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 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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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 DINING: Great value at vintage vamp Kopitiam
PHUKET: If you crave quality Chinese-accented Thai cuisine, and might like to savor it in a retro ambiance, you need to visit the latest addition to Old Phuket Town’s culinary scene. Kopitiam Cafe and Restaurant – a family-owned kitchen located at the Yaowarat Road end of Thalang Road – opened only three months ago but has already established itself as…
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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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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 Tourism: Has Phuket been ruined by tourism?
PHUKET: British TV personality Phillip Schofield revealed in a recent Daily Telegraph interview that he thinks Phuket – in particular Promthep Cape – has been ruined by tourism. Recounting a recent trip to Promthep Cape with his wife, Schofield told the newspaper he was shocked by how much the place had changed for the worse since he visited in his…
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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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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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Hungry in Phuket? It’s kebab time in Rawai
PHUKET: THE Kebab House in Rawai has been open for a little over a week, but locals are already dining there and love it. Here are a few reasons why… Location: Simple. Kebabed between Serenity Terraces and the turnoff for Friendship Beach on Wiset Road. The Döner Kebabs (chicken 85 baht, beef 120 baht): Many a mouthful of spit-roasted meat…
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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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Phuket Mega-event: Bring on the Blues Rock Fest
PHUKET: The Phuket International Blues Rock Festival, now in its sixth year, will return to the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa in Karon from February 25-26. Curtis Salgado, one of the headline acts to play at the festival, has been nominated for the Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year award at the 2011 Blues Music Awards. The awards,…
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Phuket ‘Under 13s’ off to UK in run-up to Rugby World Cup
PHUKET: The Rugby World Cup 2011 takes center stage in September when 20 countries will battle it out to lift the Webb Ellis Cup. Before that, however, another rugby tournament will take place – one of far greater importance to a group of Phuket youngsters. Ten lucky players from the Phuket Lomas Under-13 team have been chosen to represent their…
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PHUKET NIPPLE ALERT: Staying abreast of nude on our beaches
PHUKET: NIPPLE-wielding beach lovers take note: You could find yourself spending a night in jail instead of getting that all-body tan if you break the law. Ignorance when it comes to nudism in Phuket, through my peepers, seems to be on the rise. Perked and sagging, jiggling and swinging – more and more Western boobs are turning heads on our…
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