Thai Life

Discover the latest regional stories and happenings in Thailand with The Thaiger, your source of credible, informative, and reliable updates. Stay informed about important local events, political happenings, social issues, cultural highlights, and entertainment stories, all curated to ensure you never miss out on what’s happening in the Land of Smiles. Our journalists will keep you informed with all the essential Thai life updates and allows you to connect with the community and experience Thailand like a local.

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    What is the 5 year visa for the digital nomad in Thailand?

    The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is a great option for digital nomads, remote workers, and freelancers who want to stay in Thailand for a long time. This multiple-entry visa is valid for five years, allowing stays of up to 180...

  • Proposal to ban alcohol sales on Songkran day, April 13

    Proposal to ban alcohol sales on Songkran day, April 13

    Coming up with another blunt tool to help curb Thailand’s horrendous annual road toll during Songkran, the Alcohol Control Committee is proposing a ban be placed on the sale of alcohol on April 13, Songkran day. The ACC has passed a resolution to ban the sale of alcoholic drinks on the national Songkran holiday but says the proposal will have…

  • Car and house loans surged in 2018

    Car and house loans surged in 2018

    The Bank of Thailand says they’re concerned about the double-digit growth in loans for cars last year. The central bank is now monitoring the trend and will keep track of statistics for the rest of 2019. Their concerns about the Thai mortgage market the year before resulted in new regulations coming into effect this April. Loans for cars were up…

  • Thai-Indian Funfair in Bangkok tomorrow

    Thai-Indian Funfair in Bangkok tomorrow

    The fifth Thai-Indian Funfair returns to Srinakharinwirot University in Bangkok tomorrow (Saturday) to strengthen cultural relations between both countries. The fair arrives at a time when Indian tourist arrivals are on an upswing with new direct flights into Bangkok and Phuket providing new routes and cheaper fares. This annual popular event, held from 3pm to 9pm, is jointly organised by…

  • Kamala’s Twinpalms Montazure poised to welcome guests in July

    Kamala’s Twinpalms Montazure poised to welcome guests in July

    Set on the golden sands of Kamala Beach, Twinpalms MontAzure will welcome its first guests in July this year. Already a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the boutique beach hotel offers beautifully appointed Suites, Penthouses and Private Pool Suites. Suites range in size from 70m2 to Penthouses with private pools and sea views boasting large living spaces…

  • Co-working space – not just for start-ups

    Co-working space – not just for start-ups

    PHOTO: HUBBA-TO co-working space in Bangkok by Thanchanok Phobut | Senior Coordinator, CBRE Thailand CBRE, an international property consultancy company, reveals that co-working space seems to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue these days. There was a time when no-one knew what the term “serviced office” meant or why someone would want such an option. But today, you can’t…

  • Laguna Phuket selected to host inaugural Thai Fight Phuket Asia’s premier

    Laguna Phuket selected to host inaugural Thai Fight Phuket Asia’s premier

    Thai Fight and the Sports Association of Phuket are jointly hosting the inaugural ‘Thai Fight Phuket’, a televised international sport entertainment event showcasing Muay Thai boxing and promoting Phuket tourism. The event will be on Saturday, February 23 at Laguna Phuket. Thai Fight Phuket will feature King’s Cup Champions; Saenchai, Saensatarn, Payak-Samui and Thai Fight’s Fighter led by Tengnung and…

  • Stunning new Lux Neo villas at Chaweng, Koh Samui

    Stunning new Lux Neo villas at Chaweng, Koh Samui

    Sun, sea, new, views, pool villa, Samui. All the words you want to hear. Lux Neo is now available, combining stunning sea views and outstanding modern design. Lux Neo is the newest award winning project by the “Neo” team with critiqued unique villa design and award winning styling. Click HERE to read more about the Neo design team and some…

  • Boom boom on the border – Thailand’s unlikely red-light district

    Boom boom on the border – Thailand’s unlikely red-light district

    PHOTO: The attractions of Thailand’s southern border town usually become apparent after sunset On one side of the Thai/Malaysian border is Sungai Golok, on the Malaysian side it’s the town of Rantau Panjang. The two towns are separated by the Golok River as well as decades of furious fighting between Muslim separatists who want to reclaim some of the southern…

  • Illegal foreign cigarettes flooding in as new local tobacco taxes loom

    Illegal foreign cigarettes flooding in as new local tobacco taxes loom

    Growers of tobacco in Thailand, and those selling cigarettes and tobacco products, are feeling the pinch as illegal foreign cigarettes flood the local market. Sanook reports that the Thai Tobacco Monopoly says changes to excise regulations means a packet of the cheapest Thai cigarettes would rise from 60 to 90 baht per pack from October this year. A tobacco retailer…

  • VIDEO: British pianist performs at Thai Elephant Sanctuary

    VIDEO: British pianist performs at Thai Elephant Sanctuary

    PHOTO: Tree Hugger Paul Barton is a British classical pianist who seems to have made some new friends. At the Elephants World Retirement Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province in Thailand, Barton has gotten himself a rather ‘big’ fanclub. A frequent visitor to the sanctuary, the musician enjoys taking his piano out in front of a herd of elephants and serenades these…

  • [Music Release] Suki to Iwasetai – IZ*ONE [MV] | Thaiger

    [Music Release] Suki to Iwasetai – IZ*ONE [MV]

    ปล่อยเพลงที่สองออกมาแล้วสำหรับ IZ*ONE (아이즈원) กลุ่มไอดอลสาวเฉพาะกิจจากรายการ Produce48 กับเพลง ‘好きと言わせたい อ่านว่า Suki to Iwasetai ท่วงทำนองเพราะ ๆ สนุก ๆ พิสูจน์ด้วยหูของท่านเองได้เลย

  • A third of expats may have to leave – Survey on new ‘retirement’ visa extension

    A third of expats may have to leave – Survey on new ‘retirement’ visa extension

    Thailand’s farang forum, Thaivisa, has conducted two unofficial polls that indicate that many expats will be calling it quits and leaving the Kingdom. The polls are a response from the affected ThaiVisa audience, not indicative of the total expat population living in Thailand. The polls have been undertaken in the wake of new regulations issued by Thai immigration requiring retirees to lodge…

  • Elephant Boat Race comes to Bangkok March 29

    Elephant Boat Race comes to Bangkok March 29

    Anantara Hotels Director of Operational Excellence & Events Tim Boda has announced Thailand’s first “Elephant Boat Race & River Festival” to be held between March 29 – 31, 2019. “The new three-day festival offers a wide range of activities, races and concerts aiming to raise funds to support domestic and wild elephants throughout Thailand.” Located next to Anantara Riverside Bangkok, the…

  • Event Round-Up – February 2019

    Event Round-Up – February 2019

    You still have a few days left to enjoy the tail end of Bangkok Design Week which is running from 26 January to 3 February in select areas around Bangkok. Taking inspiration from the city’s rich history as a gathering point for creative minds from all over the world, Bangkok Design Week is held under the theme of “Fusing Forward”,…

  • Immigration officials push back against the new retirement visa guidelines

    Immigration officials push back against the new retirement visa guidelines

    Days after new rules for the processing for foreign retiree visas were published, immigration officials are reportedly pushing back against them. The report was in Khaosod English citing inside sources. According to the Immigration department, starting March 1, foreign retirees must either show a monthly income of at least 65,000 baht or hold a minimum of 800,000 baht in Thai…

  • Thai Immigration clamps down on requirements for Retirement visas

    Thai Immigration clamps down on requirements for Retirement visas

    A story in ThaiVisa is providing a lot of concern for people making applications for ‘Retirement’ and ‘Marriage’ visas so they can remain in the Kingdom. The announcement follows several of the embassies last year explaining that they will no longer be issuing a ‘proof of income’ for the purpose of visa applications in Thailand. “Foreigners now need to keep…

  • Facebook poll reveals expats in Thailand are not optimistic about the future

    Facebook poll reveals expats in Thailand are not optimistic about the future

    A simple online poll conducted by Thaivisa on their Facebook page shows that 75% of respondents think expatriate life in Thailand will be ‘worse’ in five years than it is now. According to the poll, only 24% held out hope that life for expats would actually improve by 2024. Facebook users were asked the simple question in the online poll:…

  • Money can’t buy happiness in Bangkok – new study

    Money can’t buy happiness in Bangkok – new study

    by Chularat Saengpassa Findings, from the “Integrative Thai Family Study Based on Family Life Cycle”, have been released and underline the importance of a work-life balance for Thais. Families living in Bangkok are the least happy despite having the highest average income compared to people living in other parts of the country, a recent study found. Long, exhausting commuting hours,…

  • So long, farewell – Yingluck says goodbye to Thai politics

    So long, farewell – Yingluck says goodbye to Thai politics

    Former Thai PM, and fugitive, Yingluck Shinawatra is saying she has “washed her hands of Thai politics” because she has suffered enough from her political role in the past. In a Twitter post she denied a report in Thai newspapers that she had personally nominated a former minister to become Pheu Thai party’s candidate for PM in the forthcoming election,…

  • International Hip Hop sensation at Sugar Club Phuket

    International Hip Hop sensation at Sugar Club Phuket

    Sugar Club Phuket is hyped to host the Thailand premier of US Hip Hop sensation Rae Sremmurd, live on Tuesday, January 22. Ever since Rae Sremmurd exploded onto the scene with SremmLife bangers “No Flex Zone”, “Unlock the Swag” & “No Type”, Hip Hop parties just haven’t been the same. Brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi may be relative new-kids…

  • Event Round-Up – January 2019

    Event Round-Up – January 2019

    Into a new year and a month packed with activities around the country. The highly anticipated Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous 2019 kicks off at Phuket Royal Marina on January 10-13. A collaboration between some of the most respected and experienced figures in the Southeast Asian yachting industry, Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous is the country’s new and improved yacht…

  • Family of British Phuket property developer say “he was murdered”

    Family of British Phuket property developer say “he was murdered”

    PHOTO: Lawyer Vincent McOwen holding up a photo of Steven James Granville – Khaosod English A lawyer representing the family of Steven James Granville has filed a complaint with the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) in Bangkok over police reports about injuries sustained in a 2013 ‘cycling incident’. The TCSD is now overseen by Immigration Chief Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn.…

  • BMA introduces proper pavement stops for motorcycle taxis in Bangkok

    BMA introduces proper pavement stops for motorcycle taxis in Bangkok

    As Bangkok becomes busier, limited space for motorcycle taxi stands is becoming a critical problem with many of the crews taking up road space or spreading themselves randomly out around public pavement areas. The boys in the orange vests provide an important part of the Bangkok public transport mix but the BMA were getting many complaints. Now the BMA (Bangkok…

  • Jam-packed Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous opens at Royal Phuket Marina

    Jam-packed Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous opens at Royal Phuket Marina

    The fourth Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous opened its doors today for yachting enthusiasts and lifestyle-seekers from around the region. Boasting a line-up of leading international yacht brands and brokers, charter agencies, luxury property developers, bespoke travel organisers and leading names in the hospitality and food and beverage industries, the Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous is open to the public…

  • Civil Partnership Bill open for comment before heading to NLA

    Civil Partnership Bill open for comment before heading to NLA

    Members of the public are now being invited to comment on the Civil Partnership Bill on the Council of State’s website until January 23. The comments will be reviewed for consideration before the Council submits the bill to the National Legislative Assembly. If passed by the legislators, the law will make Thailand the first country in Asia to recognise same-sex…

  • Leo returns to ‘The Beach’

    Leo returns to ‘The Beach’

    … well, a beach in Phuket anyway. PHOTO: BACKGRID It’s 19 years since Leo DiCaprio starred in ‘The Beach’. The film made both Leornado and Maya Bay famous. Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi is now closed but Leo has made a return to Phuket island where he shot many of the scenes for the film (including at the On…

  • City by the Bay – Laguna Phuket’s urbanisation

    City by the Bay – Laguna Phuket’s urbanisation

    by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com If you were going to play a soundtrack to this story, perhaps it could be started off best with the 80’s hit “We Built This City”. If you toured the Laguna Phuket area in the year the song charted in 1985, the area was an eerie lunar landscape of a former tin mining domain. Today the…

  • Poll shows favour towards Prayut as next PM

    Poll shows favour towards Prayut as next PM

    • 39 percent of the respondents were satisfied with the efforts in solving ‘dark influence’ problems • 31.9 percent said they were satisfied with the achievement in tackling human trafficking problems Thirty-nine percent of more than 2,000 respondents in the latest Super Poll opinion poll are satisfied with the performance of the Prayut government and the NCPO in peace restoration and…

  • The legalisation of cannabis for medical use – more questions than answers

    The legalisation of cannabis for medical use – more questions than answers

    by Laura Villadiego “Despite what looks to be the biggest step in decades towards legalisation of cannabis in Thailand… the use of cannabis in Thailand without a licence is still punishable with jail terms.” Unclear licensing rules have given rise to fears foreign firms might apply for patents and squeeze out local players There are concerns the public might think…

  • 30% rise in drink driving incidents

    30% rise in drink driving incidents

    FILE PHOTO Despite all the hoopla, promises, checkpoints on all major roads and extensive media campaign, drink driving remains the leading cause of accidents over the first three days of the New Year holiday road safety period – aka. The Seven Days of Danger. Police report a 30% rise in drink-driving arrests up to last Saturday. 6,000 breathalysers and radar…