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 How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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TOONS TUNES – Kygo & Miquel “Reminding Me To Forget”
Checking new and amazing music for The Thaiger everyday with Donna Toon If you are a Toons Tunes regular you will know my favourite artist currently is Norwegian record producer and DJ Kygo, he is joined this time by American singer Miquel for the brand new track called “Remind Me To Forget”. The song features on Kygo’s second studio album…
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TOONS TUNES – Rudimental “Rumour Mill”
Checking new and amazing music for The Thaiger everyday with Donna Toon Sometimes I hear a track and think oh I like that, “Shazam” it and then find out it’s not new and actually is a couple of years old. This of course is the case for Rudimental’s 2015 song “Rumour Mill” featuring Anne Marie and Will Heard. The song…
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The spirit of Songkran – Ajarn Pranee
By Pranee Sakulpipatana, AKA Ajarn Pranee Songkran is one of the happiest festivals celebrated by Thais. When I was young and lived in Phuket, I always found the Songkran celebrations in other provinces such as Chiang Mai to be very unique and beautiful. Over the years Phuket has grown into a hub filled with Thais from all corners of the…
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Songkran activities around the country
Songkran is celebrated across Thailand. It’s the annual celebration of the Thai New Year – a farewell to the hot season and a welcoming of the coming wet season. But it is celebrated in many different ways, from the insane water-fights in Patong, with elephants in Ayutthaya or the Sand Pagoda Ceremony in Chonburi. The word “Songkran” has its origins in…
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Developers rush to provide better retirement options in Thailand
Retiring in Thailand has always been a double-edged sword – on one hand the lifestyle, inexpensive living and culture. On the other, the prospect of lonely later years without the trampoline safety of adequate healthcare and services. But there are now a growing list of companies looking to address the needs of the growing expat and retiree population attracted to…
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TOONS TUNES – Keala Settle “This Is Me” Alan Walker Remix
Checking new and amazing music for The Thaiger everyday with Donna Toon If you have been living under a shoe box and haven’t managed to watch the award winning movie “The Greatest Showman” then block yourself a couple of hours and get the popcorn ready, as it really is a show. The soundtrack to the story of P.T. Barnum’s Circus…
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MontAzure helps fund the Muslim Foundation’s Tonkla-Kamala Camp
The developers of Phuket’s MontAzure in Kamala, is helping fund the Kamala Muslim Foundation’s Tonkla-Kamala Camp 2018 as part of the company’s ongoing support for the local community in Kamala. The annual educational camp takes place from April 5-20 and is designed to help local children learn important skills that will be useful to them in their personal and professional…
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TOONS TUNES – James Bay “Us”
Checking new and amazing music for The Thaiger everyday with Donna Toon Today’s edition of Toons Tunes comes from British singer / songwriter James Bay and an acoustic version of “Us”. After James Bay’s debut album The Chaos & The Calm became the biggest-selling debut of 2015, Bay previously admitted that the sound of his second record was influenced by…
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TOONS TUNES – David Guetta & Sia “Flames”
Checking new and amazing music for The Thaiger everyday with Donna Toon Award winning French DJ David Guetta has collaborated with Australian singer Sia, for the new upbeat song released on the 22nd March called “Flames” a worthy track for today’s Toons Tunes. David Guetta gained worldwide success after the release of his 2009 “One Love” which featured mainstream tracks…
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Ranong Visa Runs – a few things you should know
The situation for visa runs changes all the time. Check before embarking on your Ranong journey to see if you are eligible for a visa run at that destination. From time to time we need to do those pesky visa runs. The nearest land border to Phuket is about a five hour drive north to the Thai fishing port of…
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Vendors hit back at criticism of Bangkok’s Mae Klong market
by Kachorn Phonimthai Vendors at Mae Klong, also known as Rom Hup – one of Thailand’s landmark markets – have defended its quirkiness and surroundings after coming under criticism online. They have spoken up to defend the world-famous market after several foreigners made critical comments on a BBC News video clip titled “The train that drives through a market”. Uploaded…
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New GLOW for Ao Nang, Krabi
by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com Thailand’s InVision Hospitality has debuted their GLOW brand in Krabi with a 130 room boutique hotel. Located in the popular tourism area of Ao Nang, this is the fifth GLOW hotel in Southeast Asia, and third in Thailand. Krabi has swiftly expanded its tourism market, between 2006 to 2016, airport arrivals surged from just over 240,000 up to…
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Boracay’s closure sparks global travel fallout
By Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com The biggest worldwide tourism story going is that of the trending closure of the iconic resort island of Boracay in the Philippines. In a bold move President Rodrigo Duterte who termed the island a “cesspool” is banning tourist visits from April 26 through October 25. For an island that last year hosted over 2 million…
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Get off our island – The Philippines’ Boracay closes down
PHOTO: Shutterstock The Philippine’s island of Boracay is closing to tourists for six months following concerns of damage to its once pristine shores. This mirrors a closure of popular Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Ley, made famous in the movie ‘The Beach’ for four months from this June. Asia’s first holiday island to shutdown on government orders will lose…
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Ka Villa, Rawai – Own your dream pool villa in Phuket
The luxury villas in a quiet soi near Laem Ka Beach have been a popular success for investors and those looking for a dream lifestyle in Rawai, Phuket. If you’ve ever wanted to own a dream property in Phuket, Thailand, Ka Villa can help make that dream become a reality. Walking distance to the golden sand swimming beach of Laem…
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TOONS TUNES – Myles Kennedy “The Year of the Tiger”
Checking new and amazing music for The Thaiger everyday with Donna Toon As we say here at The Thaiger, it is always “The Year of the Thaiger” so naturally when I heard this song from American artist Myles Kennedy it had to be a Toons Tunes! The song comes from the musicians debut studio album as a solo artist which…
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Why selling property too fast is bad business?
by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com One of the most common mistakes by property developers in hot markets or with premium properties is the misconception that a fast sell-out is good. It’s often hard for real estate sales people whose mantra follow’s the ABC’s (always be closing) to understand the big picture, or more importantly the bottom line. Property projects remain…
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Dusit rolls out the new ASAI brand
Thailand’s Dusit Hotels and Resorts is rolling our a new ASAI brand which is reportedly aimed at millennial curious-minded travellers promising ‘authentic local experiences in vibrant cities and resort destinations worldwide’. Set to officially launch in the opening quarter of 2019 with its first hotel in Bangkok’s renowned Chatuchak Market, ASAI Hotels embraces a sustainable, community-focused concept, with each property…
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TOONS TUNES – Taylor Swift “Delicate”
Checking new and amazing music for The Thaiger everyday with Donna Toon I’d like to say that Taylor Swift is the “Queen of Pop” but in reality she is most likely the “Princess of Pop” as true royalty like Madonna, Beyonce and Celine Dion are still belting out songs and topping the charts. Whether you like her or not, she…
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Air Asia launches direct daily flights to Penang from Phuket
Getting from the Pearl of the Andaman to the Pearl of the Orient just got a lot more competitive. The only way you could get from Phuket to Penang, direct, in the past has been either a hair-raising overnight passenger van ride or flying with Firefly Airlines in a twin prop plane a few times a week. Now Air Asia…
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Thailand Event Round-Up – April
with The Sponsorship Experts – Paul Poole (South East Asia) Co. Ltd. The month of April is typically dominated by a slew of events related to Songkran, the Thai New Year, and this year is no different. One of our favourites is the Singha Songkran Night Run, which returns to Chiang Mai on 13 April. The run, which takes place…
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TOONS TUNES – London Grammar “Non Believer”
Checking new and amazing music for The Thaiger everyday with Donna Toon After a long hiatus from their debut super successful album “If You Wait” in 2013, English Indie Band London Grammar dropped their second album in the middle of last year called “Truth is a Beautiful Thing” through the Ministry of Sound. The lead single from the album was…
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Nikki Beach to take over management of luxury Chiang Mai hotel
By Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com In a somewhat surprise announcement, Nikki Beach Worldwide has signed on as operator of Chiang Mai’s Dhara Dhevi hotel. Nikki has assumed management of the property and the rebranding process reportedly will be done by the middle of the year. Nikki Beach became known to Phuketians when they launched the Nikki Beach Club at the northern end…
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TOONS TUNES – KODALINE “FOLLOW YOUR FIRE”
Checking new and amazing music for The Thaiger everyday with Donna Toon I was first introduced to Irish group Kodaline ( originally called 21 Demands ) from a good friend here on the island who has her finger on the pulse so to speak for new music Michelle Clowes. Since then I have followed them closely, and was super excited…
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Phuket’s new Smart Bus service
PHOTO: John Walker/iStockphoto The photos, the news, the hope. News of Phuket’s new Smart Bus service has reached all the way to international travel bogs so it must be right. Right?! “Phuket is a world tourism destination drawing a large number of travellers, but still lacks proper public transportation,” Watchara Jaruariyanon from Phuket City Development said at the launch of…
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Toons Tunes – Foster the People “Sit Next To Me”
Checking new and amazing music for The Thaiger everyday with Donna Toon American rock band Foster the People was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Mark Foster, lead guitarist Sean Cimino, drummer Mark Pontius and keyboardist Isom Innis, they played in small clubs across LA and didn’t find any commercial success until the release of “Pumped Up Kicks” in 2010.…
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New ferry service to link Phuket Airport to nearby provinces
File Photo The Harbour Department will build a new pier near Phuket Airport and open five ferry routes linking Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga according to the department chief today (Thursday). Jirut Wisaljit, director-general of the Harbour Department, said the new port and the “Andaman Ring Route” ferry service would reduce congestion at the Phuket airport and on roads in…
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An addiction to the music beats
The 19 year old Thai-French girl who was born on the island of Phuket, Sophie Marguerite Indracusin, is widely known as an actress working with Channel 7 and has been shining in through television shows and dramas as the main role for years. Now it’s time for her to introduce another perspective of herself, through her first single ‘Mary Jane’.…
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Patong and Kamala Number One in Hotels.com survey
The recent Hotel Price Index from Hotels.com revealed that Kathu District, where Patong and Kamala beaches are located, is among the top five destinations for low cost 5-star accommodation among global travellers in 2017. The HPI uncovered the Top 5 most popular destinations for low cost 5-star accommodation – from resorts and high-end chains to villas and luxury boutiques: 1.…
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Toons Tunes – Echosmith “Over My Head”
Checking new and amazing music for The Thaiger everyday with Donna Toon I love indie pop band Echosmith have done since they first hit the airwaves, not just because their music is upbeat, light hearted and fun, but because the band consists of four siblings, Sydney, Noah, Graham and Jamie Sierota. Sydney, the only female member of the family and…
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