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.
-
On Deck: Optimize your boat, not your rating
PHUKET: Wise words from James Dadd, director of the RORC Rating Office, who recently took a detour from his Australia/New Zealand tour to stop over in Samui during the Samui Regatta and talk with sailors and event organizers about the IRC rating system prevalent in this area of the world. “We are cautious in our approach, introducing new ideas over…
-
Profile: Santi hopes his legacy will continue
PHUKET: Santi Pawai has been working in Phuket since 2012 as the director of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports Phuket Office (MOTS). He was promoted last year to oversee Phuket tourism. Mr Santi, who is originally from Lopburi, is the head of Phuket’s Tourist Assistance Center at the airport, as well as the Tourism Business and Guide Registration Office.…
-
Keep It Green: Getting our environmental act together
PHUKET: Whether it’s mantas or methane, protection or disposal, the world needs to get its act together. First some facts. Half of the world’s carbon dioxide is absorbed by the oceans. That the seas are a sink for CO2 is wonderful; it’s just that they are being damaged in the process. Hence, the dramatically increased levels of carbonic acid. One…
-
Tribute gig planned for late Phuket music legend Snake
PHUKET: Well-known Phuket-based musician Piboon ‘Snake’ Kayalak passed away on May 25, aged 51. Over the past eight years, Mr Piboon played all over Phuket at some of the island’s top live music venues. A Thai native, Piboon was the bassist for the Colin Hill & Pjae Stanley Band. “He will be remembered as a superb musician, friend and brother,…
-
Post-high-season autopsy on Phuket’s luxury property market
PHUKET: As I sit in my office on a faceless Saturday afternoon heading into low season, a song that flips up on Spotify grabs my attention – Ike and Tina Turner’s ‘River Deep, Mountain High’.My heart nearly skips a beat as Tina grittily sings the lines “And it gets stronger, in every way. And it gets deeper, let me say.…
-
Profile: Making science easy, cheap and accessible for all
PHUKET: Asst Prof Dr Aree Choo-dum, 36, originally from Phatthalung, is currently a professor at Prince of Songkla University (PSU) Phuket Campus and also part of a team of researchers who invented cheap effective explosive test kits, for which they were awarded silver medals at the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2016. Dr Aree is an expert in forensic chemistry…
-
Consequences of committing immigration fraud
PHUKET: In February, Sittichai Boonkeian murdered his 13-year-old daughter and committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan. His wife, Chonrat Mungmart, believes that Mr Sittichai’s murder-suicide was a result of the anxiety and problems associated with their separation. Mr Sittichai and his daughter were living in Florida and his wife was in Thailand. Ms Chonrat was separated from…
-
On Deck: Small boats can be just as much fun
PHUKET: Size isn’t everything in the boating world, although I’m sure some people would like to challenge me on that. The fun you can have on a boat isn’t intrinsically linked to its size or price, it’s more related to how you use the boat, with whom, and how often. While the Thai government is rolling out the red carpet…
-
Profile: Peejay Stanley says farewell to Phuket
PHUKET: For half a decade Texan soul singer Peejay Stanley has been entertaining Phuketians with a larger than life stage presence guaranteed to get audiences on their feet. Peejay’s singing style has been described as similar to Joan Armatrading, Tracy Chapman and Nina Simone, but she is probably best described as a motown, soul and blues artist with a voice…
-
Marriott to launch new resort in Nai Yang
PHUKET: Marriott Hotels are launching the Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach, next month. Inspired by cultural and architectural characteristics of Thailand, the resort is located about a 10 minute drive from Phuket International Airport. It has 180 rooms and is designed as a combination of traditional Thai style and sophisticated, modern architecture, by using ‘relaxing’ earth tones…
-
Gardening: Caring for plants in dry weather
PHUKET: This is the time of year when the prolonged dry weather stimulates certain flowering trees to bloom as if their very lives depended on it. In a sense this is literally true, since an exceptional drought will probably mean that fruits may not form, and even that mature trees may shed so many leaves that they die. Already the…
-
Phuket launches first government-run animal clinic
PHUKET: Phuket City Municipality has established the first government-run small animal veterinary clinic, providing free animal care services in the area. The new clinic is located next to the municipality office, across the road from Provincial Hall in Phuket Town. “We are the first municipality to establish an animal clinic. To my knowledge, we are probably the first ones in…
-
Coboat: Combining business with pleasure
PHUKET: Imagine running your business from almost anywhere in the world. Now imagine being on an 82-foot electric-powered catamaran and sailing around the world while doing that. That’s the idea behind Coboat, which combines co-working with sailing, travel and adventure. Many of us may be familiar with the concept of co-working, or sharing a rented office space with others who…
-
Blazing Saddles: Tackling angling and cycling
PHUKET: My passion for cycling evolved at about the same time as my passion for fishing, when I was a slip of a lad of around ten summers. I was lucky enough to find myself in a family of keen anglers and spent many happy boyhood hours with my grandfather, father and sundry Scottish uncles trying to entice trout onto…
-
A physiotherapy technique for the elderly at Patong Hospital
PHUKET: Patong Hospital has recently launched a new physiotherapy technique for the elderly, called Methode Mezieres, in collaboration with a French physiotherapist named Eric Lon. Mr Lon, now 65, works as a physiotherapist in France. Mr Lon explained that the origins of the Methode Mezieres technique dates back to World War II, when millions of people in France were adversely…
-
Across the land: Dealing with water scarcity
PHUKET: Every April, the weather is blistering hot in Thailand, and it’s been no exception this year if not hotter. According to reports, it has not been as hot as this in Thailand for 65 years. Intense heat, attributed to the El Nino weather phenomenon, is causing a severe drought and water shortage throughout the region. No exception for Phuket…
-
On Deck: Lessons from the Top of the Gulf Regatta
PHUKET: I’ve spent the last week in Pattaya at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club, reporting on the 12th Top of the Gulf Regatta. I find it’s always good to look outside your ‘home’ town to learn, get some new ideas and a fresh perspective, and the Top of the Gulf Regatta can provide some great lessons for all. Firstly, it…
-
Airport completion fails again – this time mooted for December
PHUKET: Completion of construction work on the new international terminal at Phuket Airport has been pushed back to September, admits Airports of Thailand Plc President Nitinai Sirismatthakarn in an exclusive interview with the Phuket Gazette last week. Mr Nitinai was in Phuket to ‘assess progress’ with the new terminal but could not give a fixed date for the opening. “We…
-
Profile: Phuket’s own Ironman Jaray Jearanai [video]
PHUKET: If we mentioned the terms ‘Ironman’ or ‘triathlon’ 10 years ago, not many people on the island would have known what it meant, or paid much attention. These days, however, when a sporting trend becomes popular, the number of interested athletes on the island increases rapidly. Dominating the top of the triathlete rankings since 2011 is Thai athlete, Jaray…
-
Looking Back: A brief history of Thongdee
PHUKET: During the late Ayutthaya period, around the year 1750, there lived a boy named Joi in the district of Pichai. His father was a farmer and often tasked him with taking care of the family’s buffalo. Joi was intelligent and fearless. Although slightly small in stature, he was not easily intimidated and often got into fights with bigger kids.…
-
By The Book: Effective ways to sell your property
PHUKET: In our experience 15 per cent of sales will fail, become delayed, or end up incurring higher closing fees than necessary, due to sellers being unaware of the sales process, the documents required, and the options available to them. Before a buyer is found for your property and you begin negotiations, it is highly advisable to ensure that ‘your…
-
Phuket cyclists bag numerous trophies in Tour of Friendship
PHUKET: Siam Bike Tours and Z-Coaching Phuket joined forces to produce a team of eight strapping cyclists, ready to take on the Tour of Friendship (TOF) five-day race from April 30-May 4. The event took place in Bangkok and Kanchanaburi, where the recent heat wave has been even more intense than in Phuket. Now in it’s 28th year, the event…
-
Free mobile cinema to entertain Phuket crowds for a week
PHUKET: A mobile movie theater will be touring Phuket this month, airing free film screenings to school children and members of the public. The Cine Mobile, sponsored by the Thai Film Archive, will be on the island from May 26-June 1, before continuing its tour of the southern provinces. The mobile cinema will screen five films per day – at…
-
Property Watch: The great balcony debate
PHUKET: Life on the edge is never easy, as Romeo and Juliet would have told you. One of my many (and growing) property nightmares is the great debate over condominium and hotel balconies. Is it really a balcony, terrace, veranda or even that exotically-tinged Hawaiian tropical lanai? Let’s just stick to balcony for now. Through the ages, architects have struggled…
-
Profile: Mayor Somjai toils for her hometown
PHUKET: Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana, 64, is a true Phuket native, born and raised in the heart of Phuket Town. Ms Somjai recalls her childhood fondly, but frankly admits that she wasn’t an outstanding student in her school years. However, she still chose to further her education after completing her basic education. She went on to obtain a bachelor’s…
-
Royal Photographic Society of Thailand calls for photos for ‘The Fifth Chang Fine Art Photo Contest’
PHUKET: Thai Beverage Public Co Ltd (ThaiBev) and The Royal Photographic Society of Thailand are calling on photographers to prepare submissions for ‘The Fifth Chang Fine Art Photo Contest’. This year’s theme is ‘Social’ and photographers can enter submissions from June 15-30. The contest is free and open to the public regardless of age, race, nationality or gender. Candidates are…
-
Law, Life and Society: Benefits of premarital agreements
PHUKET: In Thailand, it is not unusual to see established men marrying younger Thai women. There are also instances where couples are in their second relationship and both bring their own assets into a marriage. In these circumstances, it may be prudent to sign a premarital agreement. A premarital agreement outlines the division of the property, debts, and spousal maintenance…
-
Dice Travels: Exploring the world on the roll of a dice
PHUKET: After five years with the Phuket Gazette, our managing editor, Isaac Stone Simonelli, has quit his job and is taking his chances on the road – quite literally. After upgrading his motorcycle, emptying his bank account, going through the bureaucratic nightmare of obtaining a Thai driver’s license as an American, and finalizing a few other preparations, Isaac will be…
-
On Deck: Phuket King’s Cup Regatta wins ‘Best Asian Regatta’
PHUKET: It was a big night at the recent Asia Boating Awards for Phuket and Thailand, with many of the country’s leading marine personalities being nominated for an award. In total, 12 Thailand businesses and events made it onto the short-lists, vying against companies from all around Asia for the 25 awards. Organized by Asia-Pacific Boating and China Boating magazines,…
-
Property Watch: Impact of tourism on real estate
PHUKET: Statistics are regularly reported by tourism organizations – public and private, which break down the number of visitors arriving in Phuket. Are Phuket visitors domestic travelers, or business-people commuting? Do we count arrivals and departures, or just arrivals? How do we know the information received is accurate and are people leaving Phuket by other means? Just as this information…
![Profile: Phuket’s own Ironman Jaray Jearanai [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/24_2016516121831750_PpjfYhDkCFRjdJCSGwrJvvVnWeQikURAKAfihjSk_jpeg.jpeg)
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.