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 Why retirees in Thailand are choosing long-term health insurance over quick fixes
Retirees in Thailand are increasingly seeing the importance of health insurance in protecting their well-being during retirement. With insurance requirements for retirement visas and rising healthcare costs, many are moving away from short-term plans and choosing long-term coverage. Long-term health...
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Young chefs shine at Phuket Junior Master Chef 2016
PHUKET: Young chefs donned their toques for the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization’s Phuket Junior Master Chef 2016 event held last weekend at Phuket Vocational College. The event was chaired by Theera Jiasakul, chief of the PPAO council, and included both training and competitions. “We wanted to provide an opportunity for students aged 12-15 years, who love cooking, to be trained…
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On Deck: Local sailors making their mark
PHUKET: In sailing circles, attention is more often than not focused on the big international sailing events full of professionals: the America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, World Match Racing Tour etc. Locally though, and in the region, the focus is on the keelboat and multihull sailing events. As I write this, my 30th column (yep, hard to believe), the Olympics…
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Property Watch: Hiring a property expert
PHUKET: Sometimes the obvious is worth pointing out, because the obvious is very often overlooked or ignored. For example, driving safely reduces road accidents, injuries and deaths, so it is something worth repeating, over and over. Similarly, if you are looking for information on property investment in Thailand, then look to proven experts with a track record of success as…
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Profile: Walter Brown – committed to helping travellers in need
PHUKET: Walter Brown, or ‘Wal’ as he is popularly known, is the founder and coordinator of the Region 8 Police Volunteers. Originally from Australia, Wal has been in Thailand for about 10 years now. He had already been retired for 15 years before he arrived here. Living on a 40ft motor cruiser in the tropics of north Queensland, Thailand was…
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Gardening: Pollinators big and small
PHUKET: Early the other morning I watched a solitary oleander hawk moth, whizzing from one ruellia flower to another, hovering over each flower for five seconds at a time. Not only are hawk moths one of the very few creatures which can hover, they also have a three-inch long proboscis, which, like a certain beer, can reach parts that other…
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Young sailors cruise to victory at Topper World Championships
PHUKET: Young Phuket sailors are making a splash at international events, with two local youngsters from the Phuket Youth Sailing Club (PYSC) winning gold and bronze at the 2016 Topper World Championships held at Ballyholme in Northern Ireland last month. While this is a big deal in itself, the fact that these children come from underprivileged backgrounds makes this even…
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Excuse Buster: The flaws of nutritional science
PHUKET: I recently had a session with a gentleman who from the outset spoke about his frustration with the health industry, particularly in regard to the constant opinion changing about what is healthy and unhealthy. I agree with his sentiment – seems every few years the ‘experts’ change their minds. I remember eggs were bad, then good again 10 years…
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Blazing Saddles: Bicycles as positive ‘change agents’ in Phuket
PHUKET: As so often happens in the frenetic super-connected era in which we now live, new terms and expressions go from obscurity to inhabiting the tips of our globally-connected tongues almost overnight. So it is with the term ‘change agent’ which Bill Clinton memorably used to describe his wife Hillary at the Democratic Convention last week. Bill let us in…
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Profile: Miss World Australia 2016 visits Phuket
PHUKET: Madeline Cowe, winner of Miss World Australia 2016, visited Phuket last week as part of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s ‘Women’s Journey Thailand’ campaign. Her entourage included the runners up of this year’s competition, along with Courtney Thorpe, the winner of the 2014 pageant, and Deborah Miller, national director of Miss World Australia. Madeline and her group went to…
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Listing your property on social media
PHUKET: During the green season in Phuket, most real estate brokers spend their time listing new properties to boost up their listing stock ahead of the high season. Good & varied listings across the market segmentation of the property market are ideal to appeal to a wider spectrum of clients. Property listings need not necessarily be large in numbers, but…
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Phuket mother presented ‘Outstanding Mother 2016’ award
PHUKET: A hardworking single mother from Phuket was presented the ‘Phuket Outstanding Mother 2016’ award today. Suksan Promthong, 68, travelled to Bangkok for the ceremony, where HRH Princess Somsavali graciously presented awards to her and other winners. The awards were part of an annual event to honor Her Majesty Queen Sirikit on her 84th birthday, which is being celebrated as…
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On Deck: Advancing sail tech in Phuket
PHUKET: It’s often said that technology starts at the top, at the most advanced businesses developing cutting-edge products, and then trickles down to everyday life objects and activities. The same can be said for sailing. In particular, sail technology. Observing at the recent Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek and the vast variety of sail materials and brands used by the…
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Profile: Wicky Sundram – Boat Lagoon’s new brand builder
PHUKET: Last week, the Global Marina Institute (GMI) announced that Wicky Sundram, the new executive director at Phuket Boat Lagoon, was the latest ‘Certified Marina Professional’ (CMP) to join its ranks. Wicky is only the sixth person in Asia to receive this accolade and the first in Thailand. That’s a fine achievement for someone who, when he first joined the…
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Banyan Tree launches new luxury villas
PHUKET: Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts launched ‘Angsana Villas Resort Phuket’ as an addition to the Angsana family on August 1. It was rebranded from the former Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort and Villas. The resort has 48 villas and suites, with all rooms featuring living areas. Guests can opt for one, two and three-bedroom suites or three and four-bedroom villas…
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By The Book: Pricing your property accurately
PHUKET: When listing your property for sale, one of the most important things to do is establish an asking price. As the seller, you don’t want to set the price too low and miss out. Equally, you must not price too high as you can put off potential buyers. The first step to correctly pricing a property is to have…
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Laguna to hold charity concert
PHUKET: Laguna Phuket is holding a charity concert at Laguna Grove on Saturday, August 13. The ‘Big Body + Charity Concert’ and will feature Thai rockers ‘Bodyslam’ and ‘Big Ass’, as well as up and coming artist Justin Pongumpai. Part of the proceeds of the concert will go to Phuket Punyanukul School located in Pa Khlok, a special school for…
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Law, Life and Society: Waiver for prostitution
PHUKET: In my immigration practice, I assist many US citizens obtain visas for their Thai spouse or fiance. Last month, a client went to the final interview and came out distraught and crying. During the interview, the officer informed my client that they received an anonymous message from someone informing them that she was engaged in prostitution. My client was…
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Movenpick Karon certified as Asian leader in sustainability
PHUKET: Movenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket was named Asia’s top performer in certified sustainable practices by Green Globe, an industry renowned certification body. Green Globe’s 2015 report on Movenpick Hotels & Resorts revealed that the Karon-based resort has an overall compliance score of 86 per cent, while the group’s overall average compliance score is 84 per cent, 2.5…
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Diving: Becoming a super dive master
PHUKET: If you’re going to be a super Dive Master (DM), going from zero to hero isn’t the ticket – at best you’ll end up as Aqualad, making his debut in the 60s as the sidekick of the already lame Aquaman. However, that doesn’t stop the trend of people going from non-divers to professionals in a couple of months in…
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Profile: Lisa Haydon – Bollywood superstar in Phuket
PHUKET: Supermodel, Bollywood star and host of ‘India’s Next Top Model’, Lisa Haydon has an enjoyably hectic professional life. Riding the wave of her popularity gives her little time to relax, however, particularly following her critically acclaimed role in the 2015 movie ‘Queen’ and her appearance in this year’s top-grossing madcap comedy-romance ‘Housefull 3’. But when the star does squeeze…
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King’s Cup holds course as marquee sailing event
PHUKET: The prestigious Phuket King’s Cup was first held in 1987 to mark the auspicious 60th birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest-reigning living monarch. His Majesty the King was a passionate sailor and created yachting history in 1967 when he and his daughter Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya won a gold medal in the OK dinghy class at…
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Light up your bathing experience
PHUKET: Many of the villas I have inspected have had one light for a good size bathroom, no wonder we guys miss the toilet so often. If you’re updating, there are many wonderful options. When you visit a lighting supply house you may get a headache from the mind-numbing task of looking at all of the delightful lighting fixtures. To…
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Locals, tourists team up to clean up
PHUKET: The Rawai Nai Harn Business Community organized a beach cleaning event last weekend at Nai Harn Beach. Supported by the Rawai OrBorTor and moderated by DJ Tom Tank of Radio 89.75, more than two tonnes of rubbish were collected from the front and back of Nai Harn Beach. Spearheaded by Claude Baltes of Sunsuri Phuket and in cooperation with…
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On Deck: Better co-ordination in the marine industry
PHUKET: Almost three weeks of back-to-back yachting events in Phuket sounds great, right? December is set to be a veritable orgy of regattas, boat shows, lavish cocktail parties, gala dinners, pomp and glam – it’s an all-out marine love-in and it starts with the 30 year old Phuket King’s Cup Regatta from December 3-10 at Kata Beach Resort & Spa.…
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Profile: Simon James – Phuket’s jet-setting race officer
PHUKET: The yachts may change, the weather always, but one constant in the Phuket yacht racing firmament is Race Officer Simon James. Up at the crack of dawn and ready on the start line as the racers roll out their sails, Simon James has officiated at almost every regatta in the Andaman and the Gulf of Thailand since the turn…
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B9mn allocated for pier improvements
PHUKET: A budget of 9 million baht has been allocated to spruce up Chalong Pier with plans to improve facilities for the hundreds of tourists who visit the ferry point daily. Transportation Division Chief Prasit Yotharak of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO) said last week that renovation plans include more seating, more toilets, shower stalls and a Muslim prayer…
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Across the land: Expats hit by Brexit fallout
PHUKET: Two days after the United Kingdom held a referendum to leave the European Union (EU), now famously known worldwide as ‘Brexit’, the global financial markets suffered US$3 trillion in paper losses. The aftermath is eerily quiet. The consequences of Brexit will unfold in the coming months and years ahead, and they will be far-reaching. Good or bad, they will…
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Gardening: Erotic undertones of orchids
PHUKET: The epithet ‘sexy’ is much overused, not to say abused. It appears in contexts that have nothing to do with people’s erotic appetites at all. Inanimate objects can apparently fit the bill; cars, dishes or even flowers. ‘No Orchids For Miss Blandish’, a raunchy 1939 novel, invoked orchids in its title because author James Hadley Chase knew they possessed…
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Profile: DJ Retro hits the Phuket stage
PHUKET: Jeff Retro, a DJ from a top night club in Las Vegas, performed for thousands of guests at Illuzion night club in Patong on July 9. Jeff has been a DJ for about 15 years now. He was born in Ohio and comes from a musical background. He was raised by a single mother who majored in music in…
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Excuse Buster: Energizing smoothie to jump start your day
PHUKET: A lot of people ask me about how to make the perfect smoothie. Here are my steps on how to build a great green smoothie that is a meal containing fibrous carbs (veggies), protein and good fats, and is packed full of nutrition. A lot of my clients start the day with this formula and tweak it to suit…
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