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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Across the Land: Evolution of Phuket’s property scene
PHUKET: The property market in Phuket has seen an increasing amount of supply over the last five years with both Thai and foreign developers jumping on the bandwagon, building projects all over the island. The island continues to witness the growth in construction and some clients have commented that since the last time that they were in Phuket (which was…
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Law and Order: When dogs attack: ownership laws
PHUKET: There are growing numbers of dog owners in Thailand who treat their animals like their children, prized possessions, or members of the family. With the surge in pet ownership, there have been more disputes involving domesticated animals. We have recently been contacted about two dog biting cases. A KIWI BITE The first case was a man from New Zealand…
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Diving: Go pro with PADI freediving courses
PHUKET: The branding and professional support provided by PADI, as it moves into the freediving industry with an entire set of courses specific to the sport, looks to create new opportunities for those wanting to become professional freediving instructors. PADI has a massive background in marketing and supporting businesses, which means that a sustainable career in freediving will likely become…
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Property Watch: Inside look at the hotel licencing crisis
PHUKET: Crisis? What Crisis? At long last the ticking time bomb of unlicenced accommodation establishments in Phuket has finally made headlines. The furor of action was capped as the Thai Hotels Association (THA) Southern Chapter issued a formal letter of complaint to the Governor’s Office asking for action, given an out-of-control spread of hotels operating without licences. To fully understand…
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Up in the air: Aviators hit Hat Yai for huge airshow
PHUKET: For the second consecutive year, a large contingent of recreational aviation enthusiasts from Phuket flew southeast to Songkhla Province to take part in what may have been the largest and most exciting air show in Thailand’s history. The show was staged for Thailand’s National Children’s Day, an annual event which is celebrated on the first Saturday after New Year.…
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Property Watch: Thailand: North vs South
PHUKET: The divide exists in many places worldwide, and it exists in Thailand too. As I holiday regularly in Chiang Mai, I wonder whether the grass is greener up here in the North. Should I up sticks with my family, sell my Phuket property, relocate my business to a more modest micro-economic environment, and ‘escape’ the throngs of sun-lotion embalmed…
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On Deck: When only a fraction is enough
PHUKET: What happened to fractional boat ownership? In the not-too-distant past, shared ownership of boats seemed to be the ‘thing’. A great way to introduce non-boaters into boating, and then retaining leisure boaters, with a cost-effective form of ownership. A panacea. In Phuket the concept caught on, but was short-lived. Early pioneers included Simon James, Royal Phuket Marina and Twinpalms,…
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Gardening: Choosing the right insecticide
PHUKET: A good friend, Graham, an airline captain, asks “Can you recommend an all-round weed-killer, not for the garden but for the grass and weeds out in the road by my house?” He adds: “For the last two months, we have fed the pretty caterpillar population (green with blue eyes) and love the butterflies into which they develop, but we…
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Blazing Saddles: Making new year resolutions fun
PHUKET: Making (and often immediately breaking) New Year’s resolutions is an age-old tradition all over the world, as we pass from one year into the next. Hope, and its close cousin self delusion, are abundant at this time of year as we promise to be better and brighter versions of ourselves. In Phuket, in fact, you get not just one,…
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History: Bangkok for the holidays raises query about Victory Monument
PHUKET: People who live in Bangkok are probably familiar with the Victory Monument. For those visiting, however, there is a good chance you will spend some time stuck in traffic in this famous circle, and this might cause you to contemplate what it commemorates. One of Bangkok’s iconic landmarks, the Victory Monument is located at the intersection of Phahonyothin Road,…
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By the Book: Off-plan vs completed properties
PHUKET: With high season well under way, many visitors to Phuket over the next few months will also be property buyers. There are many different considerations for buyers to think about when making a purchase, and one of the first to be made is whether to buy an off-plan property or a completed one. Both options come with benefits and…
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Excuse Buster: Surviving the holiday season
PHUKET: Need tips to surviving the holiday period? Here is a compilation of different ideas suggesting how to successfully handle the festive period and still have a good time. PICK YOUR CHEAT MEALS Aim for 80/20 in favor of healthy eating over the holidays. The festive season does not have to be a non-stop session of overindulgence, nor do you…
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Keep it Green: Introduction of alien invaders
PHUKET: One hot and dusty afternoon years ago I was driving along a remote Colorado road when I passed a large wayside bundle. Curious, I stopped. It was a huge carp, out of its natural element but still gasping for air under a blazing sun. I picked the slimy thing up, all of thirty pounds, wrapped it in a towel…
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Across the Land: Is bigger always better?
PHUKET: If you are planning to buy a home with the intention that it will become your dwelling when you retire, it is advisable to consider a few factors. Firstly, size should be a major consideration. Please be realistic; is it really necessary to own a large home with four or five rooms if it’s just you and your partner…
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Sun sets on another Superyacht Rendezvous
PHUKET: On December 18, the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous drew to a close with a grand VIP gala dinner hosted by Kata Rocks Resort, whose Hospitality Team took first place at the fun-filled Feadship Challenge model boat race the previous evening. Yacht owners and the creme de la creme of Thailand gathered in opulent surroundings to celebrate luxury yachting over three…
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Paul Oakenfold takes on Xana
PHUKET: The atmosphere at the Xana Beach Club was electrifying as guests poured in for the opening night of the DJ festival, running from December 12-20 and featuring nine of the best local and international DJs. Despite the pouring rain, the venue was quickly filled to capacity as guests waited for the first performer of the night – three time…
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Diving: PADI dives in with freediving courses
PHUKET: PADI is taking the plunge as it dives into an entire new world with its recently-launched set of freediving courses. Freediving is a small niche in the diving industry that PADI has, up to now, not tapped into. For more than a decade there has been the PADI Skin Diver course, which “teaches you how to enjoy watching life…
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Property Watch: Domestic market goes international
PHUKET: Part of Phuket’s expanding economy is its strong attraction as a regional hub for expatriates to live and work, and a key attraction for them is the high quality of educational offerings. Over the past decade, ten of the current thirteen international schools were established. The most evident surge was in the period of 2005-2010, when seven schools, most…
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Up in the air: THAI not banned from European airspace
PHUKET: After a slew of bad news for Thai commercial aviation abroad, the industry finally got a much needed piece of good news with the December 10 announcement by the European Commission (EC) that no Thai airlines were included on the updated Air Safety List drawn up by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Some industry analysts had mistakenly feared…
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New resort appeals to source markets with ‘Thainess’
PHUKET: Kata is prime real estate for those in the hospitality industry who are catering to the free independent traveller (FIT) market segment, explained Watanyu Asawabenjang, owner of the recently-opened Nook Dee Kata Beach Phuket Resort. “Kata Beach is where those people want to be. It’s the top choice for the FIT market, as well as couples and families,” Mr…
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Property Watch: Real estate agents: good, bad or ugly?
PHUKET: Has anybody noticed that the same properties can be listed on different websites with different descriptions and in some cases feel like completely different properties? Well, one of our readers did, and has brought to notice two listings about the same property. Is it fair for a buyer or seller to be subjected to this type of behavior, assuming…
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Gardening: Fashions and fads for gardeners
PHUKET: While horticulture is not an exact science, neither is it an unchanging one. Hence research sometimes arrives at new ways of tackling old problems. Take tree planting, for instance. Conventional wisdom decrees that you dig a round hole a bit bigger than the root ball and fill it with a combination of compost and loam or top soil. But…
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Superyacht Rendezvous returns with vigor
PHUKET: The Asia Superyacht Rendezvous will once again celebrate Luxury Yachting at the award-winning Kata Rocks Resort Phuket on December 16 through 18. “We are proud to be a part of such an amazing event. Sitting pool-side at Kata Rocks, overlooking the magnificent superyachts that attend the event each year is a beautiful sight,” said Scot Toon, general manager of…
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Dream Beach makes waves
PHUKET: Singaporean commercial real estate developer Castlewood Group has announced the highly anticipated December 12 opening of Phuket’s newest beach club, Dream Beach. Designed to provide a complete day-to-night beach club experience, the modern decor and contemporary furnishings provide an escape rarely found in Phuket. Set on the pristine white sands of Layan Beach with direct access to the sea,…
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Profile: The Wizard of Oil
PHUKET: I first met the artist Watcharin Rodnit in 2007 when I went to prison in Phuket Town. Perhaps I should explain that a little. In fact, I visited the Phuket Youth and Child Penitentiary for an afternoon to write a story about a couple of artists who dedicated their time to teaching painting to young offenders behind bars, using…
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Blazing Saddles: Cycling against cancer
PHUKET: Last year, as I was grinding out the kilometers from Bangkok to Phuket with Siam Bike Tours’ eight-day group trip, I was inspired by the robust figure of Rudy Pospisil, a Canadian firefighter and cancer survivor who was also cycling this trip as a small part of his around-the-world epic ride to raise funds for cancer research. I started…
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Keep it Green: The need to invest in our trees
PHUKET: The recent decision by Rawai’s mayor to uproot 27 casuarina trees next to Nai Harn Beach caused such an outcry that the project had to be suspended and the project to build a Hollywood style movie museum, at least for the time-being, put on hold. This disturbing and short-sighted initiative is symptomatic of Phuket’s disregard for one of its…
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Banyan Tree ready for high season with new renovations
PHUKET: After more than two decades as a dominant player in the luxury hotel market on the island, the Banyan Tree Phuket finally became an ‘all pool villa’ resort as it completed its most recent renovations last month. “With a lot of new resorts coming on line, it has become almost imperative to get our resort up to where we…
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On Deck: Preparing to set sail with AEC
PHUKET: As we near the end of the year there’s more and more talk about the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). Set to be implemented in December 2015, the details are sketchy at best, but don’t let that dampen your optimism. The AEC is a work in progress. I’m going to gaze into my marine industry crystal ball in a moment…
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Property Watch: Phuket tourism must innovate or die
PHUKET: As Phuket takes the sharp left turn into yet another high season, one constant source of chatter on line, in bars and in the media, is the meteoric rise of the cult of the doomsayers. Call it bling, or just plain nonsense, but our island telegraph remains ripe with tales of rampant chronic failure. Yes, the once maligned Russian…
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