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 How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Dog of the week: Rusty
PHUKET: Rusty came in two months ago and was so sick he looked as if he were left to die. He used to spend his days hiding under an old cardboard box behind a fallen tree at one of the Phuket animal holding facilities, hiding from life.He was so terrified of being attacked by one of the larger aggressive dogs…
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Phuket AA: Party till you drop
PHUKET: Phuket is renowned for its party scene, especially during the holidays, when tourists venture from around the globe to enjoy the island’s nightlife, and expats let their hair down. For many people, the annual revelry is marked by a few heavy drinking sessions followed by a few hangovers – and a new year resolution to take it easier next…
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Phuket gardening: Heliconia and hibiscus
PHUKET: I have deliberately kept the heliconia for another day. Why? Because, despite the name, the connection with the sun is less obvious than with the sunflower brigade. I can only assume it is because one common variety has chrome yellow spikes, much used as a cut flower by florists. But whatever the reason, the heliconia is a favorite here…
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Consultant says gray out, green in for Phuket’s real estate boom in 2014 and beyond
PHUKET: Back in November, an energetic Chilean man paid a visit to the Phuket Gazette offices. Identifying himself as Ignacio Espoz Babul, the Director of (Santiago-based) LatinGreen – a patent holder, innovator and installer of “Green Walls” – the man passionately talked of a coming “Green Revolution” that he had envisioned for Phuket and the whole of Asia. In the…
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Book Review: A memoir of schmaltz and jokes
PHUKET: “I’ve always felt that the key to good sex is variety. That’s why God gave us two hands.”“Babies are the toughest take-home exam of your life.”“And I’m really annoyed at teachers who have *** with students. It seems like once a week you hear of a thirty-five-year-old math teacher who had *** in her car with some sixteen-year-old. I…
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Phuket Property: Laguna park condominiums launched
PHUKET: Laguna Park Condominiums, the latest development by Laguna Property, was launched as the final component of the Laguna Park master plan’s first phase.The condominiums follow the recent and successful introduction of townhomes and villas to the project’s plan. “With the Laguna Park condominiums, we are targeting single residents and young couples with the appeal of the integrated Laguna lifestyle…
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Outlook bright for Dubai property expo
PHUKET: The 10th International Property Show (IPS), which will coincide with the Annual Investment Meeting 2014, from April 8-10 in the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center, will attract 300 companies from 80 countries. The Phuket Gazette and PGTV are proud media sponsors of the exhibition, which this year will be the biggest edition since its inception. Supported by the…
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PIMEX 2014 draws to a successful close
PHUKET: It was all smiles last Sunday evening as the 11th Phuket International Boat Show at the Royal Phuket Marina drew to a close. Happy exhibitors cleared their displays before moving on to enjoy a well deserved respite from a busy weekend at the boardwalk restaurants and bars. By all reports, this year was a fantastic show with many exhibitors…
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Phuket Events: Coming up in wonderland
PHUKET: When the Phuket Gazette interviewed them a few months back, Sonu Kapoor and Vikram Singh, the owners of Events International, had just settled in Phuket and were about to set out on their mission to quench the island’s thirst for more fun. Now, with two sold-out Abba Forever shows behind them, we know they placed their bets right –…
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Property Watch: So near and yet so far
PHUKET: Asia’s resort property scene is not unlike any other industry, in that it’s always on the lookout for the next big thing. What do they say about the key to success – location location location. Is that one or three? Perhaps there is just an echo in the room or the snoring of an elephant next door. Of course…
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Living in Patong has its privileges
PHUKET: With the lasting development boom in Phuket, one might find it difficult to keep track of all the new condominiums and villa projects appearing on the island’s map. That’s why Karn Jiratuntathorn, the owner of the Privilege residences in Patong is aiming for something different. “My project is not the same as others. There are many projects coming to…
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Phuket Art: The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom
PHUKET: Richard Skene is no stranger to art nor to Phuket. While his professional training is in the management of property, he has maintained a lifelong interest in how art can reflect the struggle to find happiness. “I’ve observed that the path to happiness can lead either to the pursuit of pleasure or the pursuit of restraint as practiced by…
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Looking Back: More myths of Phuket’s emerging Buddha
PHUKET: As I mentioned in my previous Looking Back column (story here), the Phra Phood, or the Emerging Buddha of Thalang, may have been discovered sometime in the mid 18th century by local villagers living near the town of Thalang, in the northern part of Phuket. The large golden Buddha image got its name from the fact that when it…
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Phuket Gardening: An unkempt piece of paradise
PHUKET: It is a truism that your garden is an expression of yourself. In a literal sense, this is obvious: you are the person responsible for its design, its maintenance, and for the plants you put in or leave out. When I was an undergraduate long ago, the Professor of Biology, an acknowledged authority on botany, spoke on a weekly…
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Fight for your right
PHUKET: Not long ago, a close associate phoned to get a heavy burden off his chest. His parents in the UK were in need of help in moving to another state, but no other family members would help. “John” as we’ll call him, complained to me that he really wanted to go back but that his Thai wife had spent…
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Phuket Entertainment: Giving women what they want
PHUKET: What began as a language-learning exercise – watching Thai soaps with English subtitles online – has become, well, a problem. I stay up too late, watch during breakfast and abandon unessential tasks until I finish the series, all 20-plus hours of it.I became addicted despite the fact that from the first moment I know what will happen – the…
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Enjoying the fruit of Thai land
PHUKET: In the last Property Legal column (published in print on November 30 and online December 3, story here), Phuket’s International Law Office (ILO) touched on the topic of usufruct agreements, a lesser known form of property contract that could be a considerable option for those looking to secure interests in Thai property; particularly foreigners who cannot outright, legally own…
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Big fun for the little ones
PHUKET: This one is for the kids! Thailand is celebrating its annual Children’s Day on Saturday, January 11 and there sure won’t be a lack of good fun for the little ones on the island. Planned activities in Phuket are as follows:Phuket MunicipalityAt the grounds of Phuket provincial hall, from 8am to 4pm, this year’s festivities will encompass the theme…
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PIMEX 2014 to showcase Asean preparedness
PHUKET: Billed as “Asia’s favorite boat show” and the largest luxury showcase in the region, the four-day Phuket International Marine Expo will open its doors to an expected 5,000 visitors at 11:30 this morning at Royal Phuket Marina. A festival of everything marine and lifestyle, PIMEX shines the light on Thailand’s marine leisure tourism industry and the island’s leading position…
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Phuket Health: Seminar on colorectal disease
PHUKET: Leading medical professionals from all over the world gathered at Bangkok Hospital Phuket last month for the first annual Colorectal Disease Symposium.Organized from December 8-10 by the director of the Colorectal Disease Institute at Bangkok Hospital Phuket, Dr Art Hiranyakas, the symposium consisted of panel discussions, guest speakers and live surgeries. Topics included different types of colorectal diseases, research…
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Phuket Environment: Summarizing sustainability for future
PHUKET: Recently, the Prince of Songkla University, Phuket Campus, held an “Open Week” conference with a wide range of activities and lectures. One of the highlights was a talk given by the eminent Korean environmentalist Professor Dai-Yeun Jeong, entitled “Beyond Sustainable Development: Towards Ecological Modernization”.Supported by many visual aids projected onto a large screen, Professor Jeong gave a detailed and…
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Tesco Extra officially open in Phuket
PHUKET: Tesco Lotus recently held the official grand opening for its first “Extra” format store in Phuket. The rebranding and re-opening of the shopping center, its main Phuket store located off the bypass road in Sam Kong, follows an extensive renovation project undertaken in the final quarter of 2013. The development also complements the grand opening of a new, full-sized…
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Phuket Property Watch: Walking in the shadows of dinosaurs
PHUKET: With New Year’s celebrations mostly behind us now, the question everyone has is what’s in store for fourteen? My biggest challenge each and every successive drum roll of another 365 (or 366 in the case of leap years) is to remember to change the date on whatever I’m writing at the time. Typically things settle down by February but…
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Phuket Explore: Escape to Koh Kho Khao
PHUKET: You know it’s going to be a good day’s cycling when you see more water buffalo than you do hurtling pick-up trucks, and when the smiling locals stop what they are doing and rush out to greet you with a hearty “Hello Farang!” Such pleasures are rarely found in Phuket these days, but just 80 kilometers north of the…
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Phuket Property Watch: A case of tech-induced nostalgia
PHUKET: It’s festive time in the US, which is where I am, hacking out this column caught in the joys of the holiday season. Or perhaps not. Having spent three days here since taking the great plane trip over the ocean, my mind calculates the time-line as some thirty-eight hours. But who’s counting? The short and sweet “me” springs to…
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Tech: Be forwarned about 4G in Phuket
PHUKET: Lest you think it’s 3G dejavu all over again, the current state of 4G in Phuket has a few interesting, new wrinkles. In many ways, the impending 4G roll out – which is already under way, at least in theory – isn’t nearly as confusing as the 3G rollout two years ago. Thank heavens! Let’s start with the basics.…
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Phuket Property: Centara anticipates tougher times ahead
PHUKET: The insight, influence and impact that the Bangkok-headquartered Central Group employs and exerts across nearly every sector in Phuket is undeniable. The group’s interests encompass retail, infrastructure, construction, real estate, and especially hospitality – through its flagship hotel chain Centara Hotels and Resorts (CHR). The Gazette recently caught up with CHR Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Chris…
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Boutique or bust – Phuket Prop Watch
PHUKET: Obsession is quite a long word – with its three little Ss that sort of roll off the keys with winding twists and turns. Nothing is as it appears, nor is there a straightaway to pull away from the pack. When it comes to design hotels, these enigmatic properties just love to live the “S” life, where the squares…
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Superyachts rock Kata
PHUKET: The Asia Superyacht Rendezvous kicks off today in the island’s south with a stunning array of sail and motor superyachts. S/Y Yanneke Too Sun, sailing and socializing will reign as sponsors Feadship and Boat International Media join the Rendezvous in welcoming owners, captains, crew and invited guests from around the globe to the host venue, Kata Rocks in Phuket’s…
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An invitation to Sleep With Me
PHUKET: A newcomer to the island’s hotel industry, “SLEEP WITH ME Design Hotel @ Patong” is comprised of 258 guest and suite rooms, overlooking the high-rises of Patong Bay. Located in the heart of Patong, close to Jungceylon Shopping Center, “Bangla Road” walking street and only a three minute walk to the beach, the hotel offers modern facilities, personal service…
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