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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Phuket cinema – A film that makes you laugh and cry
PHUKET: Leave it to writer/producer Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express) and actor Seth Rogan (of the same films) to make a movie about cancer that is full of hilarious, raunchy comedy and still manages to possess heartfelt sincerity. 50/50 is a rare kind of film. Its themes of comedy and cancer play out much like a sickness does – calming…
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Phuket Gardening – Keeping the flies at bay
PHUKET: As gardeners, we are all susceptible to mosquito bites every morning and evening in Phuket. Unfortunately, there are few entirely effective natural repellents against the dreaded mosquito bite of Aedes aegyptiae, the mosquito that can spread dengue fever and other maladies. DEET, the chemical ingredient in most sprays, certainly is effective. A high intake of garlic may also help.…
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Have Thai house, will travel to Phuket
PHUKET: The concept of a mobile home inspires imagery of rectangular, pre-fabricated structures huddled in a trailer park, but in Kata a unique teak wood, Thai-style home exists which falls into this category of movable accommodation. Built over 100 years ago in Ayutthaya, it was purchased by Mrs Pranee Prayot-amornrakul, 57, from Bangkok, who moved to Phuket 22 years ago.…
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Phuket Lifestyle – Cheap glasses a sorry sight
PHUKET: Everyone wants to look good in their new shades, but there are some important health issues and practical points to think about before you run out and buy those designer glasses that make you look absolutely fabulous. The main health reason for wearing sunglasses is to shield your eyes from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays found in natural sunlight. Overexposure…
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Phuket Gardening – Vulgar, but varied
PHUKET: The humble coleus was one of the first houseplants to become generally available in Europe after WWII. In those days, it came in relatively few variations, but it has since been hybridized so extensively that it now has what may be the largest range of foliage colors of any plant. Some people may regard it as a bit vulgar,…
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Phuket Books: ‘State of Wonder’ by Ann Patchett
PHUKET: Ann Patchett’s seventh novel State of Wonder (Harper Collins, New York, 2011, 353pp) made a big splash upon publication, with many critics comparing it to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. This is nonsense. Comparing Kurtz, the cruel conqueror of an African tribe in the heart of the Congo, to Dr Annick Swenson, an elderly, eccentric and cleverly mendacious medical…
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Tri Tim conquers Phuket’s Naithon hills
PHUKET: Tim Haddon, Director of Golf at Laguna Phuket Golf Club, is an underdog who has undertaken the challenge of participating in the Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT) 2011, which will take place in Phuket on 27 November. Here, ‘Tri Tim’ tells us what it’s like to be training for his first triathlon. His story needs to be read in the…
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Phuket Comedy: A funny thing happened on the way to Patong
PHUKET: An Englishman, an Irishman and a Kiwi walk into a hotel… well, they will do on October 19 for the Punchline Comedy night at the Holiday Inn Resort, Patong Beach, Phuket. After a four month break, the kings of Phuket comedy return with a truly international show with the three gifted funny men coming from Ireland, New Zealand, and…
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Phuket Gardening – Between a rock and a hard place
PHUKET: Since we all live on Phuket island, seaside plants deserve a bit more attention here. Like the screw pine and sea vine, there are other plants that also stubbornly refuse to lie down when inundated by seawater. Take the casuarina tree. Although this tropical pine normally spreads its extensive roots on slightly higher ground, it still grows close enough…
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Phuket Gardening – Covering a lot of ground
PHUKET: The many virtues of ground cover plants were have already been discussed: their contrasting textures and colors; their capacity to act as a retaining layer by protecting the topsoil during tropical downpours, or as a natural mulch that absorbs much of the sun’s heat and inhibits the growth of weeds. Most importantly, they cover bare and unsightly areas. No…
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Phuket Property: Jones Lang LaSalle to manage the new Pelican in Krabi
PHUKET: Jones Lang LaSalle (JLS) has announced that it has entered into an agreement to manage The Pelican Krabi, a prime resort development by Perry Group International. The agreement is JLS’s first property management contract in Krabi and marks the fast growth of the firm’s property management business in Thailand. The Pelican Krabi is situated on 33 rai of oceanfront…
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Phuket Property Watch: Battle lines are drawn in Koh Samui brand quest
PHUKET: Samui and Phuket continue to be described as the Yin and Yang of resort island destinations. Characteristics that they both share are that both are islands in Thailand that champion tourism as the overall economic prosperity jackpot. But beyond the obvious, many questions remain about how much they differ. After recently completing a mid-year hotel market update for Samui,…
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Go jump off a cliff – in Thailand
PHUKET: Deep water soloing is a pure form of climbing practiced on seaside cliffs at high tide. It relies solely upon water at the base of the climb to protect climbers from injury when free falling from the generally high, difficult routes. This exciting sport has been popular since the mid to late 1990s, but actually originated in the late…
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Phuket’s vegetarian nirvana at Lotus restaurant
PHUKET: The Vegetarian Festival is a yearly religious event held in honor of the nine Taoist Gods (Kiu Ong Iah), who are revered for their power to protect Phuket island and its inhabitants. For ten days during the ninth lunar month, the Chinese community observes a strict code of conduct to purify the body and mind: celibacy, cleanliness of the…
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Pinky’s Place in Phuket: Why it’s hip to be seen there
PHUKET: This place is so laid back the staff come here to hang out when they’re not working. The Gallery Café By Pinky is straightforwardly cool. Simple but delicious menu items, music to suit the hipster tone of the décor, and staff who know how to mix business with pleasure. It’s like ‘Cheers’, but with better looking, petite staff, and…
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Phuket Life & Style: Cassie’s colorful cotton collection in Phuket
PHUKET: Island Bliss sits next to the upscale wonders of Surin Plaza and features the designs of Cassie McMillan, an Australian who has settled on Phuket for the wonderful island lifestyle. She is no stranger to Asia as she lived in Hong Kong as a child where her father worked in import/export. She set up her own clothing and interior…
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Phuket Gardening – still waters run deep
PHUKET: Asians prize water features in their gardens – from the humble pot in the front yard with its mandatory water lily and darting swordtail fish, to the blue fiberglass fish pond with a row of pebbles embedded in its rim. If you’re lucky, you may have a natural pond or klong (canal) within the bounds of your property. Unarguably,…
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Phuket petrol names fuel confusion
PHUKET: Filling up with fuel in Thailand is a lot like ordering food for the first time in a foreign country – you point to the most visually appealing choice and hope for the best. The types of fuel on sale in Thai gasoline stations – known locally as petrol pumps – are different to what you’re used to at…
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Building a future in Phuket
PHUKET: Three young boys from a government school in Phuket Town will fly to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to compete in the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) 2011 in November. Pakin “Paper” Boonlom, Tipok “Nueng” Kinkobsin, and Boonyarit “Tel” Pulsen – all 11 years old – won their age category in a national competition in Bangkok last month.…
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“Going ape’ in the trees of Chalong
PHUKET: Phuket’s new Xtremadventures park offers a full-on arboreal experience. Zipping, climbing, crawling, balancing and swinging through the trees of Phuket is no longer left to the domain of the monkey. The island is now home to an adventure park unrivaled by others in size and an innovative first in all of Asia. Xtremadventures Phuket – owned by Frenchman Gilles…
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Phuket Property: Foreign currency exchange risks
PHUKET: Many foreigners who have decided to buy a residential property in Thailand are required to use funds held in foreign currency in their country of origin. Property transactions in Thailand utilize myriad ways in which a buyer pays the purchase price to the seller. For instance, a buyer may be required to make payments to the seller upon signing…
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Phuket books – Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff
PHUKET: Mitchell Zuckoff is a hack journalist and a very good one. His specialty is dredging up old forgotten stories and making them new again. His latest effort is Lost in Shangri-La (Harper Press, New York, 2011, 384pp). “Escape from a Hidden World – A True Story” is the subtitle of this tale of a plane wreck and rescue in…
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Brand Andara and investing in Phuket
PHUKET: The American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) Greater Phuket chapter held an event last week where record crowds turned out to hear Hong Kong billionaire Dr Allan Zeman give his thoughts on what it takes to make a business venture successful. Hundreds of Phuket developers, resort industry professionals and business people packed into the chic Silk restaurant at Andara Resort…
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Phuket’s architects at the helm of development
PHUKET:Discussing the future of Phuket property is often left to analysts, investors and developers. Rarely do we receive insight from the professionals who turn these ideas into reality. The Phuket Gazette sat down with two successful architects, each at different points in their career, to talk about what makes Phuket unique and what the future holds. Pisit Aongskultong, design director…
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Phuket’s “Tri Tim’ has already beaten the odds
PHUKET: Tim Haddon, Director of Golf at Laguna Phuket Golf Club, is on a mission – a mission that will change his life, and hopefully the lives of others as well. In the six months between May and November 27, Tim, under the guidance of his trainer Darren Hancock, Club Manager of Royal Phuket Marina Health Club, has set out…
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Phuket’s “Tri Tim’ – the surprises of dedication
PHUKET: Tim Haddon is on a mission to change his life, and hopefully the lives of others. In six months, Tim, under the guidance of his trainer, Darren Hancock aims to change from a man with heart problems and diabetes to a man who can complete the Laguna Phuket Triathlon 2011. TIM: What stands out most about the early days…
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Phuket cinema: ‘Friends with Benefits’
PHUKET: Friends with Benefits will appeal especially to those who have lived or would like to live under the circumstances implied by its title. You can almost hear the echoes of Harry Burns from 1989’s When Harry Met Sally cautioning, “Men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.” Thankfully for showbiz, the young…
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Riding works of art in Phuket
PHUKET: A thriving little business in Patong called “Metal Arts” produces metal sculptures for customers from Australia, Europe, America and more. Their most recent projects include painstakingly assembled rideable motorcycle sculptures. Currently, there is one at Jungceylon priced at 130,000 baht. Mr Sornthong Yimyai, owner of Metal Arts, has a vocational certificate in mechanics and has been creating metalwork projects…
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Foreign teacher employability in Phuket
PHUKET: Soon Thai schools throughout Phuket will finish this year’s first term and break for a respite before the second term begins in late October. This being the case, prospective teachers will be hitting the pavement in search of a job and this is a perfect time to assess an applicant’s chances of employment. While certainly not scientific, the following…
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Phuket Gardening: Going back to your roots
PHUKET: Recently I went in search of spice seeds to photograph. I needed them for pictures that could accompany my scribblings about herbs and spices, and, in addition, to try out in the garden. I found more than I had bargained for, including such exotic stuff as dried butterfly pea flowers (clitoria ternata), liquorice root, star anise and fenugreek. Not…
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