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 cinema: ‘Friends with Benefits’
PHUKET: Friends with Benefits will appeal especially to those who have lived or would like to live under the circumstances implied by its title. You can almost hear the echoes of Harry Burns from 1989’s When Harry Met Sally cautioning, “Men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.” Thankfully for showbiz, the young…
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Riding works of art in Phuket
PHUKET: A thriving little business in Patong called “Metal Arts” produces metal sculptures for customers from Australia, Europe, America and more. Their most recent projects include painstakingly assembled rideable motorcycle sculptures. Currently, there is one at Jungceylon priced at 130,000 baht. Mr Sornthong Yimyai, owner of Metal Arts, has a vocational certificate in mechanics and has been creating metalwork projects…
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Phuket’s time machines
PHUKET: Phuket moves forward into the 21st century, striving and struggling to maintain its name and reputation as a world-renowned destination, island and home. Along with progress have come problems. A sharp rise in population and increased traffic congestion are among the downsides of rapid urbanization. One of Phuket’s most pressing issues is public mass transport, or lack thereof. Indeed,…
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Foreign teacher employability in Phuket
PHUKET: Soon Thai schools throughout Phuket will finish this year’s first term and break for a respite before the second term begins in late October. This being the case, prospective teachers will be hitting the pavement in search of a job and this is a perfect time to assess an applicant’s chances of employment. While certainly not scientific, the following…
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Phuket Gardening: Take a leaf out of my book
PHUKET: As anyone who lives here in Phuket can testify, green leaves are as crucial to Thai cuisine as lettuce is to a western salad and mint to English roast lamb. Indeed, the edible leaves of at least three herbs – coriander, basil and mint – are present in many international dishes, both east and west of the Indian Ocean.…
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Therapy giving hope to people battling fear and phobias in Phuket
PHUKET: Heavy rains are expected in all regions along the Andaman coast until tomorrow afternoon, an officer at the Thai Meteorological Department told the Phuket Gazette this morning.Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, Trang and Satun will all be affected. Tourists should avoid swimming in the sea for the next two days, as the surf is likely to be particularly dangerous, the…
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Phuket Lifestyle: Dream voyage with Silver Lining
PHUKET: A superyacht made in Thailand has left Phuket’s shores on a circumnavigation of the World. It has taken more than three years and 375 workers to build, but at last the superyacht Silver Lining has begun its round-the-world voyage. And for Canadian owner Chris Lenz, 45, it’s a dream come true. Formerly one of Hong Kong’s most successful food…
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Teaching 9/11 in Phuket schools
PHUKET: A decade on from that fateful day, what are Phuket schoolchildren learning about 9/11? Teaching children too young to remember the events of 9/11 is difficult to imagine for adults who can recall the carnage of that day as if it were yesterday. For us adults, 9/11 will be an event that defines our time, but for children it…
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Phuket gardening: Help with growing pains
PHUKET: Garden centers in Phuket like the curate’s egg; they are good in parts. Some suffer from neglect, others are overpriced, especially those nearest to the fashionable west coast resorts. The centers that supply plants to hotels are likely to offer the best value. This gardener recently acquired a calliandra, the botanical name meaning “beautiful stamens” and the common name…
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Phuket gardening: Let them grow wild
PHUKET: WHEN enthusiastic gardeners who have lived in Europe or North America first come to Phuket, they need to understand the very different requirements that plants have in this habitat. Because it is much hotter and, during the monsoon, much wetter, few temperate plants can survive these conditions. They may be able to endure several degrees of frost but, on…
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Phuket gardening: Going bananas
PHUKET: Bananas come in many shapes and sizes and grow readily in Phuket. Some readers may remember an old pop song that opens with the phrase “Yes! We have no bananas.” This is, however, not true of Thailand. The Kingdom has many kinds of banana (botanical name musa). Nobody knows for sure, but Southeast Asia may have been where the…
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Phuket Gardening: Delving into the Dragon
PHUKET: ONLY a select few members of the cactus family produce edible fruit. In Thailand, you will only regularly encounter one that does – the dragon fruit (hylocerus undatus), known locally as the pitaya. It is one of those tropical oddities that make your mind boggle in astonishment when you first encounter it at fresh markets – a unique rose-pink…
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Phuket’s Brush film fest a must
PHUKET: THE film and music festival being held this month at Brush on Kalim Beach may well be one of Phuket’s best kept secrets. The art restaurant is hosting screenings of films from Hollywood veterans and up-and-coming members of London’s art circles in addition to music performances from local talent, throughout August. This is good news for those who enjoyed…
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Phuket’s Tin man with a heart of gold
PHUKET: THE Hongyok family have one of Phuket’s most prominent and prestigious names. They have made their mark as a successful business family and established a strong presence in local politics. The Hongsyoks are indeed a big part of Phuket’s inspirational history. Luang Anuphasphuketkarn is the member of the Hongyok family whose life story resonates the most. The local nobleman…
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Phuket says farewell to priest of 40 years
PHUKET: The Catholic Christian community in Phuket has lost a great pastor and friend. Father Richard Woodarek passed away on Friday. He was 82 years old and had spent more than half of his life in Thailand, most of it in Phuket. Father Richard was born on December 3, 1928 in Salamanca, New York. His parents, both deceased, were Walther…
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Phuket Dog Whisperer: Sensing what humans can’t
PHUKET: DOGS inherited their keen senses from wolf ancestors, and it’s these attributes that enable dogs to play a massive part in our lives. With their phenomenal sense of smell, dogs are being used to sniff out illegal narcotics, explosives and even pirated DVDs. Their sight and hearing capabilities help assist the blind and deaf to live more independent lives,…
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Phuket Property Watch: Hooray for Koh Sireh as prices rise
PHUKET: FOR THOSE of a certain age, the never-ending, tortuously-lingering melody of the song “Que Sera, Sera” ignites throughts of waterboarding at Guantanamo. It’s like the nerve-screeching act of sawing a frozen turkey with a violin bow. For most of us, commercials and advertising jingles stuck in our subconscious outnumber memories of more profound events in our lives. Anyone who…
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Phuket Gardening: Plant life in the dry lane
PHUKET: Most Phuket gardeners probably don’t give growing catci a second thought. Here’s why they should… Although Euphorbias are one of the largest genera of succulents, cacti (cactacea) are certainly the best known. There are plenty of them in Thailand, even though most of them come from the Americas. Think of all those cowboy films with Mexican bandits and gun-toting…
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Phuket Gardening: Climbing the walls
PHUKET: Thailand is home to countless white-walled gardens. For the most part they are beautiful – until a year or two of tropical rain leaves them looking discolored and plain shabby. Of course, they can be repainted, but this is not as easy as it sounds when you have to manipulate your brush or roller behind rows of shrubs or…
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Phuket Gardening: A lazy gardener’s delight
PHUKET: The crown of thorns, or euphorbia millii, is a succulent plant that doesn’t require much attention. When the word “succulent” is used, it is usually applied to juicy, delicious fruit such as ripe mangoes, oranges, or pineapples. But for horticulturists, the word has very different connotations: it refers to so-called “fat plants” that store water in their leaves, stems,…
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Photoshop workshop
PHUKET: Are you interested in learning more about Photoshop? If you’ve ever had a hankering to make your pictures better, Photoshop is the way to do it, and the basics are easy. The latest in a series of free introductory computer clinics, this Intro to Photoshop clinic assumes you have Photoshop installed on your PC, and know how to open…
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New zoning includes Phuket’s beaches and islands
PHUKET: THE chief of the Public Works and Town and Country Planning office in Phuket has called for all developers and local authorities issuing building permits to heed the new zoning regulations that came into force on July 7. “The application form for building permits remains the same and requires submission at local Administration Organizations for processing and issuing,” said…
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Phuket’s peckish, so hop to it and make it snappy
PHUKET: Crocodile, frog, snake and warthog aren’t the first things that spring to mind when a westerner thinks “bar snack”. But in Thailand, these delicacies belong to the food group known as Gup Glam (snack food to be devoured with alcohol). And where better to sample these outlandish delights than in the jungle on the outskirts of Kathu waterfall, where…
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Facebook Planking craze catches Phuket lying down
People around the globe are acting like planks of wood for fun. But why would anyone want to do this, and what is planking anyway? Love it or loathe it, planking has reached Thailand. PLANKING PHUKET Indie Market, Debuk Road, June 17, 8pm LYING face-down on the sidewalk, his arms by his sides and legs outstretched, the boy remains motionless…
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Phuket’s Wine Connection Asian empire at 33
PHUKET: WINE Connection is no longer just a place to pick up a bottle for a special occasion. It is expanding rapidly, launching new bistro-bar-deli outlets nationwide. Four out of the six Phuket branches are going in this direction. The company’s new 150-seat flagship eatery at Central Festival is a testament to the new business model and how far the…
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Phuket deli delights: A day at Delish Cafe
PHUKET: Delish lives up to its name. Since opening last December this little cafe in Rawai, next to Fisherman Way, has carved out a firm following with expats and tourists as the place to go for a fix of fresh. Here are 10 reasons why the Phuket Gazette tips its hat to Delish. Ice Coffee: Start the day straw-in-mouth slurping…
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Just a hop across the bay from Phuket
PHUKET: With traffic, construction and tourist arrivals all on the rise here in Phuket, its island paradise factor is easily lost amid the flurry of commerce. But Phuket is located in one of the most scenic regions on Earth, and little pieces of paradise do remain within very reasonable price – and boat – range. One such gem is Koh…
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Soi Dog Phuket facing closure, B5mn needed
PHUKET: THE Soi Dog Foundation’s future (SDF) on Phuket is uncertain. Currently situated on 11.5 rai in Mai Khao, the foundation, which has been tackling Phuket’s severe stray dog problem since 2003, purchased half of the site in 2009. They are now facing pressure from the landowner to buy the other half, which SDF currently utilizes, by October for 10…
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Pencilling humor into Phuket people’s lives
PHUKET: THE provocative and amusing work of Dutch artist Iskander Walen is everywhere, even on Phuket. His art has been exhibited in Paris and Singapore, featuring regularly in Today newspaper, FHM and I-S magazines to name a few, as well as being published in two best-selling books. His popularity lies in the simplicity of his art. Whether it’s a sculpture…
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Bypass Bali, go for the Gilis
PHUKET: BALI is a bit overrated these days, having been bombarded by Eat, Pray, Love-inspired hippie wannabes and Australians on their version of spring break. From Ubud to Kuta, Bali’s understated charm is morphing into commercialized hell. But there’s a way to escape this: Bail out of Bali and head to the Gili islands. The “Gilis” comprise three small islands…
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