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 Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Phuket divers do it in the monsoon season too
PHUKET: Though nearly a month late, the southwest monsoon season finally arrived in Phuket. With the annual torrential rains comes the standard question, “Is there still diving around Phuket?” The simple answer is, yes. Unlike the diving in Khao Lak, which pretty much has its shutters pulled down when the Similan Islands are closed, Phuket continues to offer excellent diving…
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Post-high-season autopsy on Phuket’s luxury property market
PHUKET: As I sit in my office on a faceless Saturday afternoon heading into low season, a song that flips up on Spotify grabs my attention – Ike and Tina Turner’s ‘River Deep, Mountain High’.My heart nearly skips a beat as Tina grittily sings the lines “And it gets stronger, in every way. And it gets deeper, let me say.…
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Profile: Making science easy, cheap and accessible for all
PHUKET: Asst Prof Dr Aree Choo-dum, 36, originally from Phatthalung, is currently a professor at Prince of Songkla University (PSU) Phuket Campus and also part of a team of researchers who invented cheap effective explosive test kits, for which they were awarded silver medals at the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2016. Dr Aree is an expert in forensic chemistry…
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Consequences of committing immigration fraud
PHUKET: In February, Sittichai Boonkeian murdered his 13-year-old daughter and committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan. His wife, Chonrat Mungmart, believes that Mr Sittichai’s murder-suicide was a result of the anxiety and problems associated with their separation. Mr Sittichai and his daughter were living in Florida and his wife was in Thailand. Ms Chonrat was separated from…
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Dealing with the trash problem in Phuket
PHUKET: Hygiene and cleanliness are very personal, and judging by the aroma at the airport and on airplanes, often seem to be an optional affair. But living in our environment is a shared community exercise, and Phuket does suffer from the stresses and strains of tourism, as well as a lack of regard by certain sectors of the community to…
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Profile: Peejay Stanley says farewell to Phuket
PHUKET: For half a decade Texan soul singer Peejay Stanley has been entertaining Phuketians with a larger than life stage presence guaranteed to get audiences on their feet. Peejay’s singing style has been described as similar to Joan Armatrading, Tracy Chapman and Nina Simone, but she is probably best described as a motown, soul and blues artist with a voice…
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Marriott to launch new resort in Nai Yang
PHUKET: Marriott Hotels are launching the Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach, next month. Inspired by cultural and architectural characteristics of Thailand, the resort is located about a 10 minute drive from Phuket International Airport. It has 180 rooms and is designed as a combination of traditional Thai style and sophisticated, modern architecture, by using ‘relaxing’ earth tones…
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Gardening: Caring for plants in dry weather
PHUKET: This is the time of year when the prolonged dry weather stimulates certain flowering trees to bloom as if their very lives depended on it. In a sense this is literally true, since an exceptional drought will probably mean that fruits may not form, and even that mature trees may shed so many leaves that they die. Already the…
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Phuket International Academy to join global United World College network
PHUKET: Phuket International Academy (PIA), located within the grounds of Thanyapura, in the north of Phuket, is set to become the first and only United World College (UWC) in Thailand, after two years of preparations and discussions with the London-based organization. With an alumni represented by more than 55,000 graduates from all around the globe, UWC has gained a worldwide…
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Coboat: Combining business with pleasure
PHUKET: Imagine running your business from almost anywhere in the world. Now imagine being on an 82-foot electric-powered catamaran and sailing around the world while doing that. That’s the idea behind Coboat, which combines co-working with sailing, travel and adventure. Many of us may be familiar with the concept of co-working, or sharing a rented office space with others who…
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Blazing Saddles: Tackling angling and cycling
PHUKET: My passion for cycling evolved at about the same time as my passion for fishing, when I was a slip of a lad of around ten summers. I was lucky enough to find myself in a family of keen anglers and spent many happy boyhood hours with my grandfather, father and sundry Scottish uncles trying to entice trout onto…
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A physiotherapy technique for the elderly at Patong Hospital
PHUKET: Patong Hospital has recently launched a new physiotherapy technique for the elderly, called Methode Mezieres, in collaboration with a French physiotherapist named Eric Lon. Mr Lon, now 65, works as a physiotherapist in France. Mr Lon explained that the origins of the Methode Mezieres technique dates back to World War II, when millions of people in France were adversely…
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Excuse Buster: The link between fungi and depression
PHUKET: Could the fungus Candida play a role in mental health? Lawrence Wilson MD believes that a yeast overgrowth is a common cause of brain fog and in some cases dementia, because this fungus produces substances that directly affect the brain. Acetaldehyde is one of these substances and is a common neurotoxin affecting the lives of tens of millions of…
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On Deck: Lessons from the Top of the Gulf Regatta
PHUKET: I’ve spent the last week in Pattaya at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club, reporting on the 12th Top of the Gulf Regatta. I find it’s always good to look outside your ‘home’ town to learn, get some new ideas and a fresh perspective, and the Top of the Gulf Regatta can provide some great lessons for all. Firstly, it…
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Airport completion fails again – this time mooted for December
PHUKET: Completion of construction work on the new international terminal at Phuket Airport has been pushed back to September, admits Airports of Thailand Plc President Nitinai Sirismatthakarn in an exclusive interview with the Phuket Gazette last week. Mr Nitinai was in Phuket to ‘assess progress’ with the new terminal but could not give a fixed date for the opening. “We…
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Profile: Phuket’s own Ironman Jaray Jearanai [video]
PHUKET: If we mentioned the terms ‘Ironman’ or ‘triathlon’ 10 years ago, not many people on the island would have known what it meant, or paid much attention. These days, however, when a sporting trend becomes popular, the number of interested athletes on the island increases rapidly. Dominating the top of the triathlete rankings since 2011 is Thai athlete, Jaray…
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Keep It Green: Beware of chemical pesticides
PHUKET: Readers can be immensely helpful, especially when they know more than you do. Come in, Victor Alvarez, who emailed me after I had sounded off about Roundup, the world’s most popular herbicide. I had recommended it in these pages for removing grass and weeds from the cracks in a local mountain road. In fairness, I did suggest that Paraquat…
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By The Book: Effective ways to sell your property
PHUKET: In our experience 15 per cent of sales will fail, become delayed, or end up incurring higher closing fees than necessary, due to sellers being unaware of the sales process, the documents required, and the options available to them. Before a buyer is found for your property and you begin negotiations, it is highly advisable to ensure that ‘your…
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Phuket cyclists bag numerous trophies in Tour of Friendship
PHUKET: Siam Bike Tours and Z-Coaching Phuket joined forces to produce a team of eight strapping cyclists, ready to take on the Tour of Friendship (TOF) five-day race from April 30-May 4. The event took place in Bangkok and Kanchanaburi, where the recent heat wave has been even more intense than in Phuket. Now in it’s 28th year, the event…
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Free mobile cinema to entertain Phuket crowds for a week
PHUKET: A mobile movie theater will be touring Phuket this month, airing free film screenings to school children and members of the public. The Cine Mobile, sponsored by the Thai Film Archive, will be on the island from May 26-June 1, before continuing its tour of the southern provinces. The mobile cinema will screen five films per day – at…
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Chillva Market brings fun, food and excitement to Phuket
PHUKET: After a successful soft-opening, Phuket’s newest container market is officially open to the general public. Located off of Yaowarat Road, the 20-million-baht Chillva Market’s piece de resistance is a shipping container park, situated around a central bandstand and pond. Phakanan Daowatthanakij, the owner, said that the market is arranged into three zones by stall type: a tent zone sells…
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Profile: Mayor Somjai toils for her hometown
PHUKET: Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana, 64, is a true Phuket native, born and raised in the heart of Phuket Town. Ms Somjai recalls her childhood fondly, but frankly admits that she wasn’t an outstanding student in her school years. However, she still chose to further her education after completing her basic education. She went on to obtain a bachelor’s…
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Royal Photographic Society of Thailand calls for photos for ‘The Fifth Chang Fine Art Photo Contest’
PHUKET: Thai Beverage Public Co Ltd (ThaiBev) and The Royal Photographic Society of Thailand are calling on photographers to prepare submissions for ‘The Fifth Chang Fine Art Photo Contest’. This year’s theme is ‘Social’ and photographers can enter submissions from June 15-30. The contest is free and open to the public regardless of age, race, nationality or gender. Candidates are…
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Law, Life and Society: Benefits of premarital agreements
PHUKET: In Thailand, it is not unusual to see established men marrying younger Thai women. There are also instances where couples are in their second relationship and both bring their own assets into a marriage. In these circumstances, it may be prudent to sign a premarital agreement. A premarital agreement outlines the division of the property, debts, and spousal maintenance…
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Family fun and adventure at Hanuman World
PHUKET: Zip-lining, abseiling and sky walking are among the adventurous activities on offer for thrill-seeking nature lovers at the recently opened Hanuman World, located in a forest off Chaofah Road in Wichit. The family-oriented treetop attraction is an opportunity for adventurous visitors to ‘fly’ through the forest and take in a bird’s-eye view, and if lucky, spot a rainbow across…
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On Deck: Phuket King’s Cup Regatta wins ‘Best Asian Regatta’
PHUKET: It was a big night at the recent Asia Boating Awards for Phuket and Thailand, with many of the country’s leading marine personalities being nominated for an award. In total, 12 Thailand businesses and events made it onto the short-lists, vying against companies from all around Asia for the 25 awards. Organized by Asia-Pacific Boating and China Boating magazines,…
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Property Watch: Impact of tourism on real estate
PHUKET: Statistics are regularly reported by tourism organizations – public and private, which break down the number of visitors arriving in Phuket. Are Phuket visitors domestic travelers, or business-people commuting? Do we count arrivals and departures, or just arrivals? How do we know the information received is accurate and are people leaving Phuket by other means? Just as this information…
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Profile: Adriano Trapani’s journey from Milan to Phuket
PHUKET: Adriano Trapani left Kamala Beach, heading up the steep northern hill, when the tsunami struck Phuket’s west coast. “Initially, I thought it was my bike breaking down again, so I stopped and checked it. Everything was fine with the bike, but soon after, people on foot, bikes and in cars started gathering around me, as I was in a…
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Video report: Volleyball’s dream girl gives back to community
PHUKET: If you have recently wandered along Karon Beach in the late afternoon, you will have seen a considerable number of volleyball courts stretched across the sandy lot between the road and beach. No, it’s not an international tournament coming to town – that was last month – this is the daily beach volleyball games instigated by one of Thailand’s…
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Blazing Saddles: Benefits of cross training
PHUKET: “The problem with cycling is it’s all legs and lungs boyo,” so said someone who really ought to know. I was cycling with a member of the Welsh national team some thirty years ago in the lung-bursting Brecon Beacons in Central Wales, and his comment has always reminded me of how important it is to balance pedal-pushing with other…
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