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 The real cost of being a digital nomad in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for digital nomads, known for its affordable living, lively culture, and modern facilities. With its warm climate, great food, and friendly communities, it's an ideal place for remote workers to balance work and travel. However,...
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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: Going back to your roots
PHUKET: Recently I went in search of spice seeds to photograph. I needed them for pictures that could accompany my scribblings about herbs and spices, and, in addition, to try out in the garden. I found more than I had bargained for, including such exotic stuff as dried butterfly pea flowers (clitoria ternata), liquorice root, star anise and fenugreek. Not…
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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: Goodness gracious, great buds of fire
PHUKET: Blooming ‘flame trees’ have Phuket ablaze with scarlet flowers all over the island, particularly in July. Trees, like flowers, often remain unnoticed until they burst into bloom. The seasonal rains stimulate a number of trees into showing off their wares. The flame trees, for example, are aflame with their brilliant scarlet flowers everywhere during their season. Less dramatic, but…
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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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World class rehab center opens doors in Phuket
PHUKET: Sex, gambling, drug and alcohol addictions in Asia are on the rise as a by-product of the region’s rapid economic development. Until recently, treatment facilities in Asia for those suffering from substance addictions, compulsive behavior and resulting mental issues have not kept pace with societal changes. “We are seeing a big rise in the use of alcohol, drugs and…
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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 Yacht Chefs are Franke-ly brilliant
PHUKET: SIX Senses Phuket Raceweek not only enjoyed great competition on the water this year, but also witnessed a great culinary challenge to celebrate the 100th anniversary of kitchen appliance supplier Franke Kitchen Systems. The ‘Franke Yacht Chefs Cooking Challenge’, a first for Thailand, was organized in Phuket to test the cooking skills of yacht chefs, with 100,000 baht worth…
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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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Phuket Gardening: Little lily love in the tropics
PHUKET: BOOKS on tropical gardening contain little information about types of lily. In fact, few ornamental varieties are mentioned. There is plenty about the allium branch of the family – onions, chives, garlic and the like – but little on flowering lilies. The problem is that though they have been around for 4,000 years, the majority of lilies grow only…
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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 dog hero wins top award
PHUKET: THE valiant efforts of Gill Dalley, co-founder of Phuket’s Soi Dog Foundation (SDF), were recognized earlier this month when she was named the first Asia Pacific Canine Hero at The SPCA Canine Welfare Awards ceremony in Chengdu, China. The award was established to recognize significant contributions for the betterment of canine welfare in Asia. Gill was singled out among…
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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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Phuket a haven for addicts
PHUKET: Although illegal, over-the-counter sale and purchase of benzodiazepine derivative drug like diezapam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax) is common in Thailand, and is even tacitly accepted by many local authorities. However the practice exposes buyers to health risks including addiction or overdose. Last year, a high-ranking source in the Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) admitted to The Gazette that his…
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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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Rapid rise for Phuket’s Chicky Net network
PHUKET: WHAT started out from a Phuket expat wanting to expand her social circle has grown into a commercial network of its own, connecting 1,400 women all over Thailand – in just two years. Chicky Net was launched in 2009 when Berthe Mandaat, 34, originally of the Netherlands, relocated to Phuket. The website started off as an online group for…
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