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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Milestone complete for upscale MontAzure on Kamala Beach
The developers of MontAzure, the upscale residential resort community on the west coast of Phuket gathered in Kamala with the joint venture partners to celebrate the completion of the main structure at its unique beachfront condominium development, Twinpalms Residences MontAzure. Designed to take full advantage of its unrivalled oceanfront location, the development comprises a series of low-rise clusters set amid…
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Laguna launches Dhawa Phuket branded residences
Leading island developer Laguna has launched Dhawa Phuket branded residences at the main entrance of the integrated resort. Featuring one and two-bedroom apartments, the entry level pricing starts from 4.9 million baht. Dhawa is a new brand of the Banyan Tree group that also operates Angsana and Cassia properties. Buyers of the property will have access to the full beach…
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Fatties in Thai Business Class? Mai dai!
Passengers intending to fly business class on Thai Airways’ new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will have to first pass the waist test (that’s ‘waist’ not ‘waste’!). Flight Lieutenant Pratthana Pattanasirim, THAI’s director of security and flight standard division, says that a passenger with waist bigger than 56 inches (142 cm) cannot fly business class on the fleet’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft.…
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Phuket’s new Environmental Rules hit island development
By Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com A new set of guidelines that quietly come into law late last year are set to alter the state of real estate and hotel development in Phuket. The revised regulations were issued by Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and apply to Phuket Province. Perhaps the most significant amendment is that buildings are no…
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New Hiltons on the way for Phuket
From Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com One of the leading hospitality groups in the world, Hilton Hotels and Resorts has two properties in the Phuket development pipeline. Newly signed is the 177-key Hilton Garden Inn Phuket Bang Tao which is located near the entrance of Laguna Phuket. There is also the 300-key Hilton Patong Resort in Kalim underway, which is targeting to come…
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Thailand’s outbound travel industry booms
We all know there’s plenty of tourists heading TO Thailand this year. But what about the traffic in the other direction? Outbound travel from Thailand is set to hit 10 million this year, nearly a third of the inbound tourist traffic this year, according to the first comprehensive market research report on what is expected to be the “the next…
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Krabi residents, “Close Maya Bay”
An initial survey by a leading marine scientist found that most residents supported the closure of the popular Maya Bay in Krabi after more than 80% of coral reefs in the area were damaged. Thon Thamrongnawasawat, deputy dean of the Fishery Faculty at Kasetsart University, said his team was compiling results from an opinion survey of more than 300 local…
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“The Great Convenience Store Gourmet Challenge” Episode 1
Can a chef prepare an amazing meal simply from ingredients in a local 7/11 convenience store? One of my favourite things about living on our little slice of paradise, we get to do funky things with creative and cool people! Here’s our first episode of “The Great Convenience Store Gourmet Challenge” with Belinda Tuckwell from Firefly in Layan, Phuket.
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Top 25 Asian beaches survey is out – three in Phuket
Thailand has ended up with two beaches in the top ten in the latest ‘Top 25 Beaches in Asia’ survey. The survey is based on comments from TripAdvisor’s 300 million users, or at least the ones that have visited a beach in Asia and taken the time to make a comment. The top three beaches are Agonda Beach in India…
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Dream Beach Weddings In Phuket
By Thavorn Hotels & Resorts With couples seeking unique and memorable weddings, destination weddings have become the wedding trend on the rise. Couples are increasing skipping the traditional hometown ceremony and running off to a beach wedding. After all, what can more perfect than saying “I do” on the sandy beaches of Phuket? Thavorn Beach Village Resort & Spa provides…
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The long and winding roads – Asia’s roads ranked
PHOTO: Asian Development Bank “Road infrastructure is the marker of a country’s development and is significant for safety and satisfaction of the citizens.” This, according to an opinion survey by World Economic Forum very few Asian countries have the best road infrastructure. Singapore is ranked at the top in Asia and second globally in terms of road infrastructure in the…
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Thailand Yacht Show 2018 – starts tomorrow (Thursday)
Some of the world’s most prestigious marine brands are assembling at the Ao Po Grand Marina for the third edition of the Thailand Yacht Show. It starts tomorrow (Thursday) and runs until Sunday. Buyers, charterers and locals are invited to climb aboard and experience the watercraft – superyachts, catamarans, sailboats, sports-fishers, dinghies, tenders, water sport boats and day cruisers, in…
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Thailand Kite Festival returns to Hua Hin in March
PHOTO: Peter Lynn Kites The ever-popular Thailand International Kite Festival is set to take to the skies on March 23-25, 2018 at the Army Non Commissioned Officer School, Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan. Fancy Kite Show: This year, the event will see 20 kite-flying teams from around the world, including Switzerland, Germany and France. The displays of beautiful kites from all…
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Boom Boom on the border
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…
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Wow factor! Spectacular new day club in Bali.
Phuket has some amazing beach clubs. Indeed we used to have more but, you know… the Great Beach Purge of 2016. So for pure drool value we present this astonishing day club just opened in Bali. It’s called Omnia and is a step up for the Beach/Dayclub genre making many of the Phuket offerings looking a bit ‘shabby’ in comparison.…
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A Tale of Two Bali’s – Tourism under the Volcano
The year 2017 was the best of times and the worst of time for Indonesia’s tourism icon and Phuket tourism rival, Bali. For the first nine months of the year market demand soared, only to be undermined by global news headlines over volcanic activity of Mt. Agung in October, which in turn resulted in massive hotel cancellations. As Bali sets…
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So you’ve bought a property. Have you checked the management contracts?
by Panuwat Somrit – Phuket lawyer specialising in property Buying or investing in property may seem like a straight forward and easy transaction. You simply pay the money, transfer the ownership and that’s it. But it’s not that way in Thailand. If it were, there wouldn’t be so many issues related to buying property here. Many foreigners face problems after they…
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Graham needs a triple bypass. Doesn’t have health insurance.
The plight of a British man highlights the risks for foreigners living in Thailand without health or medical insurance. Story by ThaiVisa… Graham Briar, who uploads videos about life in rural Thailand to his YouTube channel Graham & Pie, urgently needs a triple heart bypass operation but with no medical insurance and not enough money to pay for surgery he…
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Bay Regatta returns to Phang Nga Bay
The 21st Bay Regatta will be held from January 31 to February 4, 2018 in and around the waters of Phang Nga Bay. The Bay Regatta is often referred to as ‘Asia’s fun regatta’, attracting both serious racing yachts and casual cruisers out to enjoy the picturesque maritime scenery. The hallmark of this popular sailing event is its fun-filled and…
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The best events and activities for expat families in Thailand
by Tabby Farrar Thailand has become one of the world’s favourite destinations for travellers and expats. As well as culture and natural beauty, the nation offers a huge range of family-friendly activities. Below is a calendar of some key family and child-orientated events, followed by some all-year-round activities. JANUARY What: National Children’s Day – Wan Dek Where: National When: Second…
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“Limit visits to marine national parks to six million”
A leading marine biologist has proposed to the government to limit visitors to marine national parks to 6 million a year to lessen impact on its ecological environment. Thon Thamrongnawasawat, deputy dean at the Fisheries Faculty of Kasetsart University, made his proposal at the meeting of the Marine and Coastal Resources Policy Management Committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Gen…
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Where is the most expensive place to live in the world? And Asia?
PHOTO: Thomas Tucker/Unsplash How expensive is it to live in Phuket? And Thailand? numbeo.com has crunched the numbers and listed the cost of living expenses of 540 cities around the world (Phuket gets listed as a ‘city’ on the list). The worlds most expensive city is Hamilton – Bermuda followed by Zurich – Switzerland, both almost three times the cost…
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UPDATE: Smart Visa applications accepted after February 1
Starting February 1, eligible foreigners can apply for a new, four-year visa called the Smart Visa. The visa, itself, isn’t ‘smart’ or magically electronic but you’ll probably need to be smart to apply for it. Initially the digital nomads hoped it might help their lifestyle and allow them an easier way to remain in Thailand. The details don’t really support…
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Boat Lagoon Yachting announces mega shipment of private yachts
Boat Lagoon Yachting, Thailand’s largest importer and distributor of luxury yachts, has made history in the region’s yachting industry with the importation of the largest single shipment of luxury yachts, worth over 1,400 million baht. The shipment comprises nine luxury yachts manufactured in the UK by Princess Yachts, with sizes ranging from 19 metres to a superyacht of over 30…
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Smart visa available from February 1
The Thai Cabinet has approved a new “smart visa” to lure specialists to work in 10 targeted industries. Applications for the smart visa will begin on February 1. Kobsak Pootrakool, minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, said the targeted industries included Thai-based industries known as the First S-Curve and new industries dubbed the New S-Curve. First S-Curve industries include next-generation…
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‘Poshtels’ pushing into Southeast Asia’s budget and economy hotel space
PHOTO: Agoda.com by Bill Banett, c9hotelworks.com A new market report question’s if cookie-cutter hotel groups will again fall asleep at the wheel as they did with online travel agents and Airbnb Call them ‘poshtels’, hostels or hybrid hotels, but one of the most exciting travel spaces across Asia is the emergence of socially-focused accommodation. Not only have millennials embraced the…
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Confidence in teachers survey – Thai Teacher Day tomorrow
Many of us are involved in education, either directly or indirectly, here on the island. Many expats work with schools, many of us have children attending schools and others work in association with school activities or have partners in the local education system. Tomorrow is Thai Teacher Day and a new survey has come out reflecting what people think about…
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Bangsaray. Idyllic beaches, tropical retreat. But where is it?
Ever heard of Bangsaray? It’s about 20 kilometres south of ‘Sin City’, Pattaya, and, so far has seemed to retain much of its charm. Remember Pattaya wasn’t much more than a haphazard fishing village 40 years ago (it might be argued that it’s not a fishing village any more but still haphazard). 20 kilometres appears to make a large difference…
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Phuket’s low season growth produces record tourism numbers in 2017
By Bill Barnett of c9Hotelworks.com For 2017 the island’s gateway airport posted 11.3% year-on-year growth to reach an estimated 8.4 million incoming passengers. This was mainly driven by a 20% surge in Mainland Chinese travelers to the island and a rising number visitors during low season of 11.2% compared to the same period in 2016. Passenger arrivals remain the key…
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Always wanted to stay in a cool tree-house? Now you can, in 5 star luxury.
Located on the same stretch of secluded beach as its sister hotel, Paradise Koh Yao, and only a short journey from Phuket International Airport, you will arrive to the start of your Tree House Villas experience. From the Yacht Haven Marina, you head out on a 55 minute speed boat journey soaking up the scenery through the world famous Phang…
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