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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Living in a big city like Bangkok, most people find themselves caught up in the daily grind. However, a restorative break from it all is something everyone needs once in a while. Luckily, the city has plenty of options for...
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A bright horizon – Phuket Property
PHUKET: Southeast Asia continues to see upbeat investment sentiment with Thailand seeing real estate owners inject assets into property funds while overall commercial real estate transaction volume in Asia Pacific declined by 11% q-o-q to US$19.2 billion after an unusually strong Q1 2013. The market remained active and the quarterly total was in line with volumes recorded last year, according…
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It’s all in the game – Phuket TECH
PHUKET: Teachers and students of the Prince of Songkla University, Phuket College joined by representatives of the US Embassy, recently welcomed Erin Hoffman, an American video game designer and book author who came to Phuket to conduct a workshop on game designing. Erin Hoffman is a lead game designer at the Institute of Play’s Glasslab project –which is focused on…
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Snot squeezes and secrets – Phuket Diving
PHUKET: There was an issue before we even boarded the boat. We had been waiting all weekend to photograph the artificial reef at Viking Cave off of Phi Phi Island and weather delays had pushed us back to our last day on the island, and now, looking at the pile of green mucus in my tissue, it was clear there…
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A worthy initiative – Phuket Gardening
PHUKET: Any initiative which includes the planting of new trees is to be welcomed. There is a plan afoot, initiated by Mr Songjit Suppakit of Phisut Technology and supported by Phuket’s Governor Maitri Inthusut, to connect Sirirat Road (near Le Meridian Beach Resort) to remote and spectacular Tri Trang and Freedom beaches. The most ecologically sensitive proposal is to replace…
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Samui’s tender trap – Phuket Property Watch
PHUKET: Everywhere you turn these days, tourism talk inevitably winds up on the subject of the mass market. It’s not unlike barreling down a dead-end street on a supercharged, high-speed bulldozer. There is no such thing as a damage control button to push. Yes, there will be collateral damage. Meanwhile back on the broader Thailand train of thought, and particularly…
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Skeletons from Phuket’s past
PHUKET: In 1992, a peculiar discovery was made in a village on Phuket Island. Baan Khok-Tanod, situated in Chalong sub-district in the south of Phuket, was the site of the strange discovery when a local company that owned a piece of land in the village decided to dig up the area in order to build a wall around the land.…
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Phuket Retirement: The ‘Use it or lose it’ hypothesis
PHUKET: New findings suggest that retiring later in life can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Studies by French public research institute INSERM, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference last month, suggested that for each year after 60 that a person is retired, the risk of subsequently developing the disease is lowered by 3.2%. The research included analysis…
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Pampering yourself – Phuket Lifestyle
PHUKET: Beauty and relaxation therapies such as massage, facial, and body wraps remain popular spa treatments for those who want to relax their mind and body, and melt away the stress of a busy work schedule.Spa treatments have a huge range of benefits, which include: increased relaxation, reduced stress, relief from headaches, relief from muscle tension (including facial muscles), improved…
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Still fond of Phuket: Poll
PHUKET: The island fell one spot to 3rd in the Top 10 Holiday Destinations in Asia list of this year’s “Smart Travel Asia Awards”, which was based on an Internet travellers’ choice poll that ran from May to July. Although Bali narrowly edged Phuket, just like last year, the Indonesian leisure hub didn’t have highest honors this time, as there…
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Passing on your condo – Phuket Property Legal
PHUKET: Pursuant to the current Condominium Act of Thailand, and per the common practices used at the Thai land offices, the transfer of ownership of your freehold condominium unit to your spouse or children, in whole or in part, can pose a problem to those who wish to make such a transfer. Section 19 of the Condominium Act of Thailand…
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Phuket Books: An entrepreneur’s journey in life – Don Battles
PHUKET: A book that is self-published is called a vanity project. Don Battles shows a big chunk of vanity. Subtitled An Entrepreneur’s Journey in Life, his autobiography Merchant of the Orient (Xlibris Corp. 2013, 292pp) is printed on glossy A4 sized paper and costs over 60 American dollars. The text is clear and free of typos, yet weakened by the…
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Adventure on Koh Yao Noi – Phuket Explore
PHUKET: Koh Yao Noi is a little island located in between Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi and is part of the Phang Nga province. The island has not yet seen a massive invasion of tourists and it has gained a reputation as a quiet place to escape from the buzz of Phuket, in particular for local expats and for all…
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Phuket Town to hit new heights: condominium
PHUKET: Local developer Phanason has broken ground on its next “city-living” project – the Height Condominium, an eye-catching medium-rise development in Phuket Town. The 15-storey project is sure to attract wide interest among buyers and speculators in the city’s ever-fluid, yet lucrative residential real estate market. Elaborating on the project’s concept, Phanason marketing manager, Cheurchan Panvikarn told the Phuket Gazette…
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Happy Ukrainian Independence Day, Phuket!
PHUKET: With all the Russian writing on Phuket signs and in beachside restaurants’ menus, you might think that there are many Russians in Phuket…and you wouldn’t be wrong. But keep in mind that not all of them are actually Russians. With some 30,532 Ukrainians having visited Thailand since the beginning of this year, chances are that the Russian family you…
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Phuket Explore: Blazing saddles – Capering “round the cape
PHUKET: Seeking quieter backwaters where the cycling is relaxed and relatively traffic-free, the locals laid-back and the scenery dramatic, is a challenging task these days in Phuket. However, one corner in the island’s southeast certainly ticks all these boxes with the added bonus of offering one of the island’s cleanest, most beguiling swimming beaches. Last week I took a trip…
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Our neighbors, the Sikhs – Phuket Culture
PHUKET: Travelling is my thing. And chances are it’s yours too. For many of us it was the love of travel that brought us here to Phuket.But what’s the point of living on one of the world’s most famous islands if you end up leaving it every weekend? Khao Sok, Khao Lak, Phang Nga, Phi Phi… all very tempting. But…
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Trellises and a treasure trove – Phuket Gardening
PHUKET: According to Wikipedia, a trellis is an architectural structure, usually made from wood, bamboo or metal with an open framework or lattice of interwoven or intersecting parts and made to support and display climbing plants, especially shrubs. My father had a wooden trellis made expressly for his climbing roses, but such a construction in Phuket would quickly fall victim…
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Hedging your bets – Phuket Gardening
PHUKET: Few of us don’t relish the sense of ownership, of having our own pad or plot. And since we want to feel secure, we build walls around us to ensure that we can enjoy some privacy, as well as for a feeling of protection. As the saying goes: “An Englishman’s home is his castle.” But there are dissenters to…
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Condo commercial compliance
PHUKET: There are a number of condominium developments in Phuket where commercial entities do business, be it a travel agency, rental agency, spa or restaurant. Although such businesses may benefit the owners, juristic persons should make sure that commercial use of space in residential condominiums is compliant with the Condominium Act. Compliance with the building regulations will help ensure transparency…
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Savitri plans Phuket hotel
PHUKET: Savitri Ramyarupa, managing director of Chatrium Hotels and Residences, shared her vision and plans for the next three years. She said she is planning to add two more properties in Bangkok and Phuket, along with expanding an existing property in Yangon, Myanmar. This is an attempt to cash in on the expected influx of international business and leisure travellers…
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VIDEO REPORT: Yoga: breathing in new life
PHUKET: Young Spanish filmmaker and inveterate traveller Josu Ozkaritz’s latest documentary project Breathing Ashtanga Yoga was largely filmed in Phuket and features teachers and students of the popular Ashtanga Yoga style talking about the profound effect the ancient discipline has had on their lives.Josu has worked on a number of self-funded film projects and stumbled across the idea to do…
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Tuk tuks go green, global – Phuket Tech
PHUKET: Dutch company Tuk Tuk Factory, which builds electric three-wheeled tuk tuks modelled on the classic Thai form of transportation, has developed a new webtool enabling customers to design their own customized, electric tuk tuk.When they began supplying electric e-Tuks all over the globe, from Greenland to the Caribbean, it became clear to the manufacturers that practically all three-wheelers produced…
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Dennis Rodman saves the world
PHUKET: Dennis Rodman, the bad boy of basketball, recently visited North Korea and became great pals with its youthful leader, Kim Jong-un, an ardent basketball fan. Rodman declared Kim to be an “awesome kid” and his “friend for life.” The two were photographed laughing and clapping at a basketball game and giving each other a series of warm hugs. Below…
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Blame it on the rain – Phuket Property Watch
PHUKET: I was channel surfing the other night when the Hollywood classic “Singin’ in the Rain” came up on screen. Settling deep into my comfy TV chair as my dog Koko lay nearby chasing dream rabbits across imaginary landscapes, things came to an all-too-sudden and conclusive end. Lightning struck near to the house and within seconds a torrential downpour ensued…
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How does your Phuket garden grow?
PHUKET: Oliver Wendell Holmes, an American lawyer, once wrote: “It is better to be seventy years young than forty years old”. I hope he’s right. What we do know from experience is that gardening is a rejuvenating activity that helps to keep one young. How? Simply by doing it. All that rich, oxygenated air filled with fragrance, every visual delight,…
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Thais’ time in the sun – Phuket Diving
PHUKET: The obsession with light colored skin in Phuket and Thailand among Thais has led to a boom in many industries, most notably cosmetics, where a variety of skin-whitening products, from deodorant to face cream, are readily available. In at least one industry, however, this aversion to the sun has created an incredible lack of local staff and entrepreneurs –…
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Singapore National Day – Phuket Lifestyle
PHUKET: It’s party time…again. And for Singapore it’s the 48th time – today the small Southeast Asian country celebrates its National Day marking the anniversary of independence from Malaysia. A speech by the Prime Minister, a colorful procession presenting the island’s multicultural character and naturally, fireworks, are all planned for this special day. Looking BackBefore Singapore got its current name,…
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Phuket In focus – Dreams do come true
PHUKET: Terminally sick nine-year-old, Pakjira “Aom” Jamlongpan had never seen Thailand’s Andaman coast before. Now her wish to swim in the sea was finally about to come true. “Life is precious, so do your best today as you don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow,” was the sentence echoing in my head as I waited for her at Chalong…
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A new lease on island life – Phuket Property
PHUKET: When is leasehold more valuable than freehold?: “In over 35 years in the property industry in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Thailand, and having worked in many Asian countries, I would have said until very recently, never. “However, I have to acknowledge that with the arrival of some excellent leasehold properties, the Thai property industry has recognized that a…
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Thai realtors prepare for Asean integration
PHUKET: The Real Estate Sales and Marketing Association of Thailand (RESAM) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR), a leading global real estate association, joined forces recently to host a networking event in Phuket. The international real estate business network event, called Thailand CIPS (certified international property specialist) 2013 was an education and work program held at Royal Phuket City…
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