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 The real cost of being a digital nomad in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for digital nomads, known for its affordable living, lively culture, and modern facilities. With its warm climate, great food, and friendly communities, it's an ideal place for remote workers to balance work and travel. However,...
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5,000 Samui residents diagnosed with depression in 2019
Thailand’s second largest island may be renowned for its beautiful beaches and laid-back atmosphere, but a new report indicates that the number of people diagnosed with depression on Koh Samui has increased to over 5,000 this year. Thai-language Daily News says Songyot Chayaninporamet, deputy director at Samui Hospital, blames several factors, including the high cost of living, crime, unemployment and…
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Broadway in Bangkok…unplugged. Live theatre in BKK
Book now for the matinee or evening show on Saturday now (details below). ‘Broadway in Bangkok…unplugged’ is a unique and exciting night in Bangkok, featuring classic songs from hit Broadway musicals, performed by two fantastic musical superstars. Live theatre right here in the capital. If you missed Big Mango’s last amazing production in January, then here is your chance to see musical…
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New land tax forces land owners to evaluate their options
PHOTO: SCMP The new Land and Property Tax, which takes effect in January 2020, will be a challenge for the Thai property market, according to the managing Director of CBRE Thailand. In an open report to the media, CBRE says owners of vacant sites will pay significant taxes once the new law comes into effect. Many will try to avoid the…
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Government promoting “active ageing” for Thailand’s elderly
Deputy government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek says that as of 2018, the number of Thai citizens who are aged over 60 is 12 million, or 18% of the population as a whole. She was speaking after the recent National Elderly Person Committee Meeting, at which the government discussed how best to help the ageing population to continue contributing to society while…
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Thai banks report strong mortgage growth despite April’s new loan regulations
Ever since the Thai government enforced the higher loan-to-value ratios on property lenders last April, borrowers and developers have been generally unhappy with the result – a sluggish new home-buyer market. But some commercial lenders, particularly some of the larger ones, have still reported strong lending growth for the first nine months of 2019. Kasikorn Bank says its housing loans surged…
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Farmers seek injunction on chemical ban
A farmers’ organisation will appeal to the Central Administrative Court on Monday October 28 for an injunction on the ban of three agricultural chemicals – paraquat, chlorpyrifos and glyphosate – which was approved by the unanimous vote of Hazardous Substance Committee on Tuesday. The secretary-general of Federation of Safe Agriculture (FSA), said on Saturday that the FSA and representatives of…
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Guaranteed rental returns – Are they real?
If you’re looking to invest in overseas property, search the market and it’s not unusual to find condos for sale with guaranteed rental returns of 40%, and some even higher. Yes, it DOES seems too good to be true, but the offers are out there and the packages often come with free legal fees and other such benefits. Clearly, before…
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Four hundred made redundant as tyre factory in eastern Thailand shuts down
The closure of a tyre canvas production plant in Rayong province, eastern Thailand, has led to four hundred workers being left unemployed. Thai PBS World reports that the SRF Industries (Thailand) factory shut down yesterday, blaming operating losses caused by the slowdown in the country’s economy. It’s understood that management at the plant informed workers of the crisis on September…
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Grieving husband on a mission to take his wife’s ashes to all the places she longed to see
Every day, Sakchai Suphanthamat can be seen pushing his cart along the highway, in the company of three dogs, two of whom he has picked up along the way. Sakchai carries his wife’s ashes, on a pilgrimage to take her to all the places she longed to see while she was alive. The Bangkok Post reports that the bereaved man…
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Tax on salt content being considered
The Excise Department is considering imposing a tax on the salt content of food to encourage food producers to reduce the sodium content of snacks, instant noodles and seasoning cubes. The director of the Office of Tax Planning said that the department is discussing a limit on the amount of sodium food can contain, in line with the standard set…
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Green Day heading back to BKK in 2020
Green Day, five-time Grammy Award winners, are embarking on a global tour in 2020, including a stop-over in Bangkok during March. The rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Fame inductees will perform a series of concerts throughout Europe, UK, North America and Asia. “Green Day Live in Bangkok” takes place on March 11, 2020 at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani. But…
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500 people own 36% of equity in Thai companies
Roughly 36% of Thailand’s corporate equity is held by just 500 people, highlighting wealth inequality in the Kingdom, according to a study released by the Bank of Thailand’s research institute. Each of these 500 amass some 3.1 billion baht (102 million USD) per year in company profits, according to the report from the Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research. In…
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Study shows most Thai people live hand to mouth
PHOTO: eTamping Nearly half of Thailand’s citizens aged 18-65 are spending everything they earn on monthly bills and living expenses, leaving them with nothing to put aside as savings. A study carried out by GoBear, an international financial comparison site, reveals that the highest percentage of people living paycheck to paycheck (53%) are those in the 36-45 age group. 51% of…
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Thais go bananas over freak plants in pursuit of lottery numbers
PHOTOS: Daily News The answers are in the banana leaves. Thai people LOVE playing the lottery (and gambling generally). In fact they’re BANANAS about the twice-monthly lottery (it was drawn again today). Daily News has reported about two unusual banana trees growing in front of a shop in Klong 4 Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok. The trees did not have blossom…
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The K-pop Olympics: performers battle in the K-pop festival
by Claire Lee On the streets, in parks and garages, seven Cuban youngsters spent seven months practising K-pop moves to secure a spot on their dream stage: an appearance in South Korea to imitate their idols. 13 final teams from 80 countries are competing in the 2019 event. At the grandly titled and government-funded Changwon K-pop World Festival contestants from…
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‘Always Smile Journey’ raises fund to provide free English classes for underprivileged people
On October 18, the ‘Always Smile Journey’ group and its partners will host an exhibition with plenty of fun activities at the Yak Yai Market, near Chalong Circle, in Phuket. This event was designed to raise funds to provide free English classes for underprivileged people on the island of Phuket on Saturdays and Sundays. The group does not accept donations…
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Tale of two cities – Hua Hin vs Pattaya
by Kornrawee Panyasuppakun Property buyers looking to buy a seaside villa or condo in a coastal town in Thailand, relatively close to Bangkok, confront one question – should I buy a property in Hua Hin or Pattaya? And rightly so, because these two choices have similar aspects. Both have kilometres of coastline, good beaches, and are just a couple of…
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King Bhumibol Adulyadej – an enduring legacy
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej (December 5, 1927 – October 13, 2016) was Thailand’s monarch for just over 70 years. At the time of his passing in 2016, King Bhumibol was world’s longest-serving head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history. Amongst his many other gifts, he was was revered as a calming and compassionate influence overseeing Thailand’s stormy political history in the…
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Phuket’s Surf House team head to South Korea for Flowboarding Worlds
PHOTO: Making waves in flow boarding around the region – SurfHouse Phuket The Surf House brand in Thailand is synonymous with being exceptional in the world of competitive Flowboarding. And 2019 has been a stellar year for competitors who have been broadly supported by SurfHouse over many years. Bringing home the gold from Flow Tour Asia 2019 held in Chong Qing, China is…
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Stricter controls and paperwork putting brakes on residential property market
The honorary president of the Thai Housing Business Association, Atip Bijanonda, is tipping the local residential market may fall by up to 10% this year starved of economic confidence, the global economic slowdown and the loan-to-value limits. But he also believes the situation is far from the situation leading up to the 1997 economic collapse. The Greater Bangkok residential market…
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Helsinki to Singapore, by bike
PHOTO: Aurelie and Marco, now heading south through Thailand Aurelie and Marco are 36 years old, married, and passionate about cycling. She’s French and he’s half English/half İtalian. Together they have decided to live their lifelong dream; to cycle across the globe. Their chosen path is taking them from Helsinki to Singapore. The pair arrived in Chiang Mai yesterday and…
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“Broadway in Bangkok, unplugged” – Musical theatre comes to Bangkok in November
PHOTO: Daniel Koek and cast. Daniel played the lead role of Jean Valjean in the original production of Les Misérables at the Queens Theatre Two of the brightest international musical superstars, are returning to Thailand next month to perform in a new show called Broadway in Bangkok…unplugged. If you missed Big Mango Production’s last amazing concert in January, then here…
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Property Perfect launch promotion to boost flagging condo sales
Thailand’s property market will grow only 3 – 5% this year and the condo market is likely to end up 25% down – the executive director of Property Perfect claims it’s the the most severe situation in 10 years. The Nation reports that Wongsakorn Prasitwipat is primarily blaming the loan-to-value measures imposed by the government on Thai banks last April, along…
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Bangkok land prices plateau, new tax on the way
Land prices in the Thai capital are forecast to plateau, or even drop this year. This would be the first time in more than ten years that Bangkok’s land prices have levelled off. So what is causing the sudden surge in land becoming available? Property and real estate consultants say the changes can be blamed on the general economic slowdown…
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14% of condos around Bangkok are empty – good time to buy
Looking for a condo around Bangkok? Now might the right time to take the plunge with the head of the Appraisal and Estate Agents Foundation saying some areas have between 8-14% vacancy rates, some areas of Bangkok up to 17.5%. Dr Sophon Pornchokchai made the remarks at a news conference yesterday. “Adding developer price wars, plus inducements to purchase, this…
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Jeans for sale, yours for 200,000 baht
PHOTO: www.menshealth.com Social media in Thailand was thrown into a tizzy yesterday when Facebook user Sarn N Tong posted a pair of Levi’s jeans for sale – for the grand sum of 200,000 baht. The Thai-language daily Matichon reports that the same man has already sold another pair of jeans for 150,000 baht. As part of its report, the newspaper…
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Prachin Buri roadside flower seller gives yesterday’s earnings to Thai flood victims
PHOTOS: INN News A roadside flower seller in Prachin Buri, just to the north east of Bangkok, is giving all his earnings from yesterday to help flood victims in Thailand’s north east provinces. INN News reports that he was wearing a sign… “All earnings from today will be given to flood victims”. Flower sellers are often seen at red lights…
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Nepali climber pushing for record 14 peak record attempt
PHOTO: Don Bowie “This is not about me… it is to show what the human body can do. To establish a paradigm shift in perception of human potential.” by Paavan Mathema The current record for climbing the world’s 14 tallest peaks is almost eight years. Now Nepali climber, Nirmal Purja, who served in the British special forces, has set a…
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Historic discovery of earliest sound films shot in Thailand
PHOTO: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation / University of South Carolina “Film historian Dome Sukhawong discovered the films in 2018, in the University of South Carolina archives.” Four films made nearly 100 years ago are believed to be the first sound films recorded in Thailand. The films were screened at the Thai Film Archive for the first time on Monday. Film…
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Muay Thai gains momentum in Nepal
“Muay Thai fighters are so strong, they can knock down a tree with a single kick.” Gymkhana, with the help of Nepal National Muay Thai Association, organised the first semi-professional competition and plans more in the future. While still a child Rahul Moktan heard his father talking about the Thai sport of Muay Thai, which has since paved his way…
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