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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Sponsored 5 hidden healthcare costs in Thailand and how to avoid them
Thailand's healthcare system is affordable and supported by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, offering essential services to most citizens. However, hidden healthcare costs can surprise patients and lead to unexpected expenses. These include specialist fees, insurance gaps, emergency services,...
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Looking back: Always there for his own people
PHUKET: Last month, on October 13, 2016, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away. As the royal procession brought his body from Siriraj Hospital to the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall in the Grand Palace, a surreal gloom blanketed the city of Bangkok as hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets to pay their respects. The most vibrant city…
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Across the land: Burial plots become prime real estate
PHUKET: The current world population is 7.3 billion, but it is expected to hit 8.5 billion by the year 2030 and 9.7 billion by 2050, according to a new United Nations DESA report, titled ‘World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision‘. Asia Pacific is also now home to half of the world’s population of elderly persons, defined as people aged 60…
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On Deck: His Majesty was an inspiration to sailors
PHUKET: In a recent column, I wrote about a sailing dinghy called “Vega 2”, which was built by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and which in 1967 he raced to gold medal success at the 4th Southeast Asia Peninsular Games (now the SEA Games). Much has changed in Thailand since I wrote that column (story here). His Majesty King Bhumibol…
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Profile: The man who met the King
PHUKET: Ngeem Damrongkaset is a member of Rawai sea gypsy community. Now in his 70s, he had a chance to meet His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej when he first visited Phuket in 1959. “I was about 12 years old at the time,” says Mr Ngeem. “I can still picture it clearly. Every person in our community had gathered together and…
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Keep It Green: Mangroves – a vital eco-system component
PHUKET: Coral reefs attract far more publicity than mangrove swamps. After all, coral is spectacularly beautiful, and affords protection to some of the world’s most spectacular fishes – clown fish, parrot fish, wrasse and literally hundreds of other species. From the air, mangrove swamps also look appealing, but close up are muddy and turbid with unsightly roots and often have…
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Elite weigh anchor for Asia Superyacht Rendezvous
PHUKET: The Asia Superyacht Rendezvous (ASR) has welcomed many of the world’s finest uber-luxurious craft to Phuket over the past 15 years and this year’s event is no exception. The Phuket ASR 2016 is a custom-designed gathering specially for superyacht owners and captains, and the organizers are very exited about some of the new vessels streaming in for the show…
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Law, Life and Society: Beggars to get registered
PHUKET: The Thai government recently passed a law revising the country’s rules on begging in public areas. The law replaces the Beggar Control Act of 1941, which punished gangs and individuals for trafficking in people to work as beggars. People who wish to beg for money on the streets are now required to obtain licenses to do so. This not…
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Cycling to raise funds for tsunami victims
PHUKET: Charitable organizations all over the world receive thousands in aid to keep their operations running smoothly. However, advocates of one such organization, called the ‘Happy World Tour’, that represents an orphanage in Phuket, takes funding to the next level via projects across nations and continents. This year, three cyclists have decided to cycle around the world. The orphanage in…
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Phuket graced by four royal visits
PHUKET: Phuket was graced by four visits of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej during his 70-year reign; the first was 57 years ago, on Sunday, March 8, 1959, accompanied by Queen Sirikit. The royal couple took a car ferry across the Pak Pra channel from Phang Nga to Phuket, arriving at Tah Chat Chai at 4pm, where they rested for…
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On Deck: Sailing ignored as a mainstream sport
PHUKET: Bangkok was host to Asia’s Sports Industry Awards & Conference (SPIA Asia) at the beginning of this month. A two-day conference with presentations from leaders in the regional sports industry – IMG, Lagardere, GroupM, Media Pro, Total Sports Asia, TATA Consulting, and many more – discussing the best practices and latest developments within the sports industry, was followed by…
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Property Watch: Impact of weather on the property market
PHUKET: A lot is said about the negatives and positives of the business and economics of the Phuket property market, but it seems that less is said about the realities of the weather here on our green and often wet island, and how that impacts on property. What is said is often encapsulated in a sugar-coated cloud of positivity –…
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Profile: Rich Cramp – Keeping our beaches clean
PHUKET: Rich Cramp is the Phuket organizer of Trash Hero, an organization dedicated to solving the global garbage problem. He has a degree in English Literature and currently teaches at HeadStart International School in Phuket. He spent part of his childhood in Thailand, before moving to Hong Kong, then Taiwan and finally settling in England. “I moved back to Thailand…
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Blazing Saddles: The bias against e-bikes
PHUKET: Like many cycling enthusiasts, I have long held a prejudice against electric bicycles. Somehow the whole idea of adding a motor of any kind into the primal equation of man, muscle and machine seemed just plain wrong and indeed a bit akin to cheating. Surely the whole concept of the bicycle is of a wonderful enhancement of man’s ability…
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The billion dollar behemoth stirs
PHUKET: For the most part, the booming tourist high season at the start of 2016 was a challenge for the island’s luxury real estate sector, as there was no domino effect. Instead, the villa market went stone cold. As we edge towards yet another winter peak high season though, the question for the property market is, “what does the future…
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Profile: Sebastien Tronchet – No stranger to the land of smiles
PHUKET: Hailing from Marseille, France, 38-year-old Sebastien Tronchet is the General Manager of the Grand Mercure Phuket Patong. He is no stranger to the land of smiles; he took his chances in Thailand 15 years ago and never looked back. His only regret is that he didn’t take the leap 10 years before he did. With a bachelor’s degree in…
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Across the Land: In the Departure lounge to Damascus
PHUKET: On the 16th of September, Phuket officially opened the much anticipated and delayed new Phuket International terminal. The terminal is expected to accommodate up to 5 million international passengers a year while, the old terminal will accommodate 7.5 million domestic passengers. Firsthand experience arriving at the new international terminal two days after the official opening left me a little…
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Excuse Buster: Unclogging your body’s blocked pipes
PHUKET: “Don’t put paper down the toilet or the pipes will get blocked and it will get messy and costly.” This was one of the first messages from our first landlord upon arrival in Thailand. Not a good situation for the body either – also messy and costly on our health. So how often should you have a number two?…
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On Deck: Thinking bigger and better
PHUKET: No, I’m not writing about boat size, as the title of this article may at first suggest. I am referring to space; specifically Phuket and its surrounds. Phuket has the name, the fame – some may say infamy – and that cache and recognition is powerful for Phuket’s marine industry. This ‘Brand Phuket’ has been built on the back…
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Regional tourism growth dominated by Chinese
PHUKET: Continuing growth in the region’s tourism industry is being driven mainly by China, according to the latest CBRE ‘Hotel Megatrends’ viewpoint report, released in September. The total number of Chinese outbound tourists rose by 10 per cent year-on-year to 128 million in 2015, while spending grew by 26 per cent over the same period to reach US$292 billion. China…
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Profile: Edwin Wiek and his love for animals
PHUKET: Edwin Wiek, 50, is the founder and director of Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand (WFFT). WFFT is based in Petchaburi and Laos, but Edwin has been involved in several animal rescue cases in Phuket. The latest case is that of Milo, an orangutan that was freed from the Phuket zoo and found abandoned in a forest. In 2008, Edwin…
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By The Book: Opportunities abound as island grows
PHUKET: Anyone living in or visiting Phuket will notice the amount of construction work going on around the island. From property development to schools, hospitals, marinas and roads – all types of infrastructure on the island are undergoing development. For several years now Phuket’s residents have grown used to the traffic diversions around the construction of Phuket’s underpasses at Darasamut,…
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Keep it green: Implications of climate change
PHUKET: The world’s two most powerful countries, the United States and China, have just formally agreed to ratify the Paris climate change agreement. This landmark commitment, sealed last December after two weeks of intense negotiations, needs to be ratified by 55 countries, representing 55 per cent of global emissions, in order for it to come into effect. According to a…
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Law, Life and Society: Understanding the Thai concept of dowry
PHUKET: A misunderstanding of a Thai marriage custom nearly broke up the relationship between two of my clients. I represented an American in his application for a fiance visa for his Thai fiance. After successfully obtaining the visa, the Thai fiance requested 200,000 baht for her family before going to the United States to get married. The American became outraged…
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Diving: Mermaids spotted off Phuket
PHUKET: There are real mermaids out there. It’s a profession that some freedivers have found themselves slipping into. Phuket-based PADI scuba diving instructor Kate Gray, who was crowned Miss Germany 2010, made a big splash here a couple of years ago as ‘Mermaid Kat’ and opened Phuket’s Mermaid Kat Academy in 2012.“I first started ‘mermaiding’ as a hobby but it…
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Profile: Sirirat Rattanasuanjig – it’s all on the cards
Fortune teller Sirirat Rattanasuanjig, or ‘Adina’ as she is better known, had a near-death experience when she was a child. She was a bystander as a couple were quarreling. One of them had a knife which ended up embedded in her chest. She was rushed to the hospital and nearly died from her injury, but eventually pulled through. The near-death…
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Property Inspector: Make outdoor furniture last longer
PHUKET: Outdoor furniture can be a sizable investment even here in Thailand. In Phuket it’s either the hot sun or rain adding to deterioration. With proper care and cleaning, you can enjoy your outdoor furniture for years. New furniture comes with care instructions; however this is not always the case in Thailand. So here’s a quick reference to help you…
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Phuket public health system goes digital
PHUKET: With the aim of utilizing IT and innovation to improve the healthcare sector, and public healthcare services in particular, the Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA) linked hands with the National Electronic and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC) to develop the Personal Health Record (PHR) system. The system has initially been launched at government hospitals in five provinces, including Phuket, Nakhon…
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Advice for first time triathletes
PHUKET: While the trend in sports and fitness is on the rise in Phuket, many people are still struggling to be fit. The Phuket Gazette caught up with Pruth Kulprasit, a first time triathlete in Phuket, to get some fitness tips for beginners. “I first started cycling in order to lose weight. About a year and a half ago, I…
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Property Watch: High hopes for smart moves
PHUKET: It is great to note that Phuket has the watchful eye and support of our PM General Prayuth with his visit for the opening ceremony of the new terminal at Phuket International Airport and the speech on ‘Phuket Smart City’ and ‘Startup Paradise’. Although Phuket has been experiencing growing pains from development, the island needs to develop to sustain…
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Profile: Dr Passaratep Anurukpaiboon – Raising the standard of skin care
PHUKET: Dr Passaratep Anuruk-paiboon MD, Dsc (or Dr Pat, as he is better known), is the director of dermatology and chief dermatologist at Phuket International Dermatology Institute (PDI) at Phuket International Hospital. He is originally from Bangkok, but was raised in Samui for about five years. After getting his medical degree from Mahidol University in 2003, Dr Pat began working…
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