentive trip was part of hotel group’s annual reward program for sales people exceeding their targets last year. Accompanied by their partners, the hot-shot salespeople arrived on Phuket on May 3, and bedded down…
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‘Grand old dame’ of Bangkok Airways in Phuket needs some love!
PHUKET: Dilapidation fears may cause Bangkok Airways to lose its rights to use a classic building in Phuket Town as its office. The two-storey building, located on six rai in the green enclave of the provincial offices on Damrong Road, has stood empty for seven years. Government Officers, led by Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosut-thirak, inspected the building on May…
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Phuket dart league calls for new teams
PHUKET: Dart players of Phuket step forward: the Patong Darts League (PDL) is seeking one more team to round out the field to six in the next season of play, tentatively scheduled to begin on May 10. One of the longest-running competitive leagues on the island, the PDL has been enjoying games continuously for over a decade and has seen…
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Phuket Lifestyle: Thai firm aims to be e-book center for Southeast Asia
PHUKET: Dedicated readers of English-language books in Phuket and throughout Southeast Asia can now enjoy carrying a well-stocked bookstore with them wherever they go. Asia Books, the 42-year-old bookstore chain and distributor of English-language books in Thailand, has launched an e-bookstore service for its 150,000 existing members and newcomers. The company, which handles distribution for the Phuket Gazette in Bangkok…
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Phuket’s Home for Life: Now assisting more than 200 women, children with HIV/Aids
PHUKET: There aren’t many places to turn to in Thailand for the many thousands of destitute, HIV-positive women who have been cast out of their home communities due to ignorance, but the Life Home Project (LHP) on Phuket’s Sireh Island accepts such women from all over the nation, warmly welcoming them into their family. Last month, the LHP took in…
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Phuket Personality: Capturing the essence of life
PHUKET: Chusak Uthaipanumas is one of Thailand’s most celebrated photographers, having won over 500 awards and photographed the Thai Royal Family and former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice – all out of his humble Phuket studio in Chalong. But for Chusak, photography is not about fame or money. “I got out of Bangkok and moved to Phuket 24…
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Phuket Delight: The scoop on ‘Pad Thai’ ice cream
PHUKET: If you fancy a scoop of Vienna with a Thai twist, there’s now a perfect little parlor for you in Patong – and they even serve a Pad Thai creation. Pad Thai, a dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, tamarind juice, chilli pepper and any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken or tofu, is one of Thailand’s favorite…
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Phuket Reminder: It’s sink or swim for the leatherback
PHUKET: A dead 200-kilogram leatherback turtle washed up in Phuket earlier this month, adding to fears of the imminent extinction of the pacific subspecies. The male, which had not quite reached full maturity, ingested a plastic bag and died from intestinal blockage, an autopsy by the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) revealed. Sixty years ago, Phuket’s beaches were host to…
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Decoding Phuket’s Wat Chalong
PHUKET: Most people in Phuket have had a peek at Wat Chalong, but few know the temple was once the site of a rebellion and hosted one of the largest funerals in all of southern Thailand. Even deciphering the full meaning of the paintings, statues and different buildings can be tricky. But for Phuket expat Paul Whittall, who describes himself…
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PHUKET LIFESTYLE: ‘Phuket a diamond’ for rich jet owners
PHUKET: MJETS is in talks with Airports of Thailand (AOT) about building a private jet terminal at Phuket International Airport (PIA). The move comes on the back of the success of its first private jet terminal at Don Muang Airport in Bangkok, the company says. MJets Executive Chairman, Jaiyavat Navaraj, believes the company’s venture at PIA could put Phuket on…
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Phuket telephones: Phone booths dying but some to stay – for now
PHUKET: The last decade has seen rapid development in telecommunications technology, which has led to cheaper mobile phones and greatly reduced need for public land lines. Consequently many phone booths in Phuket, run by the TOT Public Company, have been removed. However, according to Chanwis Bunjongkarn, the TOT’s Senior Director for Phuket Customer Services, phone booths continue to provide an…
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PHUKET CHARITY: Blazing saddles, bangers and cash
PHUKET: Members of the Old Bangkok Bangers Rugby Club were in Phuket late last month after a mammoth cycle challenge in aid of a Phuket children’s charity. The eight fearless men set out from Bangkok on Valentines Day, and for five energy-sapping days labored on bicycles to reach Phuket in one piece – all in aid of raising 500,000 baht…
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Phuket’s little Bird on the water paddles her heart out
PHUKET: Rapturous applause and the roar of fog horns at Yacht Haven Marina signaled the end of 11-year-old Victoria Bird’s epic sea adventure – and a landmark moment in Phuket’s maritime history. Victoria, her Ironman athlete father Les, 59, and kayaking instructor Rob Ford paddled more than 120 kilometers around Phuket, completing the first recorded kayak circumnavigation of the island.…
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PHUKET FINE DINING: Beat the rush to Brush
PHUKET: Kalim Bay has developed into Phuket’s fine dining epicenter, where the island’s trendiest restaurants stretch from Baan Rim Pa to IndoChine, and include the White Box, Acqua and Lim’s – and now the stylish new five-star bistro Brush Restaurant & Lounge. Brush is the creation of Australian sculptor John Underwood, whose studio also created the award-winning interiors at Phuket’s…
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‘Brand Phuket’ boosted by northern resort alliance
PHUKET: Dissecting the term ‘destination marketing’ has proved an enlightening experience. Wikipedia describes it as: “A proactive, strategic, visitor-centered approach to the economic and cultural development of a location, which balances and integrates the interests of visitors, service providers, and the community.” Despite its wordiness, this pretty much sums up what destination marketing is all about. For those not in…
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Saving Phuket’s cultural heritage
PHUKET: Old Phuket Foundation President Kawee Tansukatanon spoke last week to the Phuket Gazette about preserving the resort island’s traditions, community values, and unique heritage. Reporter Janpen Upatising, herself a Phuket native, filed this report: Smartly dressed and upbeat, Kawee exhales and furls his lips in a smile as he recalls growing up in Phuket in the late 1960s. He…
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Phuket tourist trapped in a gutter
Phuket Island View: The following lament was filed at the Phuket Gazette office last week by Phuket tourist Hans Skarholm: This is our first visit to Phuket and I would like to report something that has happened to my wife. On Friday afternoon we came back to Karon Beach on a local bus from a visit to Phuket Town. When…
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Phuket paddling challenge: Birds ready to hit the water for ’round-the-island’ adventure
PHUKET: The countdown is on for the father-and-daughter team of Les and Victoria Bird whose epic quest to paddle more than 120 kilometers in a circumnavigation of Phuket starts this weekend. In the early hours of February 12, Ironman athlete Les, 59, and seven-time triathlon champion Victoria,11, will set out from Yacht Haven marina on the island’s northeast coast. They…
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Phuket loves sun, sea, surf and… Singto
PHUKET: Thailand’s indie music scene is ambiguous. That is to say, there doesn’t appear to be any defined ‘scene’ as such. On the surface, the country’s live musical experience is a stable diet of tone-deaf karaoke yodelers screeching out Lady Gaga’s latest hit, or over-excited Thai jam bands churning out the same old predictable covers at deafening decibels. But scratch…
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Phuket Property: Eight new projects approved
PHUKET: Construction of eight new property projects was approved at a meeting of a Phuket provincial committee on residential estate development last week. The meeting, held at the Phuket Land Office, was chaired by Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha. All of the eight projects considered by the committee were approved, namely: 1. Jomthong Thalang, by Jomthong Property Co Ltd 2. Promphun…
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OLD PHUKET: Moseying on down to Phuket’s old quarter
PHUKET: It was the American philosopher Henry David Thoreau who once said, “A morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.” With this in mind – and in light of Phuket Town’s recent bid for UN Heritage status – I forwent a line-in last Saturday morning in favor of making friends with my feet to go explore the old…
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Phuket Comedy club back for an encore
PHUKET: Following sell-out shows last year, the Phuket Punchline Comedy Club returns to the Holiday Inn Patong for its first show of 2011 on February 23. Three of the sharpest comedic minds on the UK comedy circuit will take to the stage. Among them is Nick Doody, rated as one of Britain’s most popular stand-up comedians. Nick has tickled funny…
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Phuket Bikers raise funds for Life Home Project
PHUKET: Phuket’s eight different motorcycle clubs came together at Nai Harn Lake last month to show off their big bikes, drink beer, sell the latest in biker fashion and, most importantly, to raise funds for the Life Home Project, Phuket’s shelter for women and children with HIV. “Super” Mark Johnson, founder of Phuket’s Bike Week, which draws thousands of biker…
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