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.

  • Cooking spotted eagle ray is OK – Fisheries spokesperson | Thaiger

    Cooking spotted eagle ray is OK – Fisheries spokesperson

    “The use of spotted eagle rays as a main ingredient in a reality TV cooking show is not illegal, though the aquatic animal should be conserved rather than consumed.” This from the Deputy Fisheries Department Director General Arunchai Puthcharoen. He referred to controversy over the use of eagle rays as the main ingredient in the Thai MasterChef program, raising concerns…

  • “Measles vaccine doesn’t cause autism” – conclusive Danish study | Thaiger

    “Measles vaccine doesn’t cause autism” – conclusive Danish study

    Even as measles outbreaks continue to mount among clusters of unvaccinated children around the world, in developed countries as well as a concentration in Thailand’s southern provinces, yet another large study finds NO association between the measles vaccine and autism – a reason often parroted by parents for refusing vaccination for their children. Measles infected 2,280 people and killed 18…

  • 18 busted in e-cigarette and vaping raid in bangkok | Thaiger

    18 busted in e-cigarette and vaping raid in bangkok

    Whilst a new vaping and e-cigarette lobby group continue to push the government for a review on laws on vaping and e-cigarette products, the police are notching up more crackdowns on the sales of products related to vaping. Read about the lobby group HERE. Sixteen Thais and two Burmese men have been arrested in Bangkok for selling e-cigarette devices, nicotine…

  • Event Round-Up – March 2019 | Thaiger

    Event Round-Up – March 2019

    The month kicks off with one of Thailand’s most unique and bizarre festivals and celebrations, that of the Tattoo Festival in Nakhon Chaisi in the province of Nakhon Pathom, around 50 kilometres west of Bangkok. Held at the Wat Bang Phra temple on 2 March, the festival also goes by the name Wai Kru Sak Yant after the spiritual tattoos…

  • Vaping network urges Thai authorities to rethink e-cigarette laws | Thaiger

    Vaping network urges Thai authorities to rethink e-cigarette laws

    “Thai authorities had demanded a 40,000 baht bribe from a Frenchwoman to free her after she was arrested for possessing an e-cigarette.” E-cigarette users are calling on the Thai government to quickly come up with appropriate solutions to regulate e-cigarettes, and clarify the current laws, in order to protect the country’s image among foreign tourists. The network say it also…

  • The Patong Bay Hill Resort – where your holiday begins! | Thaiger

    The Patong Bay Hill Resort – where your holiday begins!

    Nestled into the hills above Phuket’s popular Patong Beach, the modern Patong Bay Hill Resort is a luxurious resort which overlooks the ocean and the eclectic neighborhood below. Welcome to Patong Bay Hill Resort Set in a beautifully landscaped garden, Patong Bay Hill Resort is set amongst the natural, tropical environment of Patong’s Hasib-pee Hill. The resort offers majestic panoramic…

  • Come into my world. Tribhum is now open. | Thaiger

    Come into my world. Tribhum is now open.

    “Tribhum – The Mystical Three Worlds” is Phuket’s newest tourist attraction situated in the new Central Floresta. It’s a 3D walkthrough adventure theme park in which visitors are transported into a mystical realm of Siamese legend and fantasy. “Tribhum” is pronounced try-POOM (with soft ‘OO’ sound). Located on the roadside of the new Central Floresta, “Tribhum – The Mystical Three…

  • Undoing a 90 year ban on female monks | Thaiger

    Undoing a 90 year ban on female monks

    STORY & PHOTOS: Kate Geraghty Perspective from Sydney Morning Herald writer Kate Geraghty. It’s not only western religions that bar woman from participation in religious teachings. It’s 4am and the odd rooster is crowing in the cool hours before day breaks and three saffron-robed monks from the all-female Songdhammakalyani Monastery are making their way through the back streets of Nakhon Pathom,…

  • Japan’s legendary cherry blossom is only 5 hours away | Thaiger

    Japan’s legendary cherry blossom is only 5 hours away

    by Kaoru Do you travel frequently between Thailand and North America and want to break your journey on the way? Or are you simply looking for somewhere to escape the scorching weather forecast for the next few months? Japan has become a very popular holiday destination among Thais with visitor numbers expected to reach one million a year. Many of…

  • Airport smokers kicked out of Thai terminals | Thaiger

    Airport smokers kicked out of Thai terminals

    The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) says they strongly support Thailand’s move to ban smoking inside the passenger terminals of all its airports, to protect employees and non-smoking travellers from exposure to secondhand smoke. On February 3 this year, the Airports of Thailand (AoT) removed all smoking rooms inside the airports of Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hat…

  • No alcohol sales today – Makha Bucha Day, February 19 | Thaiger

    No alcohol sales today – Makha Bucha Day, February 19

    The 24 hour ban on alcohol sales for Makha Bucha Day will remain in effect until midnight tonight. Makha Bucha is a sacred Buddhist holiday taken to refer to a day to honour the third lunar month and, in particular, the Buddha and the teachings that he delivered on the full moon day of the fourth lunar month. Any person…

  • Now you can study the success of K-pop band BTS – University of California, Berkeley | Thaiger

    Now you can study the success of K-pop band BTS – University of California, Berkeley

    PHOTO: BTS members posing with South Korean President Moon Jae In 400 million views, 500 million, 600 million. Just scroll through the group’s songbook on YouTube from the past five years and you will be watching music history in the making – a success built on a new pop genre, new ‘music business’ model and seven young South Koreans hell-bent…

  • Proposal to ban alcohol sales on Songkran day, April 13 | Thaiger

    Proposal to ban alcohol sales on Songkran day, April 13

    Coming up with another blunt tool to help curb Thailand’s horrendous annual road toll during Songkran, the Alcohol Control Committee is proposing a ban be placed on the sale of alcohol on April 13, Songkran day. The ACC has passed a resolution to ban the sale of alcoholic drinks on the national Songkran holiday but says the proposal will have…

  • Car and house loans surged in 2018 | Thaiger

    Car and house loans surged in 2018

    The Bank of Thailand says they’re concerned about the double-digit growth in loans for cars last year. The central bank is now monitoring the trend and will keep track of statistics for the rest of 2019. Their concerns about the Thai mortgage market the year before resulted in new regulations coming into effect this April. Loans for cars were up…

  • Thai-Indian Funfair in Bangkok tomorrow | Thaiger

    Thai-Indian Funfair in Bangkok tomorrow

    The fifth Thai-Indian Funfair returns to Srinakharinwirot University in Bangkok tomorrow (Saturday) to strengthen cultural relations between both countries. The fair arrives at a time when Indian tourist arrivals are on an upswing with new direct flights into Bangkok and Phuket providing new routes and cheaper fares. This annual popular event, held from 3pm to 9pm, is jointly organised by…

  • Kamala’s Twinpalms Montazure poised to welcome guests in July | Thaiger

    Kamala’s Twinpalms Montazure poised to welcome guests in July

    Set on the golden sands of Kamala Beach, Twinpalms MontAzure will welcome its first guests in July this year. Already a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the boutique beach hotel offers beautifully appointed Suites, Penthouses and Private Pool Suites. Suites range in size from 70m2 to Penthouses with private pools and sea views boasting large living spaces…

  • Co-working space – not just for start-ups | Thaiger

    Co-working space – not just for start-ups

    PHOTO: HUBBA-TO co-working space in Bangkok by Thanchanok Phobut | Senior Coordinator, CBRE Thailand CBRE, an international property consultancy company, reveals that co-working space seems to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue these days. There was a time when no-one knew what the term “serviced office” meant or why someone would want such an option. But today, you can’t…

  • Laguna Phuket selected to host inaugural Thai Fight Phuket Asia’s premier | Thaiger

    Laguna Phuket selected to host inaugural Thai Fight Phuket Asia’s premier

    Thai Fight and the Sports Association of Phuket are jointly hosting the inaugural ‘Thai Fight Phuket’, a televised international sport entertainment event showcasing Muay Thai boxing and promoting Phuket tourism. The event will be on Saturday, February 23 at Laguna Phuket. Thai Fight Phuket will feature King’s Cup Champions; Saenchai, Saensatarn, Payak-Samui and Thai Fight’s Fighter led by Tengnung and…

  • Stunning new Lux Neo villas at Chaweng, Koh Samui | Thaiger

    Stunning new Lux Neo villas at Chaweng, Koh Samui

    Sun, sea, new, views, pool villa, Samui. All the words you want to hear. Lux Neo is now available, combining stunning sea views and outstanding modern design. Lux Neo is the newest award winning project by the “Neo” team with critiqued unique villa design and award winning styling. Click HERE to read more about the Neo design team and some…

  • Boom boom on the border – Thailand’s unlikely red-light district | Thaiger

    Boom boom on the border – Thailand’s unlikely red-light district

    PHOTO: The attractions of Thailand’s southern border town usually become apparent after sunset On one side of the Thai/Malaysian border is Sungai Golok, on the Malaysian side it’s the town of Rantau Panjang. The two towns are separated by the Golok River as well as decades of furious fighting between Muslim separatists who want to reclaim some of the southern…

  • Illegal foreign cigarettes flooding in as new local tobacco taxes loom | Thaiger

    Illegal foreign cigarettes flooding in as new local tobacco taxes loom

    Growers of tobacco in Thailand, and those selling cigarettes and tobacco products, are feeling the pinch as illegal foreign cigarettes flood the local market. Sanook reports that the Thai Tobacco Monopoly says changes to excise regulations means a packet of the cheapest Thai cigarettes would rise from 60 to 90 baht per pack from October this year. A tobacco retailer…

  • VIDEO: British pianist performs at Thai Elephant Sanctuary | Thaiger

    VIDEO: British pianist performs at Thai Elephant Sanctuary

    PHOTO: Tree Hugger Paul Barton is a British classical pianist who seems to have made some new friends. At the Elephants World Retirement Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province in Thailand, Barton has gotten himself a rather ‘big’ fanclub. A frequent visitor to the sanctuary, the musician enjoys taking his piano out in front of a herd of elephants and serenades these…

  • [Music Release] Suki to Iwasetai – IZ*ONE [MV] | Thaiger

    [Music Release] Suki to Iwasetai – IZ*ONE [MV]

    ปล่อยเพลงที่สองออกมาแล้วสำหรับ IZ*ONE (아이즈원) กลุ่มไอดอลสาวเฉพาะกิจจากรายการ Produce48 กับเพลง ‘好きと言わせたい อ่านว่า Suki to Iwasetai ท่วงทำนองเพราะ ๆ สนุก ๆ พิสูจน์ด้วยหูของท่านเองได้เลย

  • A third of expats may have to leave – Survey on new ‘retirement’ visa extension | Thaiger

    A third of expats may have to leave – Survey on new ‘retirement’ visa extension

    Thailand’s farang forum, Thaivisa, has conducted two unofficial polls that indicate that many expats will be calling it quits and leaving the Kingdom. The polls are a response from the affected ThaiVisa audience, not indicative of the total expat population living in Thailand. The polls have been undertaken in the wake of new regulations issued by Thai immigration requiring retirees to lodge…

  • Elephant Boat Race comes to Bangkok March 29 | Thaiger

    Elephant Boat Race comes to Bangkok March 29

    Anantara Hotels Director of Operational Excellence & Events Tim Boda has announced Thailand’s first “Elephant Boat Race & River Festival” to be held between March 29 – 31, 2019. “The new three-day festival offers a wide range of activities, races and concerts aiming to raise funds to support domestic and wild elephants throughout Thailand.” Located next to Anantara Riverside Bangkok, the…

  • Event Round-Up – February 2019 | Thaiger

    Event Round-Up – February 2019

    You still have a few days left to enjoy the tail end of Bangkok Design Week which is running from 26 January to 3 February in select areas around Bangkok. Taking inspiration from the city’s rich history as a gathering point for creative minds from all over the world, Bangkok Design Week is held under the theme of “Fusing Forward”,…

  • Immigration officials push back against the new retirement visa guidelines | Thaiger

    Immigration officials push back against the new retirement visa guidelines

    Days after new rules for the processing for foreign retiree visas were published, immigration officials are reportedly pushing back against them. The report was in Khaosod English citing inside sources. According to the Immigration department, starting March 1, foreign retirees must either show a monthly income of at least 65,000 baht or hold a minimum of 800,000 baht in Thai…

  • Thai Immigration clamps down on requirements for Retirement visas | Thaiger

    Thai Immigration clamps down on requirements for Retirement visas

    A story in ThaiVisa is providing a lot of concern for people making applications for ‘Retirement’ and ‘Marriage’ visas so they can remain in the Kingdom. The announcement follows several of the embassies last year explaining that they will no longer be issuing a ‘proof of income’ for the purpose of visa applications in Thailand. “Foreigners now need to keep…

  • Facebook poll reveals expats in Thailand are not optimistic about the future | Thaiger

    Facebook poll reveals expats in Thailand are not optimistic about the future

    A simple online poll conducted by Thaivisa on their Facebook page shows that 75% of respondents think expatriate life in Thailand will be ‘worse’ in five years than it is now. According to the poll, only 24% held out hope that life for expats would actually improve by 2024. Facebook users were asked the simple question in the online poll:…

  • Money can’t buy happiness in Bangkok – new study | Thaiger

    Money can’t buy happiness in Bangkok – new study

    by Chularat Saengpassa Findings, from the “Integrative Thai Family Study Based on Family Life Cycle”, have been released and underline the importance of a work-life balance for Thais. Families living in Bangkok are the least happy despite having the highest average income compared to people living in other parts of the country, a recent study found. Long, exhausting commuting hours,…