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.
-
Chinese New Year – The Year of the Ox – Thailand 2021 | VIDEO
The Thaiger visited the Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket Town this morning where the island’s huge Thai-Chinese community flock to commemorate Chinese New Year. So what’s the annual Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, all about? Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) The date of the Chinese New Year is determined by the lunar calendar and takes place in January…
-
Where are Thailand’s bar girls? Up to a million people out of work | VIDEO
https://youtu.be/UD-ymVlW3PU We know about the challenges in Thailand’s hotel industry. We know about the grounded planes and the problems with aviation. We know about the vendors and the tour company employees who have survived on a steady flow of tourists for decades. But there is another hidden victim of the lockdowns and border closures, an industry which is the largest…
-
Ask The Thais | EP.3 | Ladyboys, Covid situation, Bad Students’ protest
“Ask The Thais” is a new segment on The Thaiger where we ask some of our Thai staff to explain some of the unusual and sometimes inexplicable little nuances of Thai culture. You have a question? Send it in and we’ll get our MUCH BETTER LOOKING Thai staff to explain, from a Thai youth perspective, some of their culture and…
-
Lights, camera, Covid – Tourism Ministry wants film crews to come to Thailand now
Without much luck with their ‘cunning ideas’ to draw back a few of the remaining world’s travellers, Thailand’s tourism officials are turning to the film industry to attract some people and investment. The Tourism and Sports Ministry is aiming to generate around 3 billion baht from foreign film crews and is targeting film projects with an investment over 100 million baht.…
-
Future of Thai department stores is being redefined
While department stores have been a familiar destination for Thai people for many decades, CBRE, an international property consultant, is witnessing a decline in popularity and stunted growth, particularly in 2020 when Covid-19 adversely impacted the sector. CBRE believes that to adapt to e-commerce disruption and the changing consumer behaviour, department stores in 2021 (and beyond) will have to fine-tune…
-
Can you survive 10 days of no talking, no phone? The Vipassana Silent Meditation Retreat | VIDEO
Thaiger team member Jett tells of his experience at a 10-day Vipassana Meditation Retreat in Phitsanulok Province in central Thailand. No talking, no phone, vegetarian meals, and 12 hours of meditation each day. Transformative experience or sheer insanity? Tim finds out the answers! Retreat location: https://goo.gl/maps/AuovZvEVPRkxMshy7 Learn more: https://www.dhamma.org https://www.youtube.com/user/VipassanaOrg
-
Dawn Wells, “Mary Ann” from Glligan’s Island, dies at 82
Dawn Wells, one of the castaways in Gilligan’s Island, playing Mary Ann, has died in Los Angeles from Covid-19 complications. She was 82 years old. Her career lasted a lot longer than the fateful trip of the SS Minnow… the three hour tour! Dawn was born in Reno, Nevada, and started a career in Hollywood where she appeared in TV shows…
-
Bangkok’s commercial property market struggles through 2020
This year Thailand’s developers had to work around the effects of government lockdowns and restrictions because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Indeed significant changes have occurred to the commercial property market in Thailand. CBRE Research reports that the Bangkok office market suffered a significant change in the net up-take, whilst the retail market consumer confidence index fell and the hotel market…
-
BTS are the Time Magazine Entertainer of the Year 2020
Music supergroup BTS has been named Entertainer of the Year by Time Magazine, capping another year ascending through the bamboo ceiling of the world’s music industry. The South Korean K-Pop group, who debuted in 2013, has become the world’s most popular band thanks their meaningful lyrics, themed albums, an army of adoring fans (who are actually called ARMY), positive messages and…
-
The man who broke the sound barrier – the man with The Right Stuff – dies at 97
For a time he was the fastest man on earth. He was the first man to travel faster than the speed of sound – about 1,235 kilometres per hour. And he did that in 1947. But Chuck Yeager, the man with “The Right Stuff”, has died at the age of 97. Chuck became one of the world’s most-renowned test pilots…
-
The BTS Law, South Korean parliament amends conscription law to allow Jin to stay with BTS
Many countries still have compulsory military conscription, where young men, usually, are enlisted to serve under their country’s military services. Thailand has it, so does Singapore, Myanmar and Cambodia in our immediate sphere. So does South Korea. That’s a problem for pop kings BTS. Of course the 18 – 24 months becomes a disruption to your life and your career,…
-
Darth Vader actor David Prowse dies – May the force be with him
“…his swish with the black cape and his screen presence in the foreboding, shiny black high-tech exoskeleton won him a legion of fans.” Darth Vader has died… May the force be with him. The man who played the bad guy in the first Star Wars trilogy, British actor David Prowse, died at the age of 85 after a short illness.…
-
Tracking down “The Beach” – the inspiration for the 2000 Hollywood movie
Tourists flocked to Maya Bay, you know ‘The Beach’ featured in the 2000 movie starring Leonardo de Caprio and directed by Danny Boyle. Since 2000, the tourist magnet on Koh Phi Phi Ley became a Mecca for the back-packer crowd followed by a mass tourist flock, bringing some 5,000+ tourists to the small bay every day at its peak. In…
-
Financial hardship spiking Thailand’s suicide rate
Thailand’s police and health workers continue to work with online influencers such as Drama Addict, Mam Po Dum and More Lab Panda, to help identify, and if necessary intervene, in people sharing distressing messages over their battles in the current Covid era. Police have also been recruited specialist to help to prevent suicides and provide counselling. Thailand’s Department of Mental…
-
Happy Loy Krathong Phuket. Where to launch your krathong tonight
Happy Loy Krathong Phuket. But this year authorities are saying ‘only floating Krathongs thanks’. No polystyrene, no steel pins – keep it natural and plant-based please. This year Loy Krathong in Thailand co-incides with the annual Halloween celebrations on October 31. Authorities are also urging people to choose, or make, their krathongs using natural materials only. The latest craze for…
-
‘Bread’ krathongs are killing the fish
First it was no polystyrene or steel pins. The push was for natural, sustainable ratings as Thais floated away their woes in the annual celebration. Now there is a new warning that the “natural” kratongs, made from bread and edible ingredients, are causing river pollution. Fish found in the river don’t eat bread and the ingredients have broken down before…
-
Thailand’s property market waits for an end to Covid-19
The Coronavirus outbreak poses challenges for Thailand’s property market as potential Chinese condominium buyers remain stranded in China. Meanwhile, some believe that the outbreak may bring opportunities for non-Chinese buyers and in the long-run, the Chinese may be looking for an overseas refuge in the event of these types of emergencies popping up again Through all this, there will be…
-
Soi Dog Foundation co-founder John Dalley honoured in Queen’s Birthday Honours List
Thailand’s Soi Dog Foundation co-founder John Dalley has been honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List and been awarded an MBE, the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for his animal welfare efforts in south east Asia. John Dalley, from Leeds, UK, was named alongside celebrities, volunteers, medical staff and key workers in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List. When asked…
-
The myth of native English speaking teachers in Thailand – OPINION
OPINION from guest writer Dr. Mariano Carrera There is a myth in Thailand that one must learn English from a native speaker. Propagating this myth are the many beneficiaries of the practice, which does not include learners. Ignoring research that shows to learn English, one does not need a native English speaker (NES) only emphasises the myth-makers dominance. After all,…
-
Rock star Eddie Van Halen loses cancer battle – VIDEO
Rock icon Eddie Van Halen has died, after losing a long battle with cancer. His son, Wolfgang Van Halen, took to Twitter to announce the death of his 65 year old musician father. “I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning. He…
-
Khao San Road to reopen for Halloween
The party is coming back to Khao San Road this Halloween. The once booming backpacker district went through a renovation during the lockdown period and now the Bangkok governor says they’re ready to reopen the street. Khao San Road has long been a district frequented by foreign backpackers. It’s known for it’s grungy and lively bar scene as well as…
-
Silom Road tops as the most expensive area to buy land in Bangkok
Silom Road, Bangkok’s nightlife district, is the most expensive area to buy land in Bangkok, followed by Phloen Chit Road, according to data the Treasury Department gathered from 2016-2019. The pandemic may have fluctuated the prices, but no data on land value for 2020 has been reported by the department. They also say only asking prices were recorded, so it’s…
-
How BTS became the biggest band in the world
Even if you’d been living under a rock you’ve probably heard someone mention the band BTS. The South Korean group has risen up through the ranks of K-Pop – a Korean musical blood sport – since 2013. From very humble beginnings indeed, they’ve risen from pimply youngsters with a dream into a 7-member powerhouse in the world’s pop industry. How…
-
“Thai government refuses to acknowledge the red light economy”
OPINION Thanks to WB for sending us this response to earlier article. The views expressed by WB do not represent The Thaiger, its management or staff. Prostitution is not illegal in Thailand, although many activities associated with it are (brothels, pimping, causing a public nuisance, etc.). Nevertheless, it was estimated to be worth US$6.4 billion a year in revenue (2015),…
-
Thai drinkers fight back against online booze ban
The recent confirmation from the government that online sales of alcohol are to be banned is causing outrage among some booze lovers. With officials seemingly obsessed with the perceived evils of alcohol, Thailand already has a ban on the sale of booze before 11am, between 2 – 5pm, and after midnight. It is also illegal to brew your own beer…
-
22% rise in suicide cases indicates links with Thai economy and lockdowns
An apparent rise in Thailand’s suicide rate, related to the country’s current business conditions, restrictions and ongoing world pandemic, is concerning health officials. The data was announced yesterday, to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day, The Mental Health Department has released a report indicating 2,551 people had killed themselves from January to the end of July, 2020. That is up a…
-
BTS looks to a Grammy nomination after scoring their first Billboard #1 single
After scoring South Korea’s first-ever #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, K-pop supergroup BTS now says it’s set its sights on a standalone performance at next year’s Grammy Awards, perhaps even a nomination or an award. BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) are RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook, and have fought over their 7 years together to…
-
‘The Batman’ star, Robert Pattinson, tests positive for Covid-19 in the UK
Robert Pattinson, filming in the UK for the upcoming Batman film, has reportedly tested positive for Covid-19, just days after shooting for the much-anticipated movie had resumed. Warner Bros. said in a statement to AFP… “Filming is temporarily paused. A member of ‘The Batman’ production has tested positive for Covid-19, and is isolating in accordance with established protocols.” There was no…
-
Thai condo developers clearing inventory rather than starting new projects
“With waves of uncertainty and financial stress crashing into the market from the COVID-19 pandemic, most residential property developers have decided to postpone their plans.” CBRE, the international property consultants, reports that most Thai developers are postponing the launch of new condo projects to focus on clearing existing stock. Discounting completed projects to generate quick revenue as a financial lifeboat…
-
4 new luxury hotels set for Bangkok and Pattaya
The future of Thailand tourism looks expensive. 4 luxury hotels are planned for Bangkok riverside and Pattaya beach, despite the drop in tourists due to the coronavirus pandemic. 3 of those hotels will be an expansion of Asiatique: The Riverfront, a waterfront shopping mall in Bangkok. Asset World Corporation, or AWC, inked the deal with Marriott International. The CEO and…
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.