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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Marina across the bay
PHUKET: Krabi Boat Lagoon opened in late 2012 as one of the province’s first residential marinas, adding a new freehold option for foreign investors with The Cleat Condominium – a collection of 45 waterfront condominium units in three low-density buildings overlooking the marina’s 80 yacht berths. Built by Boat Development Co Ltd, the same developers who built the Phuket Boat…
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Island View: Beauty, boats and bays
PHUKET: Waking up on a boat in Phang Nga Bay fills a person with wonder. Looking out across the bay, a magical, surreal sensation consumes you. It is not waking up from a dream, but waking up into one; the calm azure sea weaves its way around countless limestone outcroppings, the karst topography almost an extension of the water’s flow.…
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Proud Real Estate expanding presence
PHUKET: Proud Real Estate Co is launching more hotels and amusement attractions in Hua Hin and Phuket to cash in on the flood of tourists. Proudputh Liptapanlop, Proud Real Estate executive director, said yesterday that the company would also expand its flagship hotel, the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort, by adding the 40-room BluPort Wing in October. The company expects to…
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Witness spectacles at the Thailand Yacht Show
PHUKET: The very first state-sponsored Thailand Yacht Show promises a whole lot of fun on the water, showcasing the latest luxury yachts available for charter and aquatic toys, plus the latest offerings from the region’s top boating industry specialists and suppliers at Ao Po Grand Marina today through February 14. Additionally, there will be exhibitions and displays on the water,…
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On Deck: At last, good news for our oceans
PHUKET: Ocean trash is growing. It’s an important issue that gets a lot of attention, at times, but little is actually done about it. Two Spain-based Aussie surfers, Pete Ceglinski and Andrew Turton, are about to change that. In a former life, Turton was a product designer who realized that the plastic products he was designing were sources of pollution.…
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Property Watch: Foreigners: beware of condo laws
PHUKET: Every year I learn a host of new rules and regulations which impact property investors in Thailand, sometimes positively but often detrimentally. This year I learned something new, which either by chance or good fortune, my clients over 13 plus years here have never experienced. Unfortunately, I view the situation as being severely detrimental and anti-foreign investment in nature.…
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Profiile: Legend of Phuket’s Green Man
PHUKET: Howard Digby-Johns presides over the most interesting estate on Phuket. His ‘Green Man Pub’ on the road between Chalong and Kata Hill looks like a gracious English manor from the outside. But upon exploring the extensive landscaped grounds, one finds a subterranean wine cellar, a temple to the Egyptian god Osiris, shrines to the Hindu god Ganesh, a parlor…
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Old Town architecture inspires
PHUKET: Even today, the Sino-Portuguese architecture of Old Phuket Town is an excellent example of practical designs that have stood the test of time. The simple and ingenious designs of shop houses and mansions built during Phuket’s tin-mining rush, and the influx of Chinese migrants in the 17th century, are often a source of inspiration for local and international architects.…
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Sea Breeze Cafe brings a whole new level to buffet-chic
PHUKET: It is a common misconception that resort bars and restaurants are for in-house guests only. Among others, the Holiday Inn Resort’s dining venues are open to all comers. At the Sea Breeze Cafe, they offer their popular bi-weekly seafood buffet, and there is no place better suited for this delicious spread than the resort’s poolside with its view of…
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Blazing Saddles: Dreams of Bang Wad Dam mountain biking
PHUKET: Undoubtedly the Bang Wad Dam and its surrounding mountainous environs high above the Phuket Country Club and golf course could offer fabulous recreational and cycling potential if it is developed with foresight and care. I have written previously about the current plans to develop this area and why I think there needs to be a serious re-appraisal of the…
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Looking Back: When two kings sat on the throne
PHUKET: In July of 1824, King Buddha Loetla Nabhalai, Rama II, suddenly fell very ill. Not long after, he passed away. According to the palace’s succession law, the throne would have to pass on to the son of Queen Suriyendra, Prince Mongkut. Queen Suriyendra was King Rama II’s consort and according to Siamese royal tradition, only the sons of a…
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By the Book: Live in Phuket, work abroad
PHUKET: There is a growing trend in Phuket for expats in Southeast Asia to relocate their families here while commuting to work in major cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong, KL and Bangkok. Phuket’s international airport provides regional business people convenient access to multiple destinations at low costs. Therefore, the option of using Phuket as a base to do business…
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On Deck: Best toys for seagoing girls and boys
PHUKET: For some, size is everything. Perhaps you’ve already got the superyacht and your crew are waiting on you 24/7; the question is ‘what’s next?’ Toys are where it’s at. The jetski is so 2000. The water Jetpacks and Flyboards are so yesterday. You need something better. Something newer. Here are three toys that should be on every sea-lover’s gift…
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Property Watch: Changing face of luxury villa rentals
PHUKET: Islands by nature change and evolve over time. Since the late 1980s, Phuket has witnessed sustained upward growth in luxury private pool villas and even today there are no signs of the sector slowing down. One important byline has been a growing emphasis on holiday rentals, and this has in fact shifted through the last two decades. In recent…
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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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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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Layan luxury at Pavilions Phuket
PHUKET: Holiday makers to Phuket’s shores are spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing a vacation spot. Boasting more than two dozen beaches, Phuket offers plenty of variety and flexibility for all tastes and budgets. For seasoned travellers who value tranquility and privacy above all else, Layan Beach is a good option to explore. One of Phuket’s lesser known…
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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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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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Sansiri launches Baan Mai Khao development
PHUKET: Sansiri Public Company Limited has officially launched its recently completed Baan Mai Khao beachfront condominium development. The development includes 206 ready-to-move-in units with up to three bedrooms, including single units, duplexes and penthouses, explained Uthai Uthaisangsuk, senior executive vice president at Sansiri. Prices start from 13.5 million baht with a guaranteed yield of six percent for two years. Baan…
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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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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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On Deck: Double-edged sword of marine tourism
PHUKET: 2015 has been an ‘interesting’ year tourism-wise for Phuket, and, in my opinion, will go down in history as the one when Phuket’s visitor demographics shifted seismically. The ‘Asian Century’ is truly here. In Phuket’s marine world, the number of people out on the water, enjoying the island and its marine treasures, is at an all time high, thanks…
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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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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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Law and Order: Seeking asylum in Thailand
PHUKET: Last week, I met with an American who wanted to apply for a tourist visa for his Thai wife. The American has lived in Thailand for about four years. I asked him why he was living in Thailand instead of the United States with his wife. What he told me was a bit jarring. He said, “I am an…
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