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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    Why traders in Thailand are choosing EC Markets for gold and forex trading

    Gold and forex trading have long been favourites among investors in Thailand, but why are so many traders now turning to EC Markets? The answer lies in a combination of tight spreads, ultra-fast execution, Thai baht (THB) deposit support, and...

  • Thailand Yacht Show. Returns to Ao Po Grand Marina February 22 – 25, 2018 | Thaiger

    Thailand Yacht Show. Returns to Ao Po Grand Marina February 22 – 25, 2018

    It is that time of the year where we make resolutions; promises about the year to come and how we will approach it. Rather than ploughing through a northern hemisphere winter to get to the gym or sourcing for fresh fruits during a juice cleanse, why not enjoy the best of the southern tropical lifestyle and head to the Thailand…

  • Who’s coming and what are they spending? Tourist numbers for 2017. | Thaiger

    Who’s coming and what are they spending? Tourist numbers for 2017.

    The figures for foreign tourists arrivals in the Kingdom during 2017 are going to reach 35 million visitors, according to statistics from the TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand). There are a few surprises in the top ten list, including Laotian visitors at #4. China is still the number one source of foreign tourists with 9.92 million visits over the past…

  • The new Smart Visa and digital nomads | Thaiger

    The new Smart Visa and digital nomads

    PHOTO: neverendingvoyage.com The new Smart Visa might be a visa solution for some, but not all, of the ‘digital nomads’ that have been become ubiquitous in Thailand, from all over the world. Whereas the young professionals might have taken off around the world on a break between their schooling and the start of their professional careers, now they’re taking their…

  • The Racha wins triple prestige awards | Thaiger

    The Racha wins triple prestige awards

    Congratulations to The Racha for winning three major hospitality awards in the one year. They’ve won the Best Island Resort Destination and Outstanding Beach Resort in South East Asia by Asian Lifestyle Tourism and the Bronze Award Winner by Exotiq Best of Thailand. The Racha’s Anumba Spa was also voted the Top Island Resort Spa in Asia in the 2017 World Luxury Spa Awards. The Racha can be…

  • Cachet comes to Nai Yang | Thaiger

    Cachet comes to Nai Yang

    Cachet: The sate of being respected or admired. On December 16, 2017, discerning travellers discovered a new dimension of bespoke lifestyle resort with the grand opening of the Cachet Resort Dewa Phuket. This re-imagined lifestyle resort is set on the shores of Nai Yang Beach, at the north end of Phuket’s west coast, a mere 5 minutes from the international…

  • Vietjet kicks offs new direct route, Phuket – Ho Chi Minh City | Thaiger

    Vietjet kicks offs new direct route, Phuket – Ho Chi Minh City

    At Phuket International Airport yesterday (December 15), Phuket authorities hosted the welcoming ceremony of a new direct flight, Phuket – Ho Chi Minh City by Vietjet Air. The flight VJ 809 was the first ever flying the route. Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Phuket Office, Kanokkrittika Kritwuttikorn, says that Vietnam is an excellent potential market. There are more…

  • Global Hotel Brands boosts Japan’s Niseko tourism | Thaiger

    Global Hotel Brands boosts Japan’s Niseko tourism

    Mount Yotei, Niseko in summer. The Hokkaido destination is rapidly becoming as popular in the summer as it is in the winter. Image courtesy of The Ginto Residences. Japan’s famed ski destination Niseko is well on its way to becoming a world-class year-round holiday destination back the back of sustained growth in summer visitors over the past six years. Last…

  • Elephant shows and rides under siege | Thaiger

    Elephant shows and rides under siege

    PHOTO: (The Nation) Elephants and mahouts wait for the next group of tourists to take them for a ride. Twenty or thirty years ago many western tourists would have thought nothing about hopping on the back of an elephant and taking a ride astride one of these mighty Thai beasts. Tourists would clap in delight at the cute baby elephants…

  • There’s room for three boat shows in Thailand, but not like it is now… | Thaiger

    There’s room for three boat shows in Thailand, but not like it is now…

    PHOTO: Marine Scene Asia Opinion by Paul Poole An article in the Phuket Gazette on 30 November 2017 welcomed the annual boat show season in Thailand. It raises the question, “is there room for three boat shows each year?” Original story HERE. The question is worth considering as boat show season kicks off for 2017/2018, with a steady stream of…

  • Southern style with KA Villas – Rawai beach life in Phuket | Thaiger

    Southern style with KA Villas – Rawai beach life in Phuket

    Our property of the month. Welcome to the KA Villas in Rawai, Phuket. If you’re looking for location, location, location you get all that with a high standard build and a lifestyle you always dreamt about. Find out more HERE.

  • Mega projects to shape Bangkok’s skyline – Thailand Tourism Forum 2018 | Thaiger

    Mega projects to shape Bangkok’s skyline – Thailand Tourism Forum 2018

    The Thailand Tourism Forum (TTF) returns for its seventh annual edition on January 22, 2018, gathering more than 650 hotel industry professionals at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok to discuss the mega-projects that are reshaping Bangkok’s cityscape. Running under the theme ‘Megacity Bangkok – A Tourism and Hotel Futurescape’, TTF 2018 will focus on the redevelopment of the thriving Thai capital.…

  • Thailand’s Boat Show Season is Here | Thaiger

    Thailand’s Boat Show Season is Here

    By Duncan Worthington For a country that has such stunning cruising grounds as Thailand, it’s no surprise there are boat shows to support and promote the marine industry, however, three boat shows within 13 weeks is a bit of a stretch. Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show kicked off the season and was held November 23 – 26 at Ocean Maria…

  • Mercedes Benz unveils its latest hot wheels for Thailand | Thaiger

    Mercedes Benz unveils its latest hot wheels for Thailand

    Officially has introduced the two models that will be showcased at the Mercedes-Benz booth at the Motor Expo at the end of this month in Bangkok. Prices start at 17.4 million Boat for the 585-horsepower GT R, dubbed “Best of Green Hell” due to its outstanding performance at the Nurburgring, and 16.8 million Baht for the 558hp GT C, which…

  • The rich get richer, the poor get poorer | Thaiger

    The rich get richer, the poor get poorer

    The poor are getting poorer, while the rich are getting richer due to the government’s policy approach to welfare and social enterprise, according to academics who presented at a seminar on civil state policy held at Thammasat University yesterday. Official statistics show a trend in which the rich tend to get more benefit from the government’s policies than the poor,…

  • Phuket’s gay scene gets another chance with Chinese GLBTI | Thaiger

    Phuket’s gay scene gets another chance with Chinese GLBTI

    PHOTO: ZAG Nightclub performers, TheGayPassport.com This article first appeared in The Nation courtesy of AFP. It’s an insight into the rebirth of one of the more ‘tatty’ ends of Patong – Soi Paradise, the ‘gay zone’ – where gay bars have opened and closed over the years struggling to attract a consistent flow of customers. For one of south east…

  • Bangkok’s Number Two. Who’s Number One? | Thaiger

    Bangkok’s Number Two. Who’s Number One?

    PHOTO: skyscrapercity.com Euromonitor International has released its annual Top City Destinations Ranking for 2017 covering 100 of the world’s leading cities in terms of international tourist arrivals. This year’s report includes forecast data up to 2025 and incorporates future travel trends to give further insight on how travel trends are borne out of the opportunities and challenges that cities face.…

  • Travelling to Thailand? Check your travel insurance. | Thaiger

    Travelling to Thailand? Check your travel insurance.

    A cautionary tale… 30 year old Australian Stacey Liddle is still holed up at Vachira Hospital after a traumatic road accident in Chalong caused a lot of damage to her leg which doctors are now trying to save. Whilst she had travel insurance her insurance didn’t cover this accident due to fine print in the contract. Speaking to news.com.au from…

  • Celebrate the third anniversary with a spectacular brunch at Kata Rocks | Thaiger

    Celebrate the third anniversary with a spectacular brunch at Kata Rocks

    Kata Rocks is marking its third anniversary on Saturday, December 2 with a ‘Champagne Brunch of The Year’ Anniversary Pool Party that celebrates Phuket’s luxury lifestyle. The resort’s DJ-fuelled brunches are legendary for their stylish party atmosphere. This year’s event is centred around an enticing combination of excellent entertainment, delicious food and chilled ‘bubbles’ plus an exclusive fashion show next…

  • ‘A Prayer Before Dawn’. About to HIT our screens. | Thaiger

    ‘A Prayer Before Dawn’. About to HIT our screens.

    ‘A Prayer Before Dawn’ is a 2017 British-French drama film directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire. It was shown in the Midnight Screenings section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and stars Joe Cole as Billy Moore. Bar girls, drugs, a young farang in Thailand to have a good time… what could possibly go wrong?! The film’s screenplay has been adapted from…

  • Residences on the rise | Thaiger

    Residences on the rise

    Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com reports on the rise and rise of the residential living properties with hotel branding and management…. Property developers across Thailand are experiencing a magnetic attraction for hotel branded residences in order to spur price premium points and buyer demand. Currently there are 29 new hotel residence projects countrywide with nearly 90% of these located in resort…

  • Five tips for TEFL job seekers in Phuket | Thaiger

    Five tips for TEFL job seekers in Phuket

    by Eric Haeg, Course Director of TEFL Campus TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) October is a fantastic month for finding a job teaching English in Thailand. The start of the second term is just around the corner and schools across Phuket need to fill dozens of vacancies. That may come as good news to job seekers, but the best…

  • Investing in Phuket – Strong fundamentals in a beach location | Thaiger

    Investing in Phuket – Strong fundamentals in a beach location

    ADVERTISEMENT Phuket Property Perspectives presented by Phuketbuyhouse.com With Phuket now being ranked as the fifth top holiday destination in the world, tourism is hotter than ever, attracting more and more buyers per year than ever before. Whether it be for investment or residential purposes, the demand is rapidly growing and we can now see a range of properties available to…

  • Renovating a property in Thailand? Read this first. | Thaiger

    Renovating a property in Thailand? Read this first.

    Life and Law in Thailand with Robert Virasin As land prices in prime locations in Thailand go up, condominiums are getting smaller and more expensive. Many people have chosen the option to purchase larger, less expensive properties with the goal of renovating the property. There is a risk to making this choice. There is a lot of misleading and inaccurate information…

  • Hot hotel trends – Branded residences | Thaiger

    Hot hotel trends – Branded residences

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com Asia’s property developers are jumping into bed with hotel groups as branded residences flourish. Southeast Asia’s real estate love affair between property developers and hotel brands is morphing into a feeding frenzy. With nearly 100 mainstream hotel residence projects and over 21,000 units completed, the next three years is set to take the sector into…

  • Vegetarian Festival, Phuket. By FAT MANGO | Thaiger

    Vegetarian Festival, Phuket. By FAT MANGO

    Watch Fat Mangos tribute to the most in-your-face festival on Phuket’s Annual Calendar. The annual Vegetarian Festival is celebrated throughout the Thailand, but the festivities are at their peak in Phuket, where about 35% of the population is Thai Chinese heritage. It attracts crowds of spectators because of many of the unusual religious rituals that are performed. Unusual and in…

  • Punching above its weight – Rayong, Thailand | Thaiger

    Punching above its weight – Rayong, Thailand

    Singapore has been crowned as the Asia-Pacific city of the future by the Financial Times. The city/state was able to attract the largest share of investment in the region in the period 2012 – 2016, putting on top of the Economic Potential category. Asia-Pacific Cities of the Future, by Economic Potential: 1. Singapore 2. Tokyo 3. Shanghai 4. Hong Kong 5.…

  • Ao Sane and Nakkerd Mountain under DSI investigation for encroachment | Thaiger

    Ao Sane and Nakkerd Mountain under DSI investigation for encroachment

    The DSI deputy director-general, Pol Lt Col Prawut Wongsinil, along with his DSI team, Forestry officers and local authorities, visited two alleged encroached land plots including at Ao Sane Beach (Baan Laem Krating) near Nai Harn beach and Nakkerd Mountain in Karon. The first spot visited was Nakkerd Mountain following complaints about an illegal land deed covering 20 rai of…

  • Should you pay more for a sea view? | Thaiger

    Should you pay more for a sea view?

    While Phuket is an island, most property buyers are led to believe that sea views or proximity to the ocean are a key driver of real estate value. Fact or fiction? According to data from leading online marketplace FazWaz.com the answer lays inside the numbers. Looking at Phuket’s primary and secondary condominium sector and analysing pricing points from the ocean…

  • Hi So Hill in Chiang Mai ends up being an expensive scam | Thaiger

    Hi So Hill in Chiang Mai ends up being an expensive scam

    Story from Thai language ‘Manager Online‘ The enticing advertisement online promised a dream: quiet retirement in the beautiful hills of Chiang Mai. Many foreigners thought this was what they deserved after a life of saving so they eagerly signed up to buy houses in the luxurious, quality development. Now they are left with illegal properties that they can’t sell and their dreams are over.…

  • Phuket Waterworld – New ‘off beach’ condo for Bang Tao | Thaiger

    Phuket Waterworld – New ‘off beach’ condo for Bang Tao

    A new 555-unit hotel managed residence project named Phuket Waterworld is now offering apartments for sale. Located ‘off beach’, near to Casuarina Shores and the Outrigger Laguna Beach Resort, the project is being developed by the New Nordic Group. Phase one units range for studios from 26 square metres, one bedroom apartments and two bedrooms up to 104 square metres.…