Newspaper Hua Hin Today May 2014 by Hua Hin Today

PREPARATION UNDERWAY FOR HM THE KINGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ROYAL AUDIENCE

May 2014

Prachuap Khiri Khan Governor Veera Sriwattanatrakul has inspected preparations and the area where His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej will grant a special audience on Coronation Day, May 5th at Klai Kangwon Palace in Hua Hin. The audience to the royal family and civil servants is set for 10am at Rajpracha Samakhom Pavilion inside the Klai Kangwon Palace grounds. The Hua Hin municipality is preparing for the event as many people are expected to gather. Page...4

HUA HIN ASEAN JAZZ CONTESTÂ

Jazz musicians from universities across ASEAN countries will be competing in a competition on May 10th. Teams will represent Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, as well as Thailand to compete for prizes valued at 100,000 THB. Page...4

PRESERVE HUA HIN GREEN RUN-May 11 2014 TH

Every year the Marathon & Fun Run begins and ends on Hin Lek Fai Hill and the competitors face the challenge of running down and back up the 800-metre steep incline to finish the race. Male and female categories of various age groups include 21.1 km, 10.5 km and a 3 km Fun Run. Over 2,000 runners from various nationalities participate in this annual event and many return year after year to challenge themselves as well as their fellow competitors. Page...4

Top Rated

Wine Bar

Exquisite Cocktails Friday Wine Buffets, AIR-CON., opposite Burger King

US MASTERS 2014

HONDA ROLLING

For golf fans around the world, Masters Weekend is an April spring ritual that is eagerly awaited each year. Page...12

THE BIGGEST GOLF TOURNAMENT ON THE PLANET

OUT FUTURISTIC NEW TWO-WHEELER

3 Contents

Editor’s NOTE

We love all the holidays we had in April but the downside is that were less working days and the same monthly deadlines. The things we planned for tomorrow, just arrived sooner.

06 Fashion & Life style 08 People in Business 10 Cover Story 14 Golf 17 World cup 18 Events calendar 30 Motoring 34 Travelling 35 World News 36 Health

This month we offer several food experiences in restaurants and hotels, starting off with our cover story in Food and Wine Lovers “Top 10 Set Menus in Town”. For the wine lovers Hua Hin Today travelled with Khun Akarin off the beaten path to some small everyday restaurants with excellent wines.

After consuming so many delicious meals and great wines, it is time to detox and control our weight. This is why our Miss Aura has described different diets for you to consider. Continuing with the “People in Business” page, this month we had the pleasure of interviewing someone who is very passionate about food, Mr. Gaston the owner of La Paillote. He talked about the Hua Hin of 15 years ago and how it has developed since then.

We also visited the annual Beach Polo Event at the Intercontinental Hotel, Hua Hin and the Cricket Sixes at the Dusit Thani. Both of these Events are getting bigger and better each year. Beach Polo is a great place to meet everyone. This has also become a major fashion event, which we gave full coverage.

For the golfers amongst you, we have more useful golf tips about how to get out of trouble in bunkers and of course there was the 2014 US Masters. We also introduce the upcoming FIFA World Cup for lovers of the bigger round ball, as this eagerly awaited Event is coming soon. For those interested to learn more, there are many local educational courses to choose from and we also show you many of the options for travelling to and from Hua Hin. Motoring is mainly about the two wheeled variety and for the more daring a review of two KTM motor bikes.

INSERTS : Food & Wine Lovers Property Today

Best Regards, Eleni

Who is in charge?

General Manager: Eleni Mastronikoli eleni@huahintoday.com Editor: Pol. Maj. Gen. Noi Wannapaiboon Sales Manager: Sangnapa Phetpankan (Joy) advertising@huahintoday.com Assistant to the editor: Rotjana Saitakam (Nok) ea@huahintoday.com Graphic Designer: Grit Promprasert, Nicolas Cheimonidis Accountant: accounting@huahintoday.com Journalists: Chamnan Puengjoh, Supansa Kraiwaad, Soravit Eiam-Aek

Group Directors: Business Director: Consultant:

Eleni Mastronikoli Michael Van Doornewaard

Where to find us! Hua Hin Today Co., Ltd

Address: Website: Facebook: Twitter:

59/135 Soi Moo Baan Hua Na, Nongkae, Hua Hin Prachuab Khiri Khan Tel. 086 338 2203 / 086 369 3604 huahintoday.com facebook.com/huahintodaynews twitter.com/huahintoday

Some Important Regional Contacts Organisation

Hua Hin

Cha-Am

Police 191 (Emergency) 191 (Emergency) 032 511 027 032 471 321 Highway Police 1193 Tourist Police 1155 Fire Station 199 (Emergency) 199 (Emergency) 032 511 666 Ambulance 1554 Medical Emergency 1669 Electrical Call Centre 1129 Alcoholics Anonymous 089 587 682 Bangkok Hospital 1719 033 616 800 San Paolo 032 532 576 Cha Am Hospital 032 471 808 Hua Hin Hospital 032 520 401

Transport

Bus Station Railway Station

032 514 477 032 512 770

032 471 159

Government Muncipality Immigration Tourist Info Centre Water Supply Post Office Power Board

032 511 047 1132 032 522 656 032 511 047 032 471 005 032 511 677 032 477 646 032 511 063 032 477 252 032 512 215 032 472 069 HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

4 NEWS King Donates 10 million THB to Hua Hin Dog Shelter

His Majesty the King donated 10 million baht to the Municipality of Hua Hin on 8th April to support its full-cycle management of the stray dog problem.

The money was presented to the municipality in a ceremony held at the Klai Kangwon Palace office in Hua Hin, by Grand Chamberlain Distorn Vajarodaya, who is also deputy secretary general of the Hua Hin Dog Shelter Foundation under the Royal Patronage. Mr. Nopporn Vudhikul, Mayor of Hua Hin said upon receiving the money that the municipality would spend the royal donation on securing permanent places for stray dogs From Page 1

There will also be also food, drinks and souvenirs on sale and performances of other artists and bands. Guest artists include Koh Mr. Saxman or Koh. He has been the familiar name to Thai audiences and musicians for almost 20 years as a saxophonist who has recorded with many artists, as well as making his own studio albums. Also performing will be The Vie Trio, composed of the Srinarong siblings Paye, Parn, and Pintusorn (“Pui”). The trio aggressively fuses pop and classical, a formula that’s met with great success in Bangkok. The Event will be on May 10th on the beach in front of the Centara Grand Hotel.

as well as providing them with sufficient food, necessary vaccinations and care for sick dogs. He said the project to take care of stray dogs is very useful as Hua Hin is a major tourist site while the project itself has drawn

The start of the Hua Hin’s planned new one way road system suffered a major setback when authorities were forced to halt the trial of the new road system after just one day.

Commuters and road users were left confused by the addition of new road markings on Sra Song Road, close to the market and the entrance to the Royal Pavilion Hotel. Despite new road markings being installed, some road users were either not aware of the markings or chose to ignore them altogether.

To make use of this technology, a small electricity generating plant must be built near to the garbage dumping area. Another plant grinds the garbage roughly until pieces become about 300 millimetres in size. This

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

This is the same route that was used for the audience on His Majesty the King’s birthday on December 5th last year, said the governor. The event will be broadcast live on national television. Twelve large LED screens will be installed on Phetkasem Road near the palace for well-wishers to watch the audience live.

It had been planned that drivers approaching the market would instead have to make a U-turn outside the Esso

In addition to the problems the new road layout caused for drivers, many local market traders were up in arms that road markings had meant that people had difficulty reaching the market and consequently traders were angry that businesses were suffering. The markings on the road in question were returned to their original state and traffic flow was back to normal.

This innovation is environmental friendly as it provides household electricity from garbage.

Mr. Silpchai said that the innovation was created in Germany and was accepted by many countries. In Turkey 2,000 tons of garbage is turned into electricity every day.

Flags, lights and images of His Majesty the King have been put in place along Phetkasem Road. His Majesty the King’s motorcade will leave Piemsuk Palace for the pavilion inside the palace via Phetkasem Road to give all Thais a chance to greet His Majesty.

Petrol station on Phetkasem Road. However, this caused considerable congestion throughout the area as chaos ensued prior to the arrival of traffic marshals who were sent to try and direct traffic and assist confused drivers.

A presentation from a private German Company has been made to the Hua Hin Municipality abut a high technology innovation to solve the problems of large garbage piles in the Thab Tai Community.

Hua Hin’s mayor is concerned about garbage issues and the resultant damage to the environment and is interested in this new way to solve the problem. There is 120 - 150 tons of garbage dumped in Thab Tab daily. This garbage could become a raw material for household energy.

PREPARATION UNDERWAY FOR HM THE KING’S ROYAL AUDIENCE

Hua Hin’s new road system is scrapped after causing chaos for drivers

A GREEN PROPOSAL FOR GARBAGE IN THAB TAI A Board Member from S.M.C. Power Public Company Limited Mr. Silpchai Chaisitthiwet, an advisor to the company Mr. Kraisak Chunhawan and technical engineers met with the mayor of Hua Hin Mr. Nopporn Wutthikul and the deputy mayor Mr. Montree Chuphu for discussions.

interest from dog lovers who come to visit the Hua Hin Dog Shelter on a constant basis. He said His Majesty the King intended to make the Hua Hin Dog Shelter a model of full-cycle management of the stray dog problem.

From Page 1...

is dried and screened so that metals, stones and glass are recycled but other materials are crushed into smaller pieces so that they can be used to generate electricity. Garbage in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket is currently burnt or buried every day and damaging the environment. If the Turkish model is adopted, Thailand could become the second country to use this environmentally friendly way to deal with the problem. Hua Hin could become a model for administrators in other Thai Provinces. If the Hua Hin Municipality accepts the proposed project, S.M.C. Power will build an electricity generating plant and a garbage screening plant on a 30-Rai land in Thab Tai. All expenses (about one billion THB) would be met by the company. The Municipality would allow the company and its staff to work in the area for 25 years. Mr. Nopporn said that this was a good idea because the Municipality did not have any financial or other commitment to the company. He will propose the project to the Hua Hin Municipal Council for further consideration. If accepted, the Municipality will inform the company without delay as the construction of the electricity generating and the garbage screening plants takes at least one and a half years.

WHO DECLARES THAILAND

and other 10 Asian countries polio-free Thailand and 10 other Asian countries have been declared free of polio by the World Health Organization. The WHO certified the south-east Asian region polio-free on March 27 after years, without a single new case being reported. The countries recently certified were Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste. Earlier, America, Europe, West Pacific had been certified. There are only three countries where polio is still endemic these are Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. The disease has been eradicated in 80% of the world.

Thailand has been free from polio for 17 years, with the last case reported in Loei in 1997. Provinces have participated in polio vaccination campaigns throughout the years to boost immunity of residents.

...Continued from Page 1... To help address the issues of the rapidly growing population’s increasingly demanding ecological footprint on the municipality, the Preserve Hua Hin Group (PHHG) was formed as a community development organization in 2004. Khun Boonchu Rojanastien, the founder of Chiva-Som International Health Resort and honorary chairman of PHHG, enlisted support from private and public sector organizations to spearhead the development of PHHG and organize activities to promote environmental awareness and preservation, and increase social interaction in the local community. Since its inception, the driving force of PHHG has been a diverse and dedicated group of local businesses, hoteliers and townspeople who collaborate with state agencies to regularly organize and sponsor events such as outdoor concerts, marathons, art exhibitions, beach clean-ups, reforestation projects and other activities for social welfare and community improvement. Race Venue Hin Lek Fai Hill, Hua Hin Distances 21.1 km | 10.55 km | 3.0 km

Entry Fee (Hua Hin students free) Half Marathon (21.1 km): 400 THB Quarter Marathon (10.55 km): 300 THB Walk & Fun Run (3 km): 200THB Starting Time Half Marathon (21.1 km): 05.30 AM Quarter Marathon (10.55 km): 06.00 AM Walk & Fun Run (3 km): 06.15 AM Hua Hin Students Run Free For more information contact Amphoe Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan (Preserve Hua Hin Club) Call: 032-536-536 Or Amazing Field Co.,Ltd. Call; 0-2277-6670-1 Fax 0-22772567

6 FASHION & LIFESTYLE

FASHION AT THE BEACH POLO SCENE

This Year’s Beach Polo took place on the beach front at the Intercontinental Hotel in Hua Hin with a sense of blue with themes like Underwater World and Nautical. Style Crush: Nautical They were looking Classic, Preppy and Chic. Preppy stripes were the perfect companion for the day by the beach, easy to find in any wardrobe, nautical accents are really hot this season! And for this Beach Polo occasion, either classic chic or edgy fashionista both worked perfect on the sand. This is a proof that those colours, red, white and blue are not just the colours of the Thailand flag, and anchors, stripes, and little boats are not just for sailors.

Everyone was walking around in a vision of sunset colors, vivid orange and sienna and sand shades, pinkish hues of floral prints were the perfect combination to sip & have fun under the stars.

Trending: Underwater Style Several of you dived into all shades of blue mixing them with white. Aquatic-inspired designs on these beautiful models on their “horsewalk” or catwalk with shapes and fabrics inspired from diving clothes. Abstract prints making you think of underwater landscape. Even though the dress code was to wear blue, some of you decided to go rebel and brought a touch of peach, coral and neon pink tones...

Kids: If the thought of shopping for your kids’ Spring wardrobes is overwhelming you, we’ve got some good news. The season’s hottest and easiest trend for kids was at the beach polo this weekend. Few standout pieces have one common feature: NEON. Whether done in fluorescent yellow, pink, coral, orange, or either green, it has taken on a fresh and modern role in this season’s beach polo. From shoes to beachwear outfits, neon and pastel tones features and accents serve to pop an entire outfit with electric waves of colour. Tackle this trend with some of the season’s best and brightest. Ending the day with an after party, in the garden at the intercontinental, you were still adopting the “Underwater World” look.

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

*Stripes in contrasting colours. *Checks from burberry to gingham style, The colour combo of navy, grey, red and ivory is masculine but still light enough to suit sunny spring days. Take a look at the pictures and get inspired for your kid and decide which one will look the best.

FASHION & LIFESTYLE 7

THE GRAFFITI GENERATION In the first week-end of April (5th and 6th) a graffiti exhibition was held at an abandoned Hua Hin’s factory. Artists from all over the world transformed the place into an art gallery for an international event organized by MOS or “Meeting of Styles”. No less than 50 International Street Artists were painting live during these two days. But also skaters, DJ’s, an American Classic Car Show, big bikes and a Harley Show in a week-end high in colours and music!

one’s name in as many places as possible, and as kids competed against each other to get famous, the amount of graffiti on trains exploded.

Visit their website to take a look at the other events around Asia.

Later on, they would add more colours, special effects, and make their name bigger. Spray cans allowed large pieces of graffiti to be created fairly quickly which was important because writers didn’t want to get caught by the police.

WWW.MEETINGOFSTYLES.COM History of the graffiti Graffiti has a long and proud history. The subculture surrounding graffiti has existed for several decades, and it’s still going strong. The graffiti artists (or “writers” as they prefer to call themselves) are passionate, skilled, community-oriented, and socially conscious in ways that profoundly contradict the way they’ve been portrayed as common criminals and vandals. Birth and Evolution Graffiti, if we define it is any type of writing on the wall and goes back to ancient Rome. The style of urban graffiti that most people have seen and know about, the kind that uses spray cans, came from New York City in the late 1960s, and was born on the subway trains. Taki 183, who lived on 183rd street in Washington Heights, worked as a messenger who travelled throughout the city. He would use a marker and write his name wherever he went, at subway stations and also the insides and outsides of subway cars. Eventually, he became known all throughout the city as this mysterious figure. In 1971, he was interviewed for an article by the New York Times. Kids all over New York, realizing the fame and notoriety that could be gained from “tagging” their names on subway cars began to emulate Taki 183. The goal was to “get up” (using the slang of the day), to have

Tagging and more Graffiti writers, in addition to getting their name around as much as possible, would try to outdo each other in terms of style. At first, writers would try to make their tags (or signatures) more stylish than anyone else’s.

A common misconception is that graffiti is all gang-related, this is not the case. Gangrelated graffiti is most often used to mark territory, and not as much time or effort is spent in its creation. The Golden Age The 70’s were the golden age of subway graffiti. Graf writers did not just battle each other in their quest to be the “King of all Lines” and all the other titles they bestowed upon themselves. They had to deal with police patrolling the trains and the yards where they worked, their masterpieces being washed off of cars, barbed wire fences and guard dogs, not to mention concerned parents who sometimes did not understand. Creativity What these kids did was to find a way to express themselves creatively in a society that told them that they didn’t have the talent or drive. They came from ghettos that many said were devoid of culture. They expressed their identity in a society that tried to keep them anonymous, that tried to ignore social problems as if they didn’t exist. In our culture, where self-expression is becoming more and more highly regulated, graffiti plays an important role in brashly symbolizing unfettered individuality and resistance. Contemporary Graffiti With heightened security in the 80’s, subway graffiti slowly died out. In 1989, the last train with significant amounts of graffiti on it was taken off the lines, ending an era. Traveling on the subways now there is virtually no graffiti to be seen on the outside of trains, and only dim scratchings here and there on the insides. But graffiti lives on, on city walls and

other more unlikely places. Recently, there has been a trend towards writing graffiti on freight trains. Nowadays, artists are “getting up” not just in their own city, but across the country, furthering the transmission and mixing of different graffiti styles. Graffiti has also become a way to make money. Graffiti art has been featured in exclusive galleries and has exerted its influence on the world of graphic design. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see graffiti-style or graffiti-inspired art on t-shirts, posters, and CD covers.

The Environment Graffiti existed (and still exists) as a major part of the urban environment. Young rappers growing up and wandering the city streets still see graffiti all around them. For some, graffiti represents decay, but for hip hop

However subway graffiti is not completely dead. On the walls near the tracks (that aren’t underground), there’s still plenty of graffiti to be seen. When the subway trains are underground, through the windows in between stations, you can still see a lot of graffiti, some of it older probably, but some of it newer as well. Self-expression can be stifled but never completely stopped. Graffiti and Hip Hop As we mentioned earlier, graffiti is considered one of the four elements of hip hop (along with emceeing, DJing, and B-Boying). These were the four major forms of creative expression that came from the Bronx, NY and spread to the rest of the world. Hip hop in 2003 is mostly centred around the emcee (or rapper), since the it’s the emcee that sells product (in the form of CDs) that the music industry can sell. Graffiti was done by writers of all ethnicities. They tended to be young (teenagers, mostly) but some of the hardcore writers from the 70s are still going strong today. Writing was inclusive...if you had the talent. It was based on skill, not the colour of your skin, your religion or anything else that didn’t translate to the pieces you made. Graffiti is multicultural, representing the ethnic diversity of New York, the city that spawned it.

culture, graffiti provided the visual inspiration that encouraged other forms of creativity and expression. We hope with all these explanations we gave you a new perspective on graffiti, or at least reminded you of things you already know. We think graffiti is an important and powerful art form that we need to keep an eye on. An interesting book if you want to know more about graffiti is “The history of graffiti” by Fiona Mc Donald.

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

8 people in Business This month INTERVIEW: GASTON, in history OWNER OF LA PALLOTE (1) Bayer introduces aspirin in powder form (Germany), 1889

(2) Empire State Building opens in NYC, 1931

(3) Mr Potato Head, introduced, 1952

(4) Sir Edmund Hillary is on top of the world. He is the first person to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. (1953)

How I came to Hua Hin

A very long time ago, I was doing business in the industrial field and was a factory representative for European factories making turbine chargers and hydraulic equipment. Later on I had my own company selling to the Far East, which involved a lot of travelling to countries like Thailand and Singapore. In the mid 90s when I sold that company, I was very happy but something was missing; the Far East. I felt that the country where I wanted to come back to would be Thailand. I had travelled to many countries in the Far East but the country where I felt the most relaxed and happy was Thailand. I decided to try to build something new as I didn’t want to continue in the industrial business and I wanted to develop my favorite hobby, cooking great food. I had the opportunity to meet with several people and finally decided that the right partner for this new venture was Eve Gaudry with whom I started La Paillote. He is a very good chef with a lot of experience, but after 5 years he wanted to retire and enjoy life, which I fully understood. I then became the sole owner and started changing and upgrading the menu gradually to where La Paillote is today. When I was travelling to Thailand, I often came to Hua Hin to play golf, a hobby that I enjoyed very much. The best handicap I ever had was 18. Coming back to Hua Hin so many times, I got to know the town better and better. At that time (late 90’s) Hua Hin was really a village with great character and only 3.5 hours from Bangkok. The roads at that time were not as good as today. Hua Hin stood out from other places, with Thailand’s oldest golf course and the Railway Hotel (better known as the Sofitel), things that you could only find here. It was my dream place where I could relax and meet many interesting people. The security and climate were also big factors in making Hua Hin my favorite place in Thailand. Almost a hundred years ago the advisors to the King advised him to come here because of the good climate and proximity to Bangkok.

La Paillote

I wanted it to be a true French restaurant, with a French chef, authentic French cuisine and of course I speak French. In everything I’ve done in my life, I learned in time that it is best to focus on what you know you are good at. Food is my passion. I have studied food a lot and have been fortunate to learn so much from many famous chefs with high standard restaurants in Europe teaching me how to prepare delicious dishes from a few basic ingredients.

I am not an easy boss; you can ask all my staff. I am demanding but I am also there when they need help. I will promote people that try hard and work well. You have to start with selecting people with a good heart and that want to be part of a team. Only as a good working team can we be successful.

What I learned from my work experience

Searching for excellence is something that I have done all my life. I was working for a company selling hydraulic equipment. I was representing one of the best companies in the world and I could sell because I had a great company behind me and a great social network. My ambition in the food industry is always to increase the quality. I am now extending the kitchen to give more space and give my staff the tools to bring food to the next level. Customer feedback also helps, with many customers coming back every year. I make a point of introducing our staff to the customers. I rely on them as I am not here all the year because of my work in Belgium. Three years ago I got married and my wife is helping me to keep the business going strong, but it is important to let your people know that you are proud to trust them to do a good job. Once you have people working for you for a long time can provide your support when they are in trouble and help them out. This has happened to almost all my staff. I help them to understand that I am also here to help them when they need my help.

My Vision for Business

What I haven’t told you yet is that I also had other another business. I had a business in Belgium in construction and to make a good team you have to know the people, feel the people, select the right people and then create a long term team. At La Paillote most of my staff have worked here for a long time. My

restaurant I like to promote wine. Our policy is to give a wide range of French wines; we have 25 French wines and about 50 wines from other countries. We have 10 very nice wines under THB 999 because I don’t see any reason to mark up stupidly. I like to see people drink wine with a French meal instead of beer. It was clear to me that I needed to offer wines at attractive prices to achieve my aim. We do not have wines over 2,000 THB because this is not the kind of city where you can really have customers willing to pay more. The only wine over 2000 THB is French Champagne. My personal recommendation is the Belleruche red and white wines from France (Rhone) which is sold at 1,190 THB.

Hua Hin Developing

Hua Hin is developing tremendously well and has some many good things going for it. It is a safe city and many of the tourists are affluent and looking for high standards. For me Hua Hin is the place to be, I don’t like some of the other cities in Thailand.

Provide high quality food and service and you get loyalty. If you work for me you have to be proud working for La Paillote. One of my advantages is that I come and go, when I return I always come back with fresh views on how to improve things. When you are here all the time, it is sometimes hard to have an objective view. When I go to Belgium I eat outside at different restaurants and I get new ideas.

The Restaurant

My main idea is to offer the best. With the same ingredients you can create something great or something which is rubbish, this is where a real chef makes the difference. The secret is the way that you put the ingredients together and the way you cook them. Timing in preparing food is very important. For example, you should cook sea scallops one minute each side no more. If you leave it longer it becomes like chewing gum. We prepare our steaks in six different ways. When making the menu you have to think about pricing, if you supply good quality you will have good customers. If you have many customers and have good staff, they will get some good tips for providing great service and good food. People are not stupid, they want to have good quality at a reasonable price and this is how we price at La Paillote.

(5) The Channel Tunnel was officially opened, providing an undersea rail link between England and France, 6th May 1994

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

Manager has been here for 9 years, another for more than 7 years and 2 others in the kitchen over 5 years. Proof that it is possible to have a long term team in Thailand. The lady in the kitchen couldn’t speak English at all when she joined, but now she does!

We aim to make authentic traditional French food and not become too fancy with our meals. We are in a beach town, which is quite different from Bangkok when it comes to dining. Customers are looking for good value; we have priced our wines to be very competitive with small margins. People are on holidays looking for great food, reasonable prices and good service. This is what we aim to deliver.

My Wine Policy

Wine is part of French culture and as a French speaking person and having a French

I think that Hua Hin is very attractive because it is still growing and is a dynamic place. You still feel young in Hua Hin because you are pushed by the dynamic of the city itself, everybody is looking to improve on their services in the restaurants and hotels. Many new hotels, entertainment parks and restaurants are coming and all these new developments make you want to come back to Hua Hin. Every time something new going on. Of course I should mention the two main attractions in Hua Hin, the famous beaches and the beautiful golf courses. Unfortunately I have not been able to play golf in the last 2 years because of an injury.

Personal Word

I love having La Paillote and having repeat customers is what I love the most. Over time I have become real friends with many of them. “Don’t forget to enjoy life, don’t regret neglecting your friends or family and bring them to Hua Hin.”

THE CHANCE TO DANCE in Hua Hin Have you danced the Tango, Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Jive, Foxtrot, East Coast Swing, Bolero, Mambo, Nightclub Two-step, Hustle, West Coast Swing / East Coast Swing, Carolina Shag, Salsa, Merengue, Samba, Lambada, Cajun Two Step, Zydeco or Jitterbug ????????????? ………..…… the list just goes on and on!

Dance is non-verbal communication, a form of expression and social interaction. Most people have, at one time or another, moved to music, combining creativity and athleticism to convey their personal message. Ballroom dancing has caught the attention of popular culture in recent years. Films like “Strictly Ballroom” and “Take the Lead”, the documentary “Mad Hot Ballroom,” and television shows like “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Dancing with the Stars;” we’ve even seen “Dancing Your Fat off”! All this attention proving that the intrigue and popularity of ballroom dancing won’t be dwindling any time soon. Thailand is no exception to this surge in popularity with Bangkok being the hub of the Thai ballroom dance culture. This stretches from social participation through to the more serious end of the business with organised DanceSport competition at an international level. Ballroom Dancing in Hua Hin For the first time Hua Hin has joined the ballroom dancing craze and the chances are that it will become a regular feature of the social landscape around town. Judging by the number of chatroom enquiries asking where to dance in town, this is long overdue. Dance Academy Asia (DAA) is the organiser with Debby and David Abraham providing the expertise and advice. The couple are well experienced and qualified to get you on the floor, regardless of your previous dancing experience. No need to feel awkward or embarrassed.

The two DAA ballroom events to date have been held at the Hilton Ballroom where there is an ample wooden parquetry dance floor, great live music and a welcoming social atmosphere. In earlier days, ballroom dance was only meant for the crème de la crème of the society, conjuring images of beautiful women in flowing gowns and tall dark handsome men in tuxes waltzing their way around the dance floor. Certainly the ladies in attendance at the last DAA Event were enjoying an opportunity to dress in a more elaborate mode than a typical Hu Hin social night out, but this is a night for anyone eager to ‘strut their stuff’ without necessarily being a member of the ‘hi-so’ of Hua Hin. If real ballroom dancing is an option missing from your social calendar, ballroom dancing at the Hilton is the way to go! Details: At the last Event (April 19th) dancers paid 1,000 THB which include a buffet dinner. The doors open at 7.00PM. This is likely to be the format on offer for future events coming soon. Contact DAA (Debby or David) by email – david@daa.net.au or phone 0830 218 344 to get yourself on mailing list.

10 cover story THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR IS ALMOST HERE Study at an International University Near You!

Hua Hin and Cha-Am have two world renowned international universities, Stamford and Webster, which recognise that learning in an environment in which the English language is the focus of education and career paths world-wide. These universities provide study programs for both overseas students and locals. The academic year commences on June 1st and enrollments are now underway. If you are interested in a university education now is the time to make enquiries and take the necessary steps to pursue tertiary education. The fee structure has too many variables for us to describe and is detailed on the relevant website or by making a visit to the admissions centres of each university.

Here are some of the basics of what’s on offer; it’s only the start!

STAMFORD INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

WEBSTER UNIVERSITY

What Can You Expect? • Studying at a dynamic and interactive environment which encourages critical and creative thinking. • Being exposed to an international environment with students from over 68 countries around the world, celebrating cross-cultural exchange. • Becoming part of a global university network consisting of 60 universities around the world. • Being equipped with well-rounded practical skills ready for the real world. • Improving my English skills to

What Can You Expect? Distinctive student experience • Students experience an ideal, studentcentered environment with personalized learning • Students attend from 50 states and 148 countries • Diversity and inclusion are core values, a welcoming environment • Average class size consists of 10 students • Distinguished faculty members offer the right balance of global scholarship and professional experience • Travel awards available

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a professional level and graduate ready for an international work environment. DEGREES & PROGRAMS Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Administration Specialisations: Airline Business Management, Finance and Banking Management, Logistics Management Management, Marketing. Bachelor of Business Administration in International Hotel Management Bachelor of Business Administration in International Hotel Management (International Program) Bachelor of Accountancy Bachelor of Accountancy (International Program Master of Business Administration Specialisations: Business Administration, Hotel and Tourism Management, Marketing Management, International Business Management Laureate English Program for International Studies (LEP-IS) Specially designed and developed to prepare non-native speakers of English for an international study environment. CONTACT: Phone 032-442-322-3, www. stamford.edu

Distinctive learning • Globalised curriculum • Academic programs engage your mind and stimulate your understanding beyond your home country and culture • Every student experiences a global learning component • Every student is exposed to a worldwide network of fellow students who live, work and study around the U.S., Europe, Africa and Asia • Learn in class today and apply it in real life tomorrow • Five schools & colleges: Arts & Sciences; Business & Technology; Communications;

Education; and Fine Arts DEGREES & PROGRAMS College of Arts & Sciences International Relations (BA) Psychology (BA) School of Communications Advertising & Marketing Communication (BA) Media Communications (BA) Animation (BA) George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology Business Administration (BS) Management (BA) Management with emphasis in Marketing (BA) Management with International Business (BA) Management with Human Resources (BA) Computer Science (BS) CONTACT: Phone: +66(0) 32 456 162 – Ask for the “Admissions Office”, +66-(0)-32-45662 www.webster.ac.thailand

12 GOLF US MASTERS 2014 - THE BIGGEST GOLF TOURNAMENT For golf fans around the world, Masters Weekend ON THE PLANET is an April spring ritual that is eagerly awaited each year. only major played each year at the same course.

Big-driving Bubba Watson captured his second Masters title in three years, pulling away from 20 year old Jordan Spieth on the back nine for a three-stroke victory and to take away the green jacket from last year’s winner, Australian Adam Scott. The 35-yearold left handed American fired a three-under par 69 to finish 72 holes on eight-under 280 and take his second major title, the top prize of $1.62 million from a record $9 million purse and another green jacket.

From the azalea bushes in full bloom; to the silly all-white outfits that the caddies wear; to the winding creeks in front of the thirteenth and fifteenth greens, to the hushed voices of the commentators, we are suckers for it all. We can’t resist the tournament, the hunt for the “green jacket,” even if Tiger Woods wasn’t amongst the contenders. This year, for the first time in nearly two decades, he was home in Florida recuperating from surgery to relieve a trapped nerve in his back. Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is one of the most famous golf clubs in the world. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual Masters Tournament, one of the four major championships in professional golf, and the

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“I never loved green so much,” Watson said. “After giving away that jacket last year, I wanted it back.” Spieth and Sweden’s Jonas Blixt, each in his first Masters, shared second on 283 with 50-year-old Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez fourth on 284, Americans Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar sharing fifth on 286 and England’s Lee Westwood seventh on 287. Watson joins Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Tom Watson, Seve Ballesteros, Ben Crenshaw, Jose Maria Olazabal, Bernhard Langer and Horton Smith as a two-time winner. Only eight golfers have won the Masters more often. That list begins with golf legends Jack Nicklaus (6), Arnold Palmer (4) and Tiger Woods (4), and ends with three-time winners Jimmy Demaret, Sam Snead, Gary Player, Nick Faldo and Phil Mickelson. EurAsia Cup star Thongchai Jaidee was Thailand’s best performers and capped a memorable week when he signed off with a one-over-par 73 to finish in a share of 37th place.

14 GOLF DETERMINING GOLF COMPETITION WINNERS What Should Happen When There is a Tie? It’s not unusual that golfers playing in competitions have equal scores and decisions need to be made about determining who is the final winner or place getter. It is most important that the conditions of the Event clearly describe this process; regardless of the format to be used. It is just not good enough to wait until a tie happens before this is revealed; inevitably controversy will follow and the notion that the tie breaker unfairly either advantaged or disadvantaged someone is more than likely. One common tie breaker used around the Region is to award the highest place to the player with the lowest handicap. Scandinavian

golfers may be used to this system which is widely practiced in those countries and familiar. The justification seems to be that the lower handicapper has played better golf and should be rewarded. The question is; has the lower handicapped golfer played better golf according to his or her ability? After all one purpose of using a handicap system is to give players of different abilities a chance to win. Of course the answer to this question is best answered by the worldwide bodies that set the Rules of Golf; that is the Royal & Ancient and the United States Golfing Association. After all, we must follow the Rules mutually set by these two organisations, so why not follow

their recommendations as well? What The Rule Makers Have To Say “In both match play and stroke play, a tie can be an acceptable result. However, when it is desired to have a sole winner, the Committee has the authority, under Rule 33-6, to determine how and when a tie is decided. The decision should be published in advance”. There is no absolute Rule of Golf about determining ties; it’s up the Committee. The recommendation of both the R&A and the USGA is for a play-off over a number of predetermined holes. We’ve all seen those exciting and tense playoffs in professional competitions. However it is also recognised that in less auspicious events this is really not practical. Even if the golf course agrees and the holes are available, keeping the rest of the field waiting is likely to be very unpopular. The second and only other recommended option is matching score cards or what is commonly referred to as the ‘countback’ system (Appendix 1, Part C, Number 10). Matching cards determines the winner (and place getters) of an 18 hole competition on the basis of the best score for the last nine holes. If the tying players have the same score for the last nine, determine the winner on the basis of the last six holes, last three holes and finally the 18th hole.

A Final Comment We think that settles it; when the highest authorities in the world make a recommendation why not follow it as best practice? It may also be worth mentioning that the Norwegian Golf Association provides a link to the R & A website and to this information about the conditions of play. It was also a condition of play for the2013 and 2014 Scandinavian Senior Open Amateur Championships include the use of a countback system to determine ties. The message is clear; consider this subject before the Event and let everyone know. However from an international perspective, the countback system is the way to go!

THAILAND GOLF EXPO 2014 Cha-Am/Hua Hin Golf “The most comprehensive range of golf destinations, products and services” 15-18 May 2014 11.00 am - 08.00 pm

Venue : Plenary Hall 1 Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand Organized by : N.C.C. Exhibition Organizer Co., Ltd. (NEO) Supported by : Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Objective : H To promote trade exhibition platform for trade and public H To support and promote image of Thailand to be the hub of trade, exhibition and seminar for business and golf industry between domestic and international exhibitors H To promote golf industry to be one crucial part for local and international tourists H To exchange the knowledge, experiences and technology in Golf Industry Exhibitor Profile: Golf Tourism H Golf Hotel/Resort H Golf Course H Driving Range H Travel Agent/Tour Operators H Clubs, Club Accessories & Components Golf Products & Services H Golf School H Association, Organization and Private Club H Fashion Apparel & Accessories H Bag & Luggage & Balls & Accessories H Other Related Products & Services Visitor : H Buyers/Sellers H Apparel Designers

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H H H H H H H H H H

Meeting & Incentive Planners Golfers & General Public Retailer Consultancy Entrepreneurs Golf Courses & Driving Ranges Owners/ Designers Pro Shops Resorts & Tour Operators Traders Manufacturer of turf, Construction and Irrigation Equipment

Estimated Visitors : H 70,000 pax. Activities : H Golf Putting Competition “1 Putt get 100,000 Baht” H Golf Seminar H Golf Driving Range

Courses Promote

2014 Golf Festival to Chinese Golfers

The Chair of the Phetchaburi and Prachuab Khirikhan Golf Course Association recently visited Hainan and Taipei to introduce local golf courses to the Chinese. This was aimed at increasing their knowledge and to further internationalise golf events in Thailand. Mr. Suvit Rienrungreung, the Chair of the Association, travelled to Hainan and Taipei at the end of March with Executives from 11 golf courses in Phetchaburi and Prachuab Khirikhan. Information was provided to Chinese golfers interested in golf in Thailand. Mr. Suvit commented that Chinese golfers would like to play golf in Thailand, especially in Cha-Am and Hua Hin, because golf courses in the Region have received awards during a recent ceremony in Spain. This is seen as a guarantee of the quality of the facilities and services available at regional golf courses. Mr. Suvit commented on a golf event to be held to strengthen friendship among Thai and foreign golfers. On 15th June at the Palm Hill Golf Course in Cha-Am, the event will accept 40 groups of five golfers with a 15,000 THB registration. The wining group will receive a trophy with other special prizes. All participating golfers will join a complementary dinner party. Mr. Suvit added that a report by Dr. Pramot Phetsat, a consultant to the Association, discussed four major golf festival tournaments in Thailand; Phetchaburi-

Prachuab Khirikhan, Pattya-Lamchabang, Khai Yai and Chiang Mai. He proposed that after those tournaments there should be a national golf championship, ‘The First Singha Amazing Thailand Golf Festival 2014’, with winners from the four tournaments invited to take part. This event will feature a gold award for the winner, silver for second and a bronze award for third. More information will be available soon with the cooperation of Thai golf courses aiming to internationalise Thai golf courses and local annual golf events. Mr. Suvit confirmed that 13th Hua Hin/ChaAm Golf Festival will take place in August and September at golf courses in the Region. Green fees are from 1,000 to 1,800 Baht with a lucky drawer prize. Competition days will also take place every Sunday throughout the Festival. The official Festival opening and first competition day will be at Springfield on 3rd August. This will be followed by events at Royal Hua Hin (10th August), Imperial Lakeview (17th August), Majestic Creek (24th August), Suan Son Pradit (31st August), Palm Hills (7th September), Black Mountain (14th September – to be confirmed), Kaeng Krachan (21st September) The Eagle Milford (28th September) and Banyan (5th October). Individual Golf Courses can be contacted for all bookings.

Sport 17 FIFA WORLD CUP FEVER – IT’S COMING SOON! Just like the rest of the planet, Thailand is about to be gripped by World Cup fever. It’s a bit hard to see who locals without some sort of home country allegiance will go for, but our bet’s on Brazil. The good news is that the time difference between Thailand and the host nation is not too bad. No need for any sleepless nights with games scheduled in local time for between 9.00 AM and 3pm. We will provide a schedule for all the first stage games (and local times) in the next edition with the first game underway on June 12th. In the meantime here are the qualifying nations and some thoughts about their form before the kick-off.

GROUP A

Who moves on Brazil, Mexico Who goes home early Croatia, Cameroon The hosts are the clear favourites in the first group. Mexico beat La Selecao in the 2012 Olympic final, but that might as well be ancient history given where Brazil’s young stars are now playing: on Europe’s most elite teams. The Mexicans almost failed to qualify for the tournament, but so, too, did Croatia, which barely slipped past tiny Iceland in a playoff.

GROUP B

Who moves on Spain, Netherlands Who goes home early Chile, Australia Spain, the reigning world and European champion, has lost a step this year, but Vicente Del Bosque can get younger and better in a hurry if he wants to. And his forward options, Diego Costa and Alvaro Negredo among them, are far superior to the ones he had at

Euro 2012. La Roja‘s only test in the group will be the Dutch, their opponents in the 2010 final.

GROUP C

Who moves on Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire Who goes home early Greece, Japan Colombia, led by AS Monaco striker Radamel Falcao, is close to a sure thing to advance given geography. Côte d’Ivoire is a tougher call since the team’s best forward option remains Didier Drogba, who remains productive at age 35, but he’s playing in Turkey — not exactly one of Europe’s toughest leagues.

GROUP D

Who moves on Italy, Uruguay Who goes home early England, Costa Rica If you think the English soul-searching over the national sport is bad now, wait until they get knocked out before the Round of 16. Italy is simply better, while Uruguay has Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. England, meanwhile, looks to Wayne Rooney again and again and again. Who moves on France, Switzerland Who goes home early Ecuador, Honduras

Benzema and Samir Nasri are rejuvenated. The Swiss, somehow the world’s No. 7 team, will probably score one goal in three games and advance.

France, the last team to be drawn in the group, is the best of this sorry lot by some distance. Franck Ribéry and Juventus monolith Paul Pogba are having outstanding years. Karim

Who moves on Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina Who goes home early Nigeria, Iran

GROUP E

GROUP F

Either this is Lionel Messi’s year or it will never be Lionel Messi’s year. The best player in the world will be flanked by three other goalscorers at the peak of their respective careers — Sergio Agüero, Gonzalo Higuaín and Ángel di María. Bosnia-Herzegovina has one of the best keepers in the tourney in ex-Canadian Asmir Begović.

GROUP G

Who moves on Germany, Portugal Who goes home early Ghana, USA It’s honestly tough to see how the U.S. wins a game in this group. Ghana is probably the best nation in Africa at the moment; Portugal has the world’s second-best player in Cristiano Ronaldo; and then there’s Germany. The Germans have no world-class strikers, but who needs them when the attacking midfield includes Mesut Özil, Toni Kroos, Mario Götze, Marco Reus and Thomas Müller?

GROUP H

Who moves on Belgium, Russia Who goes home early South Korea, Algeria Belgium, the tournament’s biggest dark horse, got one of the World Cup’s most favourable draws. The Belgians — Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Vincent Kompany and Simon Mignolet among them — should cruise to the knockout stage. The second team through is probably a tossup between Russian and South Korea, but look for the former to impress ahead of hosting World Cup 2018.

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18 Events & promotions Calendar

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19 May 2014

His Majesty takes boat trip at Kaeng Krachan

Last month- His Majesty the King took a boat trip in the lake of Kaeng Krachan Dam in Phetchaburi Province, where he observed the development of water management in the area.

being made to restore natural environment and wildlife on the islet, which was once a mountain but later flooded partly by the construction of the dam. About 30 islets in the lake have been created in the manner.

The Kaeng Krachan Dam Project was opened in 1966 by His Majesty the King. It is the country’s first earth dam built across the Phetchaburi River, with a crest length of 760 metres, a height of 58 metres and a crest width of 8 metres. The dam has created a lake covering an area of 45 square kilometres which has a capacity to store 710 million cubic metres of water. As a multi-purpose dam, it benefits cultivation in more than 300,000 rai of land, reduces flood hazards, provides water for consumption during droughts and produces electricity worth 200 billion baht a year.

Kaeng Krachan Dam is surrounded by the Kaeng Krachan National Park which was established following His Majesty the King’s concerns for forest encroachments in watersheds of the Phetchaburi River. In 1979 His Majesty the King visited the dam and asked officials concerned to limit logging concessions in the area. Later, the Kaeng Krachan National Park was declared, covering nearly 2,500 square kilometres and has today become a popular recreation area. It consists mainly of rainforests, lakes, caves, waterfalls, as well as abundant kinds of flora and fauna.

During the trip, the royal ferry circled around an islet called “Ko Nai Luang”, or King’s island, which His Majesty visited in 1973. Repair work is being conducted at the royal pavilion on the islet. Efforts are also

His Majesty spent about two hours at the Kaeng Krachan Dam before returning to Klai Kangwon Palace in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province in the afternoon.

LEARNING ABOUT ‘BEST PRACTICE’ IN HIGH SCHOOL Cha-Am KhunYing Nueang Buri School opened its doors to lower school students and staff from some 30 local schools as well as welcoming the School Community Committee to showcase the future of secondary school education in Cha-Am.

‘KhunYing’ is an honorary title bestowed on a married woman by the King of Thailand in recognition of outstanding humanitarian, social work or community services; perhaps something akin to bestowing the title ‘Lady’ in a Western country. In this case the school recognises the primary benefactor of the school whose involvement in the school’s establishment goes back almost 50 years. Cha-Am Today joined a variety of invited guests to look at what’s on offer in local high school education. This was an exhibition of school activities with students providing musical entertainment (traditional dancing, a brass band and its own rock band) and a variety of

arts, crafts and examples of student work in subjects such as history, mathematics, foreign languages and woodwork. The aim was to give confidence to primary students soon progressing to the secondary level. The highlight of the exhibition was the demonstration of a 650,000 THB hi-tech interactive digital teaching aid. In a designated ‘smart classroom’ we were shown a sneak preview of a blackboard sized slim screen which allows teachers to use the touch screen for interactive teaching as well as video programs and online lessons. This was part of the current ‘Labschools Project’. Mr. Somchai Kruek Kruen, the School Principal, was host to the guests and joined in a presentation of awards to teachers. Cha-Am Khun Ying Nueang Buri School is ChaAm’s secondary school under the Petchaburi Ministry of Education.

HOWZAT? CRICKET IN THAILAND The 19th Hua Hin Sixes Cricket Tournament Writing about cricket for the uninitiated requires explanations about many expressions that are a part of the game. Our first example, ‘Howzat’, is really a shortened version of ‘How was that?’, a shout imploring the umpire to declare a batsman dismissed.

The ‘initiated’ are likely to have come from one of the traditional cricketing nations; namely England, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, South Africa and the grouping of Caribbean islands known as the West Indies. More recent arrivals on the cricket scene include Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Thailand is an associate member of the International Cricket Council (the 2nd level) since 2005. Thailand’s elite was certainly influenced by the British, and cricket infiltrated Thailand via the kids of elite Thai families who studied in England and were subjected to the game.

As an aside, Thailand is one of the few countries in the world where spectators can watch a game of cricket while munching on a dish of fried crickets! So What Are The Basics? Cricket is an outdoor bat and ball sport played between two teams. There are many books written about the laws of the game and a variety of situations that sometimes arise but basically……………………. It’s played on a large circular or oval shaped grassed field which varies in size with a diameter of around 150 metres. Most of the action takes place in the centre of this ground, on a rectangular strip with short grass or an artificial surface called the pitch. The pitch is 20 metres long. At each end of the pitch three upright wooden stakes, called the stumps, are hammered into the ground. Two wooden crosspieces, known

as the bails, sit in grooves atop the stumps.

One team bats and tries to score as the other team bowls and fields; trying to restrict the number of runs and dismiss the batters. Two batsmen play at any one time each taking a position at opposite ends of the pitch. During play a bowler delivers the ball from one end to the other with an overarm motion and a straightened arm, it cannot be thrown! The aim is either to hit the stumps or have the batsmen mishit the ball so that it is caught by a fielder. The bowler delivers 6 balls in one over before being replaced by another bowler. The batsmen scores by scampering from one end of the pitch to the other, after hitting the ball. Each time that dash is completed one run results; however a ball reaching the boundary scores 4 and a ball crossing the boundary on the full scores 6 runs. Page...22

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20 NEWS 1,000 BAHT DIGITAL TV COUPONS COMING BY JULY Broadcast regulators have agreed to send THB 1,000 coupons for digital TV set-top boxes to 22 million households nationwide in about two months. Col. Nathi Sukolrat, chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission said the coupons would help ease the pain for families to buy the televisions necessary to watch digital transmissions, which started this month. The coupons’ final value will still be reviewed by an NBTC committee and could be calculated based on the revenue collected from the first digital TV auction, which brought in THB12 billion. The coupons will be handed out to 22 million households around the end of June to July this year for them to buy the boxes with active antenna. The digital TV signal boxes will have a warranty period of three years with after-sales service, NNT reported.

RUBBER MONSTER THE ‘SOI DOG FOUNDATION’ back from the dead, A Model for Stray Dog now with two little babies Sterilisation in our Region?

The Soi Dog Foundation (www.soidog.org) has completed a campaign to sterilise stray dogs in Phuket to create a healthy, sustainable canine population on the island. In cooperation with the Province’s local authorities, the Soi Dog Foundation has sterilised and vaccinated more than 15,000 dogs and 2,000-plus cats on the island of Phuket during the two years of its mobile clinic program, preventing them from reproducing and protecting them from rabies. The mobile clinic, which started in June 2012, is a part of the foundation’s effort to humanely reduce the stray dog and cat population and keep Phuket free from rabies. The clinic is set up at different locations, often on the grounds of Buddhist temples, schools, and government buildings, and sometimes under a tent. The program is not only for the sake of the dogs - it also benefits local communities by reducing dog bites and other problems caused by strays.

It’s been several weeks since Udonthani mourned the loss of its pride, the Giant Rubber Duck. Maybe the duck grew angry at being trapped in a lagoon and subjected to an endless future of selfies. Whatever the cause, it took advantage of a storm’s strong winds to soar from the lake and darken the sky with unspeakable terror. They say it took many strong men that day to bring him down.

Soi Dog Foundation co-founder and vice president John Dalley said, “Our current three-year program in Phuket implemented in close cooperation with the local governments has had a large impact on the stray animal population. The situation on Phuket has already vastly improved from when we first started.”

The second phrase is expected to be complete in 2015, after which only low level of maintenance sterilisations will be needed and the population will continue to decline. Soi Dog will then shift its attention to widespread sterilisation programs in Bangkok and other areas of Thailand to address larger dog problems. With the issue of stray dogs firmly on the agenda in both Hua Hin and Cha-Am, the obvious question is; can a Soi Dogs Foundation ‘model’ be implemented in our Region?

SONGKRAN 2014 What Was That All About?

The Udon Thani Governor was quoted as saying in response to the tragedy “Poor little duck, thanks for making Udon Thani happy, we’ll always miss you.” Though mortally wounded, the duck is now back, fully repaired to mend the hearts of young and old alike, with sparks of colour covering her terrible wounds.

S is for O is for N is for

And how do we know she’s a “she?” Well apparently the duck was busy during her recuperation - she’s brought two babies along to bring joy to Udonthanites throughout the Songkran festival. Udonthani Governor, Itthipol “Tung” Treewattanasuwan shared a photo of the three ducks, saying everyone is welcome to get close and touch the duck family all they want. As before, the three ducks are displayed in the Nongprajak Silapakom Park.

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The second phase of the program will re-visit every area of Phuket to catch those dogs which have not yet been spayed or neutered, the foundation said.

Silly Season If you are reading this then you’ve survived Thailand’s silly season – well done!

Once a year

No Alcohol

G is for

Some want more but for most, love it loathe it, once a year is enough!

We heard that Songkran in Hua Hin was to be alcohol free this year; poot len? (joking)!

Good Times It was a time to relax, enjoy the company of family and friends and to have a great time.

K is for

Khrop Khrua Khrop Khrua (‘family’ in Thai) is really the traditional focus of Songkran, something we should all remember.

R is for A is for

Respect

April N is for New Year

Respect for elders and Buddhist beliefs is a big part of the history of Songkran.

Songkran in April is Thailand’s most dangerous time of the year. Sadly this year’s road toll was the highest on record, with only platitudes, not solutions on offer. The Thai New Year is really what it was all about. Sabai Bee Mai!

So welcome to the Thai New Year; we hope it’s a good one for you!

21 10 TIPS TO SAVE FUEL WHEN DRIVING It takes nearly two hundred million years for nature to form oil, but the way we are using it, it won’t last long. In today’s fast moving world, how can we save fuel when our life revolves around motor vehicles? The following tips will help you save in your everyday life while driving.

8-Do not use the Air- Conditioner

quickly. By driving smoothly, your vehicle will also always be in better condition. 5-Do not overload the vehicle

After you start your vehicle let it vehicle warm up for around thirty seconds. This will not put strain on the engine and it will run more smoothly. Another important thing is to turn your air conditioner off. This will avoid straining the engine. Wait for around a minute before you switch on the air-conditioner.

10-Planning

The air- conditioner used about ten percent of your fuel. If you really want to switch on the air-conditioner, then switch it on for a while and turn it off when the vehicle is cool enough. Just switch on the fan to circulate the cool air inside. 7-Parking in shade

For every fifty kilogram load, the fuel consumption increases by 2 percent. If you travel light, your fuel bill will also be light. The more load you put in your car and the more people are inside, the higher your fuel consumption.

2-LPG

4-Changing gears

If you plan from home where you want to go, and the route you want to take, it will save your time and fuel. By planning, you will also be able to do several things in one visit instead of roaming around. 9- Traffic Signal Alert

Park your car in a place which is cool, for example under a tree or shade from a building. The car uses a lot of fuel to cool down if it is hot. If it is already cool, it will use less fuel and be more efficient. 6- Drive Fluently

If you your fuel bills are too high, consider switching to LPG. This will help you in reducing your fuel cost to around thirty to forty percent. Another advantage is that LPG is environmentally friendly and will cause emit less polluting gasses. Changing gears is one of the most important steps in saving petrol and diesel. It is very necessary that you put the right gear according to the right speed. If you are in a lower gear at a higher speed and a higher gear at a lower speed, your fuel consumption will be more.

1-Share the Drive

3-Starting the engine

When you are nearing a traffic signal, slow down your vehicle and turn it off. Waiting for the traffic light to turn green takes at least one minute and if you close the engine, then fuel will be saved. The petrol used in restarting the motor vehicle will be comparatively less than that used during the time you were waiting.

If you frequently travel to the same place it’s likely that others, including your neighbours, are doing the same. Be on the lookout for anyone going to the same supermarket, golf course or even a nearby town. Suggesting a shared drive is likely to be appreciated by others who are also looking to save on their fuel bill.

If your driving is erratic you will waste money on petrol. To save do not apply the brakes all of a sudden and avoid accelerating too

Thailand’s internet speed just above global average, study says

Yasothon Bun Bang Fai Festival (Rocket Festival) Yasothon, one of Thailand’s northeastern provinces, is organising its famous annual Rocket Festival or Bun Bang Fai Festival which this year will be held on 9-11 May, 2014. The festivals are held each May to mark the beginnings of Thailand’s rainy season and traditionally were aimed at showing respect to and appeasing the rain spirits. This would ensure that the people would be blessed with showers of plentiful rain which would allow the cultivation of rice. Legend has it that the origins of this ancient go back as far as the pre-Buddhist era and the rockets were introduced in the 9th Century when gunpowder became known in South East Asia.

Whether uploading selfies, sending Line stickers or running cookies, Thailand has got a serious internet addiction. According to a traffic analysis by Asean DNA, the kingdom’s internet speed averages 17.7 Mbps, making it No. 2 in Southeast Asia and just above the global average of 17.5 Mbps.

From a study of one month of traffic collected mostly in March, the average pan-ASEAN rate was 12.4 Mbps. Singapore outshone all with its zesty 61.0 Mbps speed.

On the festival day itself, beautiful rockets of different styles and sizes are paraded before the crowds as they are taken to the launch site at Phaya Thaen Park. Among the many things to enjoy is a competition to find the rocket that goes the highest or furthest.

At the other end of the Southeast Asian spectrum, the Philipinnes crawl along at 3.4 Mbps, behind Laos’ 4.0 Mbps.

As well as the hundreds of rockets being let off into the night skies, there are colourful parades in which the local people dress in their

traditional costumes, fun street performances and a beauty queen contest to enjoy.

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22 NEWS Continued from Page 1 A batsman is dismissed if: H The ball hits the wickets after being bowled. H The ball is caught by a fielder after being hit. H The ball is retrieved by a fielder and the wickets are hit with the ball before a run is completed (run out). H The bowler hits the batters legs, stopping the ball from hitting the wickets (LBW – legs before wicket). H An innings is completed when all but one the batsmen (you can’t bat alone) are dismissed or the nominated number of overs has been bowled. The teams then reverse roles; the winning team is the one scoring the most runs.

The Hua Hin Sixes Version of Cricket As the name ‘sixes’ suggests this version of the game (there are many others) has six members per team, 5 x 6 ball overs and only one over per bowler. A batsman can only score 35 runs before compulsory retirement. This is a fast scoring game with not many fielders out there to intercept the ball. With only one innings for each team, a game last for about 40 minutes. The traditional form of cricket has eleven team members, sometimes lasting over five days and few restrictions on who can bowl or a maximum score for a batsman. A Test Match is the oldest, and the most intense form of cricket. The first officially recognised Test match began in Melbourne, Australia between England and Australia on March 15, 1877. As English bowler Jim Laker once said: “The aim of English cricket is, in fact, mainly to beat Australia.”

Teams competed for the ‘CUP’ (open), Masters (over 35 years of age) and Veterans (over 50 years of age). The flags were flying for England, New Zealand, Australia, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and of course Thailand. Probably Australians were the most visible and vocal. Hearing 80,000 Australian spectators at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is something else! The Players and Teams Commentary It’s fair to say that during any cricket match,

lulls in play require commentators to maintain the interest of spectators. As an example one early British commentator who probably didn’t achieve that aim. “And a white seagull flies overhead, a very white seagull. I wonder which washing powder it uses.” – England-India, 2002. During the Cup Final game our commentators provided comments much more likely to raise a smile or chuckle from their audience. As a spectator, cricket bat in hand, went to find a ball hit out of the ground: “good to see he has the snake-whacker with him (the bat)”. They also managed to entice the crowd into a Mexican Wave and describing a dislike of wicketkeepers as “barnacles on the bum of progress” ………..what does this mean? Sledging Sledging is language on the field which is often humorous, sardonic and an insulting attempt to distract the opposition. There was a time when these conversations were only heard by players and umpires then microphones on the field changed all that. We didn’t have any evidence of this revered cricket practice at the Hua Hin Sixes (no on field microphones) but without insults being exchanged, cricket wouldn’t be cricket. Here’s a few of the best known sledges, we couldn’t include many others which would be ‘R’ Rated! “I can see why you are batting so badly, you’ve got some s**t on the end of your bat.” At this point the batsman flipped his bat over to examine the end, the bowler’s response? “Wrong end mate!” The batsman arrived at the wicket to a bit of

cheek from the wicketkeeper. “So how’s your wife and my kid’s?” Answer: “Wife’s fine; kid’s are retarded”. To a struggling batsman: “If you turn the bat over you’ll get the instructions”. Our favourite: The bowler was getting a few to whizz past West Indies legendary batsman Vivien Richards. The comment was: “It’s red, round and weighs about five ounces, so hit it!” Richards hammered the next delivery out of the cricket grounds and into a nearby river. Turning to the bowler: “You know what it looks like, now go and find it.” Results As the dust settled on the last day amazing cricket was seen. In the Veterans final, the Leongatha Woodchoppers beat the Gold Coast Tigers 88/1-46/2. As predicted the most exciting game of the day was the Cup final which saw the Melbourne Cup Red take on the Thailand Colts. Bobby Raina took two wickets off nine runs leading the Thailand Colts to a 0/49-4/45 victory. The leading batsman of the tournament was Aaron Hinss who also took the award for most sixes of the tournament scoring a superb 18 sixes. The leading bowler was John Fahey from the Old Xaverians who achieved an amazing six wickets.

Hua Hin Women’s Club Celebrates 1st Anniversary The Hua Hin Women’s Club has celebrated it’s first anniversary with a determination to continue charity work, strengthen networks and help Hua Hin women fight against cancer. The Chairperson of the Club, Ms. Lisa Ungheng told Hua Hin Today that the Club held a General Meeting on 15th February, when Members reported on their activities during the year. This included granting scholarships to local students, donating bicycles to local schools, photocopiers to Hua Hin Police Station, computers to Hua Hin Provincial Court and 50,000 Baht cash to the Hua Hin Hospital. Members actively participated in many festivals during the year. This year, the Club will give added support women suffering from cancer at Hua Hin Hospital as well as Members who have this illness. Ms. Lisa said that the Club would continue to be active in 2014 with festive activities including Retro Hua Hin and a welcome party

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

for the Tourism Business Association. On 19th April, the Club hosted a Charity Gala Dinner at Anantara Resort and Spa to celebrate the Thai New Year or Songkran. The event was well attended with all proceeds to be used for the Club’s charity work. Ms. Lisa added that the Club has been restructured and there are now over 100 members. The strength of the Hua Hin Women’s Club is increasing and it now one of the foremost local charity clubs.

Special Deals 23

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

24 Last Month

Villazzo Restaurant at V Villas Hua Hin Awarded in Thailand’s Best Restaurants 2014

The romantic poolside venue Villazzo Restaurant at V Villas Hua Hin, noted for its elegant sunken dining tables on the tranquil Hua Hin beachfront, is proud to announce that it has again been awarded amongst ‘Thailand’s Best Restaurants 2014’ by influential Thailand Tatler Best Restaurant Guide 2014. This is the third consecutive year that the Villazzo has been recognized for its delightful cuisine and service, as voted by the discerning readers of Thailand Tatler Magazine, the country’s leading luxury, lifestyle magazine and website.

Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa One of The First Starwood Property Green Globe Certification

Green Globe has announced certification of Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa, recognising its environmental, social, and cultural sustainability policies and achievements. Green Globe Certification is the travel and tourism industry’s worldwide hallmark for sustainability, and this recognition highlights Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa sincere commitment to operating in an environmentally, socially Manner. This is the first resort in Starwood to have Green Globe Certified. The Green Globe Standard is a structured assessment of the sustainability performance of travel and tourism businesses and their supply chain partners. Businesses can monitor improvements and document achievements leading to certification of their enterprises’ sustainable operation and management.

“WELCOME To The MOROCCO AMBASSADOR” AT VILLA MAROC RESORT, PRANBURI

The Morocco Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Abdelilah El Housni (1st from the left), from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco recently visited Villa Maroc Resort, Pranburi. He received a warm welcomed on arrival from Mr. Tunnop Soongrung, General Manager (2nd from the left).

BANYAN MASTERS 2014

Sunday, April 13th 2014 saw the 6th running of the annual “Banyan Masters” event at Banyan Golf Club.

INTERCONTINENTAL GENERAL MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Britta Kutz, General Manager of InterContinental Hua Hin, recently brought another success story to InterContinental Hua Hin. Ms Kurz won “General Manager of the Year” for the resort category at the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Asia, Middle East and Africa Leaders Meeting in Singapore. This was a milestone to mark the resort’s 5th anniversary this year.

DUSIT THANI HUA HIN ‘PITCH IN’

This fun tournament format has grown year by year. Golfers who preferred to stay dry & escape the Songkran craziness all turned up to play a StrokePlay competition at Banyan Golf Club Hua Hin. Each player made a lucky dip draw of a player competing at Augusta National over the same weekend, and the winners were decided by the combined Nett scores of both players. (Saturday scores from Augusta National were used) Banyan Golf Club put together a great Prize-giving dinner at The Terrace Restaurant following play where Club management awarded the following prizes; •2nd Runner Up: Vladimir Dorogoy (10) playing with Jason Day with a combined score of 141 •1st Runner Up: Taichai Kho (7) playing with Henrik Stenson with combined score of 141 (won on count back) •Winner & “Banyan Masters Champion 2014”: Sopee Nordaas (26) playing with Justin Rose with a combined score of 138 Defending 2013 Champion handed over the ceremonial Green Jacket to the 2014 “Banyan Masters” Champion. In the 6 years of the “Banyan Masters”, the title has never been defended. 3 past Champions competed in the “Banyan Masters” 2014, so perhaps history can be made if Sopee Nordaas returns to defend her title at the “Banyan Masters” 2015

Over sixty potential football stars of tomorrow have been taken under the Dusit Thani Hua Hin Football Academy’s wing and competed in the inaugural 2013/4 season of the Western Thailand Football Academy League (WTFAL).

The team no longer has to worry about costly pitch fees and thanks to money generated from food & beverage sales, lucky draws, membership fees and sales of merchandise, the team’s financial problems have been solved. For the 2014/15 season the team will be wearing the Dusit Thani Hua Hin logo and Academy badge on their shirts as they travel across the length and breadth of the country. Training for the new season is held at Dusit Thani Hua Hin every Saturday and Sunday from 3.00 – 5.30 PM. The new WTFAL season is scheduled to commence in June. All players, aged 5 – 14, and interested parents are warmly welcomed to come along and sign up.

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

At the biggest celebration of the year in Thailand, the Putahracsa Team spoiled their guests with a fabulous Songkran night on the beach. With a sumptuous BBQ Buffet Dinner, chillin summer tunes and beach vibes from “Jazzohol” Hua Hin’s most popular band, and a bottle of Chandon. Mixologist Diageo encouraged the guests to create their own creative cocktails. This was a Songkran highlight at the Oceanside Beach Club & Restaurant on Saturday 12th April 2014

CENTARA ACHIEVES EARTHCHECK SILVER CERTIFICATION FOR 10 HOTELS

EarthCheck, the specialist organisation that sets the benchmarks for environmental awareness and conservation for the international hospitality industry, has awarded 2013 Silver Certification for 10 hotels within the Centara Hotels & Resorts group. “Green and sustainable tourism is at the heart of our corporate culture, and we have been working with EarthCheck for several years to ensure that we operate all of our hotels to strict environmental standards,” says Thirayuth Chirathivat, Centara’s chief executive officer.

The team had previously struggled to find a permanent home and adequate funding. When the club was invited to join the WTFAL interest soared. Although parents dipped into their own pockets to fund the team; without sponsorship, there was a real threat that the only kids’ team in Hua Hin playing competitive league football would have to withdraw. Six months ago, Dusit Thani Hua Hin’s General Manager, Victor Sukseree, offered the use of the hotel’s three football pitches to the team’s head coach and driving force, experienced Ghanaian professional Francis Henyoh and his team of four Thai and International coaches. The offer was snapped up and the relationship has gone from strength to strength, culminating in a grand end-of-season awards party in the hotel’s Napalai Ballroom followed by lunch at the extravagant Sunday Best buffet in The Restaurant.

SONGKRAN AT THE PUTAHRACSA

“We have set our own internal targets for progressing through the certification levels, and it gives all of us immense satisfaction to say that our targets are being achieved.

HILTON HUA HIN RESORT & SPA GOING DARK FOR EARTH HOUR 2014

“Our target for 2015 is to have a total of 15 hotels with Silver Certification, including all of the self-owned Hotels & Resorts core brand.”

Lead by the management team and team members, this was a memorable and fun experience to switch off the lights of Hilton Hua Hin and invite guests to celebrate the event with a candlelight dinner at the Market restaurant with a traditional Thai candle dance show. Activities included turning off exterior signage lighting; dimming non-essential interior lighting, floating candles in the lobby pool, using candlelight in appropriate public areas such as restaurants and bars and switching off equipment in all offices.

To achieve Silver Certification all participating hotels are required to have a sustainable policy in place and to implement an environmental action plan for proper monitoring and measurements on 10 key performance areas, namely greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, management of freshwater resources, ecosystem conservation and management, social and cultural management, land use planning and management, air quality protection, wastewater management, solid waste management, and elimination of environmentally harmful substances.

In April the Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa joined “Earth Hour 2014” with activities at the lobby pool and the theme of “Uniting People to Protect the Planet”

The 10 Silver Certification hotels for 2013 include the Grand Beach Resort and Villas Hua Hin.

Tel : 032

512 503 Fax : 032 535 618

st rchh 22001144 Maarc m 0011st M ““FFro rom ry BBaakkeery in H a st in u H H a st O 4 u 1 H 0 2 4 1 t c 0 2 t c 1 O 3 -- 31 y” ry SSuunnddaay” very se eeve lose w wililll cclo

ASIAN BEACH POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS Raising Funds for the Kamlangai Project The fifth ‘Asian Beach Polo Championship InterContinental-B.Grimm’, Asia’s only beach polo tournament was held during a sunny day at the Hua Hin beachfront of InterContinental Resort Hua Hin. Macau beat Hong Kong team with a score of 7-3 and won the Princess PA’s Cup.

The game once again was hosted by Mr.Suwat Liptapanlop, former deputy prime minister and the advisory chairman of the organizing committee for Asian Beach Polo Championship and Mr.Harald Link, chairman of B.Grimm Group and president of Thailand Equestrian Federation, the first beach polo player in Thailand in his capacity as the organizing committee chairman for the Asian Beach Polo Championship. The Event was to raise funds for the ‘Kamlangjai

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

Project’ or Inspire by Princess PA, initiated by HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha to reach out to incarcerated women, including pregnant inmates and their babies. All guests with good hearts including General Yuthasak Sasiprapha, M.R.Thiradej Rajani, M.L.Poonyanuch Kashemsanta, Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Proudputh Liptapanlop, Viphavee Khoman, Matunart Sosothikul, Benyapa Svasti-Xuto, Nara Auapinyakul and many more were spotted on the beach cheering the exciting polo matches.

Prior to the games, the Event started with a horse parade and the official opening ceremony. Spectators saw how good the young Thai polo players were in the special Kids’ Polo match. The excitement started with the match for third place. The Thai Polo team lost to France with a score 1-3. The final match between Macau Polo VS Hong Kong Team saw the Macau team ictorious with a score of 7-3 to

win title of Asian Beach Polo Champion this year. The day concluded with a dinner party with a ‘Hua Hin Sweet Old Day’ theme at the hotel’s

garden courtyard where guests enjoying shows which celebrated the Hua Hin charm of the 1920s. Fund raising included the auction of three oil paintings by Hua Hin local artists. ‘Hua Hin Railway Station with a Royal waiting room’ was won by Nutthachai Srerungsukpinitt with the highest bid of 250,000 Baht. The second painting, ‘Khao Takiab’ was won by Hiram E. Manville at 200,000 Baht. The last painting ‘HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha horse riding at Hua Hin’ was won by Harald Link at 400,000 Baht. The charity auction raised an additional of 850,000 Baht for charity. The auction of oil paintings was for a reallygood cause as funds will be going to the ‘Kamlangjai Project’.

News 27 PHATRA MARINA PRANBURI IT’S THE ONLY ONE WE’VE GOT I occasionally hear grumbles from Cha-Am residents, some even have their own boat, that there’s nowhere to launch a boat trailer locally. That is unless you have a four wheel drive which you are happy to take onto the beach. Another alternative is the fresh water options at Kraeng Krachan.

lovers. The origins of the Phatra Marina are a little mysterious, but according to some sources entrepreneur Viroj Nualkair, at the time chief executive officer of Thailand’s Phatra Thanakit Finance Company was one of the originators. In any case Phatra Marina is a hidden treasure for any boat fanatic.

Over the years there have been some rumours about a launching facility north of Cha-Am, but not yet. No hard surface launching ramp, or ideally a real marina.

A visit here mirrors a common sight in Thailand where modern developments often stand in stark juxtaposition with traditional culture. In Bangkok modern office towers rise beside old wooden Thai houses. At Phatra Marina Thai fishing boats mingle with Thai customs military boats, home designed tour boats (including the Siam Pearl) and luxurious private sailing machines. The Hua Hin Sea Discovery also berths at the marina.

The Colliers International 2011 Residential Report provided some comment on this issue. “The existence of a marina in Hua Hin – Cha am would invigorate the area as a premier high end resort destination and enhance its international profile. It would also allow greater sea access from the eastern seaboard. Plans for a marina have been mooted for some time but have yet to come to fruition.” However about 15 kilometres south of Hua Hin at Pak Nam Pran (that’s Thai for Pranburi estuary) there is a facility available for boat

The Marina itself has all the necessary facilities with lifting equipment, dry birth maintenance areas and other chandlery services. There are about 100 pens on site as well as dry boat storage areas. A sign states that use of the hard surface launching ramp is 300 THB although with no one in sight I’m not sure how payment would be made.

Python Rescued From Electric Shock

Where you going, big guy? Following our story about the macaque monkey managing to avoid a fatal electrocution after tangling with power lines in Hua Hin, we thought it only fair to report that Pattani Province may have gone one better.

WHERE: The marina is a 20 minute drive south of Hua Hin on the northern side of the Pranburi estuary. You need to turn off the main highway at the first main road towards the ocean after Suan Son Golf Course. Look for the Pak Nam Pran sign. We didn’t see any signs for the marina, including at the entrance. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons it’s off the tourist map.

Top 10 Countries to Backpack

Thailand Rated Number Two by ‘Student Universe Travel Guide’ Backpacking is one of the most fun adventures to go on. College students for years and years have enjoyed grabbing their gear, some good friends, a map, and setting out onto an unknown place. It is also one of the best economical ways to vacation. Don’t worry about burning the cash because you will be seeing the world without dipping too far into the bank account. Get ready for a fun time with some good friends.

Rescue Volunteer Thailand shared photos of their impressive rescue in Pattani when they saved from shocking death a python which innocently snugged up and coiled tightly around a utility pole. Pattani locals called up the rescue volunteers when they spotted the python on the electricity post. The python held on tight, so the volunteers ascended in a cherry picker to pull its head with a lasso and managed to bring the python down unharmed, MThai reported.

During our visit the only visible activity was on board the Thai Customs boats. Our suggestion would be to make a visit to check out the scene yourself before you get into ‘sailor mode’. There is an onsite office for Absolut Boat Services, but unoccupied. The given number (Thai and English) is 0835936523. That could be worth a try to learn the local protocol.

Locals assumed the serpent snaked up the post because officials had sprayed antimosquito poison into a nearby water pipe just earlier.

The country’s spirit is in Buddhism temples and architectural masterpieces and full of Thai history: Wat Phra Kaeo temple, Wat Arun temple, Wat Benchamabophitr and Grand Palace at Bangkok. Try Thai Boxing if you’re interested in the very unique sports.” Here’s what Student Universe had to say about backpacking in Thailand. “Thailand is definitely the ideal destination for college backpackers who are seeking a place with both a rich culture and an affordable location. Not to mention, you will certainly want to try the local Thai cuisine... too good to ever pass up. You can also go for an authentic Thai iced tea at the roadside stores!

Here’s the complete list: 1. Nepal 2. Thailand 3. India 4. Sri Lanka 5. Indonesia 6. Nicaragua 7. Peru 8. Turkey 9. Albania 10. Costa Rica

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

inic l C b o p d ! Na . . 4 1 0 d 2 e v y o m Ma e b ill w e d a n o l d r at Co a w n o 2 to Soi 10

NEWS 29 Airlines demand crackdown on unruly passengers Geneva Global aviation body IATA has demanded that governments close legal loopholes that allow unruly passengers to escape law enforcement for serious offences committed on board planes. “Airlines are doing all they can to prevent and manage unruly passenger incidents, but this needs to be backed up with effective

law enforcement,” said Tony Tyler, head of the International Air Transport Association. “Reports of unruly behaviour are on the rise.”

The airlines’ call came on the eve of a meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organisation in Montreal, which aims to update the 1963 Tokyo Convention on passenger safety. Proposed revisions to the treaty would make it easier for authorities to prosecute the small minority of passengers who are violent, disruptive, abusive, or act in a manner that might endanger safety, the IATA said. “The Tokyo Convention was not originally designed to address unruly behaviour and there is a great deal of uncertainty amongst carriers as to what actions crew can take to manage incidents in the air,” Tyler said in a statement. “Passengers expect to enjoy their journey incident-free. And air crews have the right to perform their duties without harassment.” Under the current rules, jurisdiction over offences committed on board an aircraft is left to the country where the plane is registered. But modern leasing arrangements mean that

is not always the aircraft’s home base or destination, the IATA said. The airline industry now wants jurisdiction to be extended to cover both where the plane has touched down and the operator’s home country to make it easier to stop troublemakers. “If the aircraft lands in a state other than where the aircraft was registered, local

authorities are not always able to prosecute,” Tyler added. At the moment there are too many examples of people getting away with serious breaches of social norms that jeopardise the safety of flights because local law enforcement authorities do not have the power to take action.”

Thailand Named Asia’s Top Tourist Destination

For the 11th year running, Thailand has won “the most popular tourist destination in Asia” award conferred by the German travel industry group Go Asia. Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Mr. Thawatchai Arunyik received the

award on behalf of the Thai tourism industry at a ceremony organised during ITB Berlin. The Go Asia Awards ceremony has been held annually since 2003, with the cooperation of the magazine Reise and Preise and Go Asia Group. Mr. Thawatchai said, “It is a source of great pride that we continue to be recognised as a popular tourist destination in the German market in spite of the political unrest during the past few months. On behalf of the entire Thai travel and tourism industry, especially the millions of people who work in it, I would like to thank all those who voted for us. We look forward to welcoming you all in Thailand, now that everything is back to normal.” Germany is Thailand’s third largest source of visitor arrivals from Europe. It was previously the top source market, but has been overtaken by stronger growth from Russia and the UK. For 2014, TAT is targeting 768,500 German visitors. The most popular tourist attractions of the German market are Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, Hua Hin, Ko Phangan and Cha-am.

Thai Diners Emerge as Asia’s Top Tippers Thai diners are the most generous tippers in Asia, according to a recent survey that puts them well above most countries in the region, including China, Japan and New Zealand.

Based on a survey by MasterCard of nearly 8,000 respondents in the Asia-Pacific region between October and November, 84% of Thai diners said they left a tip after a good meal. Bangladesh (80%) and India (78%) ranked second and third, followed by the Philippines (73%). Japan (4%) was reported as the least generous, with Indonesia (33%), Malaysia (31%) and Singapore (20%) falling somewhere in the middle. The survey does not report the amount of the tip and is meant to serve more as a tool about good dining practices among different countries in the region, a statement from Master Card said.

Knowing that it’s uncommon not to leave a tip behind in Thailand, for example, will benefit travelers who might not consider leaving any gratuity. In Japan, on the other hand, tipping is not expected, and people there may even “frown at the practice,” Ms. Tan said. The survey on tipping habits was part of a broader study on consumer dining experiences in the Asia Pacific. In addition to being the region’s biggest tipper, Thailand also came out on top as the most active market when it comes to sharing a dining experience online, with one in two respondents likely to snap a picture or post a review on a social network site while dining.

“Understanding how people tip gives us a unique look into local cultures and accepted practices that we can all benefit from knowing while travelling,” said Georgette Tan, Master Card’s head of communication for the AsiaPacific, Middle East and Africa regions.

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

30 Motoring KTM – AUSTRIAN MOTORBIKE EXCELLENCE

KTM motorcycles is known for its dirt bikes, like the SX and XC lines, but the Austrian marque also produces ATVs and street bikes like the Super Duke, and even a new sportbike with the RC8 Superbike.

KTM-Sportmotorcycle was formed in 1992 but traces its foundation as early as in 1934. In 1992 the company was spun-off from its parent company KTM when it ran into financial troubles. KTM was split into four companies, all of which shared the same KTM branding, and in present have many more subsidiaries with the same branding. However, KTM-Sportmotorcycle is most commonly associated with the iconic KTM branding, because it still continues the flagship business of its parent company. KTM is known for off road motorcycles though in recent years it has expanded into street motorcycle production.

KTM 1290 Super Duke R

It would be understandable to approach the KTM 1290 Super Duke R with caution. This latest in the brand’s line of notoriously aggressive naked V-twins was first seen as a prototype nicknamed “the Beast”, which snarled its way through some spectacular promotional videos and was wheelied up the Goodwood Festival of Speed hillclimb by racer Jeremy McWilliams.

2014 KTM 390 ABS

The 2014 KTM 390 Duke ABS combines maximum riding pleasure along with optimum consumer worth and it is exceptional everywhere exactly in which very nimble handling counts. Light-weight like a feather, strong and filled with state-of-the-art technologies, it guarantees undreamed of dynamic enjoyable, regardless of whether you are inside the urban jungle or perhaps a forest of bends. This is a fun to drive machine, the sudden bursts of acceleration makes the 390 a perfect petrol head’s companion on the long straights and long sweeping corners. The throttle response is good, 0 to 60 comes before you expect what more the 2014 KTM Duke 390 has acres of power and continues to rev till 10,500 rpm. The wide handle bars add to the sensational ride quality, the bike likes to

be pushed into hairpin bends but does give confidence while doing so. The gear ratios are adequate when compared to the KTM Duke 200, the 6th gear is quite tall. The ride quality on the 2014 Duke 390 is substantially good, even though ride is a bit hard, it is comfortable on the tarmac laid roads. The gripper Metzeler M5 Sportecrubber is an added advantage. We did cruise around 120 on plain smooth roads, and the bike did sit well planted. Seats do provide adequate comfort, but it’s good as a single seater. Engine: 1-cylinder 4-stroke engine, water-cooled Transmission: 6-speed Horsepower @ RPM: 43 Energy: Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) Displacement: 373 cc Top Speed: 93 mph (Est.)

With 180bhp from its 1,301cc V-twin engine, the Super Duke is more powerful than almost any other streetbike, let alone most naked bikes of similarly light weight. There was a slight suspicion that this time KTM, which revels in its racing record and hardcore image, had gone a step too far. But if the Super Duke is a beast it’s a very polite one: phenomenally powerful, yet remarkably composed and easy to ride, and backed up by sophisticated electronics. Much to my surprise, the strongest impression after riding it on road and track isn’t how frighteningly fast it is but how manageable. The strong and flexible V-twin produces armstretching torque from below 4,000rpm. The Super Duke revs with thrilling ferocity and remarkable smoothness for such a big twin, all the way to its 9,800rpm limit and a top speed of well over 150mph. Riders attracted by the Super Duke’s bad boy image might be unimpressed to find that the traction control system limits wheelies, although this can be turned off. It’s hard to imagine anyone being disappointed by other aspects of the KTM’s performance.

Engine type: 2-cylinder, 4-stroke, V 75° Displacement: 1301 cc Bore/stroke: 108/71 mm (4.25 x 2.79 inches) Power: 132 kW (180 HP) at 8.870 rounds/min Starting aid: Electric starter/12V 11.2Ah Transmission: 6 gears Engine lubrication: Pressure lubrication with 3 Eaton pumps Cooling system: Liquid cooling Clutch: PASC slipper clutch, hydraulically operated Engine management/ignition: Keihin EMS with DBW, double ignition Chassis Frame: Chromium-Molybdenum-Steel trellis frame, powder coated Handlebar: Aluminum, konifiziert 28/22 mm Front suspension: WP-USD 48 mm Rear suspension: WP-Monoshock Front brake: 2 x Brembo four piston, radially bolted caliper, brake disc 320 mm Rear brake: Brembo fixed mounted two-piston brake calipers Brake system: Bosch 9ME Combined-ABS Chain: X-Ring 5/8 x 5/16″ Steering head angle: 65,1° Wheel base: 1482 ± 12 mm (58.34 inches) Ground clearance: 140 mm (5.51 inches) Seat height: 835 mm (32.8 inches) Tank capacity: 18 l (4.75 gallons) Unleaded premium fuel (95 RON) Dry weight: 189 kg (416.6 lb.)

Honda rolling out futuristic new two-wheeler

TOKYO -- Honda Motor is reaching out to a new type of rider with a motorcycle that looks like it might have ridden out of the future. The 750cc, dual-clutch transmission NM4 goes on sale this year. It has an angular profile and a low-ride seat with a cockpit feel. The seat angle can be adjusted in four ways. Honda will offer two versions of the NM4 of differing design and colour. The automaker aims to sell 2,000 of them in the initial year

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

Motoring 31

Buying a Secondhand Motorcycle Once you’ve located your used / secondhand motorcycle candidate, the next step is checking it out. A few hot tips:

H Go during the day so you can look over the bike in bright sunlight instead of under some dim fluorescent tube. H Always take someone with you, preferably a mechanic who can inspect the motorcycle without the emotional investment of being a buyer. H Always be ready to walk away at an instant. Do not get emotionally involved with the motorcycle yet; there’s plenty of time for that later. H Make sure the registration is current and correct, and all paperwork is in the seller’s name; if not, it could be stolen. Also do not believe any registration fairytales. H Take money. Being able to lay cold, stacks of 1,000 Baht bills in the seller’s hand, on the spot, sometimes can magically shrink the price. As for the bike’s condition, the more ‘used’ it

looks, the quicker you should continue your search elsewhere. Conversely, a clean-looking stock bike with a complete service history means you’ve got a live one. Be smart. Does the bike look straight – that is, are the handlebar and levers unbent, and do the wheels look in line with one another? Bent, scraped stuff means crash damage. Check all the fluids; a seller should be bright enough to have changed them prior to sale, and if he’s not, find one who is. The battery should turn the engine over with some snap, and it should start quickly. All gasket perimeters should be dry. Check consumables: tires, chain, sprockets, and brake pads. If they’re shaky-looking, you have a potential bargaining chip. Ideally, you’ll be able to test ride the bike. Having a friend to leave behind can put sellers a bit more at ease. Let an experienced rider take the test ride. Okay, you’ve found a reasonable example in decent shape. You’ve done your homework by researching the bike’s known weak points and basic market value. Based on that knowledge, make a reasonable offer; do not insult the seller’s intelligence by making an unreasonable offer. He will either accept your offer or make a counter-offer. At some point, you’ll have to decide if it’s all worth it. If it is, pay the man. If there are any significant doubts in your mind, keep looking. It really isn’t much more difficult than that. Just keep your wits about you, be polite and reasonable, and able to produce in an instant a stack of thousand Baht bills. There’s no reason both of you can’t be happy.

HONDA PCZ 150

Do You Really Need a Motorbike? It is a common question asked by those wishing to venture out on two wheels; do I get a motorcycle or a scooter? How about a brand new Honda PCX 150? For the same price range, the other alternative would be to purchase a used motorcycle, somewhere in the 200cc – 250cc range. Probably 99% of the population that rides on two wheels in Thailand has a scooter. Unless you plan on doing a lot of cross-Thailand touring, there is not much point getting anything bigger. This cool machine will fit most riders’ needs just fine. It is definitely a high-tech machine. With fuel injection and a 2-valve, liquid cooled engine, it has a surprising amount of efficiency, torque and power for the size! The starter motor and cooling system are both integrated into the engine which saves on weight and space. It’s great for getting around town and for short trips into the countryside. Under seat storage is large enough for a full size helmet and those of us with longer legs won’t be troubled. You may just have to get used to swinging your leg over the seat rather than a ‘step through’ mount. A new PCX comes with a three year warranty on the engine and a five year warranty on the fuel injection system. The recommended retail price is close enough to 70,000 THB although the necessary insurance and licensing needs to be added. It has enough bells and whistles to excite any gadget freak! Built in alarm system, automatic locking with the key chain button, locked gas tank and starter, and a digital dashboard that would put many cars to shame! Tack on the 100 miles per gallon that it regularly gets, and it’s a winner! I was a little concerned that the PCX would be lacking power on the hills. But heading up

a mountainous road was no problem. It is so nice to be able to get out of town and see the surrounding countryside. I had no problem navigating the twisties up the side of the mountain and even with two on board, the PCX 150 had no trouble keeping up with the traffic. Regular commuters between Hua Hin and ChaAm will also be pleasantly surprised by the ease of the journey. It is also great having a twist-and-go in the city. Not having to worry about the clutch makes for a much more relaxing ride, especially in traffic. There is also a Start/Stop button which can be switched on. When this is active, the engine turns off every time you stop and then immediately kicks in again when you twist the throttle. Apparently, this results in a 7-8% savings in fuel as a result of this technology alone. Here in Thailand a scooter is the way to go. A large bike is not necessary and only prevents you from weaving through the city traffic. With a little guy like the Honda PCX 150, it is a piece of cake getting to the front of any traffic jam and taking off as soon as the light changes. Looking around at the other millions of people riding scooters makes me believe a PCX is the answer.

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

NEWS 33 ‘RICE FOR THE WORLD’

Thailand to host the International Rice Congress (IRC) 2014 Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Yukol Limlaemthong said it was both an honour and a great opportunity for Thailand to have been chosen as the host of the 4th IRC this year.

The ministry has convened a meeting with relevant agencies, such as the Rice Department, the Thai Rice Foundation and research institutes in preparation for the rice congress.

The minister stated that the upcoming congress was aimed at fostering networks among rice researchers at the international level to facilitate the exchange of knowledge concerning the cash crop. He was also confident that the event would help promote the quality and uniqueness of Thai rice

Global medical and travel security services group International SOS has unveiled a new app for business travellers and expatriates, which delivers key information, advice and connectivity.

Rich Gallagher, chief digital officer at International SOS, said, “This is a traveller’s ultimate tool for overcoming obstacles they may come up against while overseas. Simple to use, it provides immediate access to the full strength of International SOS’s global information and assistance network.”

In conjunction with the International Rice Research Institute, the event will be organized under the title “Rice for the World”.

Mr Yukol revealed that a meeting of the Council for Partnership in Rice Research in Asia and the 29th International Rice Research Conference would be held as part of the IRC. There will be exhibitions on rice research as well as related innovations and technologies.

International SOS launches new business travel app

and further Thailand’s cooperation with neighboring countries in related fields. The IRC 2014 will be held at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center (BITEC) from October 27th to November 1st. Approximately 1,500 participants, comprising researchers, academics, private entrepreneurs, exporters and importers, are expected.

THAI Offers Summer Holidays 2014 Fares

Thai Airways International (THAI) is offering special domestic “Summer Holidays 2014” promotions for customers to take advantage of one-way domestic fares on Thai Airways International and THAI Smile flights in Economy Class.

Called Assistance App, the new tool is designed to assist travellers in a wide range of situations. They may need to speak to a doctor or to a security professional when a threat is developing in their location. They can also let their employer know exactly where they are when requiring help. The app gives instant access to country guides and location-specific alerts written by 120 travel security experts in five regional security centres around the world. Further information is provided by a dedicated medical and analysis team, which is part of a wider global network of 2,000 medical professionals. These experts are based in 27 assistance centres, at International SOS clinics and on clients’ remote sites. Key to the app’s functionality is the new location check-in feature. This allows business travellers to share their location with their employer’s travel, medical and/or security

support teams via the recently upgraded International SOS TravelTracker platform. Rich Gallagher explains, “Imagine a traveller flying abroad. Using travel-booking data, their employer easily knows where the traveller’s plane is due to land. But what if, upon landing, the traveller takes a 150-kilometre taxi ride to a remote work site? With one click, that traveller has the ability to confirm where they are located at that time, with their location details clearly visible on their employer’s TravelTracker map. “This location check-in is a huge step forward. It puts an end to much of the location guesswork that can exist during a crisis. With our fully integrated assistance capabilities, we can get help to travellers more quickly and sometimes even before they know they need it.” The Assistance App is available for iOS, Android and Blackberry smartphones from

TAT plans to attract tourists from neighboring countries

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has plans to invest 124 million baht in strategic planning to attract foreign tourists from the ASEAN region. The plan is expected to generate over 1.3 billion baht in revenue. In 2015, the TAT plans to come up with marketing strategies in order to attract foreign visitors from Thailand’s neighboring countries, as they are a group considered to have high spending potential and could possibly increase tourism revenue up to about 1.31 billion baht.

Conditions for “Summer Holidays 2014” promotional fares are for one-way travel to domestic destinations on flights operated by Thai Airways International and THAI Smile, with the choice to travel on weekdays (Monday to Thursday only) or weekends (Friday to Sunday only). The special fares include airport tax and surcharges with limited seats per flight and conditions may apply. Passengers can make reservations and issue tickets during 24 March – 15 July 2014 and may begin travel during 18 April – 15 July 2014. For more Information, call the THAI Contact Center at Tel. 02-356-1111 (24 Hours)

The TAT has also allocated a budget on marketing campaigns to attract tourists within each country. They plan to spend 16.6 million baht in Indonesia, hoping to generate 155 million baht in return, and 30 million baht in Malaysia with expectations to receive 415 million baht in return. As for Singapore, the TAT plans to spend 44 million baht, aiming to get 457 million baht back, and 34 million baht in Vietnam with the hopes to generate 279 million baht in return. High-potential spenders are willing to pay roughly around 5,900 baht per night at hotels, while usual tourists would pay around 1,700 baht per night. Overall spending for hotel rooms per trip around 25,000 baht for high spenders compared to around 6,300 baht for regular tourists.

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

34 TRAVELLING TO AND FROM HUA HIN Transport

Thailand Bus

Nakorn Phatuorn

Bangkok Minivan

Rachaburi Hua Hin

Phuket

Price THB

Huahin - Bangkok

175

Huahin - Chumporn

342

Huahin - Phuket

823

Huahin - Rachburi

160

Huahin - Nakorn Phathom

180

Huahin - Bangkok

180

Huahin - Chonburi

350

Huahin - Patthaya

400

VIP (Food & Drink)

Chumpon

Surathani

Place

Whether it’s North, South or West there are many ways to get in and out of Hua Hin.

Train

Expats and Thai people need to travel to cities outside Hua Hin regularly, so here’s the way to go!

THE FINEST INTERNATIONAL DINING

Huahin - Baankrut

380

Huahin - Bangsapanyai

386

Huahin - Chumporn

423

Huahin - Suratthani

490

Economy Huahin - Cha-Am

Huahin - Phetchburi

Huahin - Ratchburi

Huahin - Nakorn Phathom

Huahin - Prachuabkirikhan

Huahin - Bangsapanyai

Huahin - Chumporn

Congratulations to the Novotel Hua Hin - Cha Am Beach Resort and Spa for the grand opening of their Asian Inspired TAi Restaurant & Bar .The romantic beach side setting together with the ambiance, hospitality, service and of course the fine dining of the TAI restaurant is exceptional. This is a “must not miss venue”. It offers one of the finest international dining experiences to be found in Thailand.

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

WORLD NEWS 35 STRANGE RECENT NEWS STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD NORTH KOREA : Students required to have Kim Jong-un haircut

CANADA : Radio station burns cash and provokes outrage There is outrage in Canada after a radio station burnt 5,000 Canadian dollars in cash as part of a contest for listeners, it seems.

DENMARK : Sun, sex and a baby: the unusual package holiday for Danes

AMP Radio in Calgary dubbed the contest the “ultimate social experiment”. But it has received complaints from people saying the money should have gone to a good cause. “You decide whether to vote #BANK and maybe win the money,” “Or vote #BURN to see the money go up in flames.” It explains the burn option, saying: “If you aren’t guaranteed to win, why should anyone else?” A TV ad campaign by a package-holiday company in Denmark aims to persuade Danes to have sex on holiday in a bid to boost the country’s low birthrate

Male university students in North Korea are now required to get the same haircut as their leader Kim Jong-un, it is reported.

Hotel rooms are one of life’s great aphrodisiacs – at least that’s the theory behind a new campaign to encourage Danes to go on holiday in the hope that they might procreate while abroad.

The state-sanctioned guideline was introduced in the capital Pyongyang and it is now being rolled out across the country - although some people have expressed reservations about getting the look. A North Korean now living in China says the look is actually unpopular at home because people think it resembles Chinese smugglers. “Until the mid-2000s, we called it the ‘Chinese smuggler haircut’”. It seems that haircuts have been stateapproved in North Korea for some time - until now from 18 styles for women and 10 for men. Earlier, North Korea’s state TV launched a called “Let us trim our hair in accordance with the Socialist lifestyle”.

ITALY : Hundreds of executive cars to be sold on eBay

AMP Radio says 54% of people voted to burn the money - which it proceeded to do, posting of the process online. Many people listed good causes that could have used the money. “There are women and children in women’s shelters that are fleeing domestic violence... and people want to joke about burning $5,000. Shame on you!” one listener says.

SPAIN : Deserted medieval villages available ‘free’

Deserted Spanish villages, some of them centuries old, can now be acquired free or bought very cheaply.

the changing room at the back of the church. He only noticed they were missing after the service was over, reports local newspaper. “This is a particularly disagreeable and unusual theft,” says Ebbe Kimo from the Sor Trondelag county police, public broadcaster reports. Authorities have no clues to follow up and have issued an appeal for information. “I think I saw someone moving around back there at the time, but you cannot do much while you’re leading worship. You also have to get pretty close to the priest holding a church service when you go in there. It’s a bit cheeky.” Mr Hodne said.

INDIA : School textbooks say ‘Japan nuked US’

Spain’s National Statistics Institute estimates there are around 2,900 empty hamlets across the country, AFP reports. More than half of them are in the north-western regions of Galicia and Asturias. Most villages were abandoned as residents moved to larger cities or better land for farming. The economic crisis has also forced some people to put their properties up for sale.

In one of his first posts as the Democratic Party secretary, Renzi tweeted: “Why should an undersecretary have an official car? The undersecretary should go by foot,” the newspaper says.

Local estate agents say these abandoned hamlets are popular with foreign buyers - with Britons, Norwegians, Americans, Germans, Russians and even Mexicans among those queuing up to own a medieval property.

It has more than 120 factual, spelling and grammatical mistakes. In fact, carbon trioxide is not normally found in nature, and India’s independence leader was killed on 30 January 1948.

NORWAY : Priest’s wallet stolen during service

Gujarat’s Standard 8 social science textbook which is by more than 50,000 students - is said to be particularly bad. The Gujarat government has ordered a probe, but not yet withdrawn the books.

John Olav Hodne, parish priest at Melhus Church outside Trondheim, says he left them in

“We have set up a two-member committee to look into these errors and make changes immediately,” State Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said in a statement.

A priest in Norway has had his wallet and phone stolen while conducting the Sunday service.

Dokrak Umsaeng, 74 has revealed his secret to staying healthy: eating live lizards. Originally from Ang Thong, he has been eating small geckos, which are commonly found on walls in Thailand, for 12 years - and has no plans to stop it.

Mr Dokrak was almost giddy with excitement, as if he had just consumed some sort of stimulant. He told reporters he had been eating lizards for 12 years because he thought they could cure disease. He claimed that he used to suffer from shortness of breath but that eating geckos cured him.

Parents and students in India’s western state of Gujarat are up in arms over school textbooks full of glaring errors, it’s been reported. The textbook makes statements such as: “Japan dropped a nuclear bomb on the US during World War II,” and “Proportion of poisonous gas CO3 has increased due to cutting of trees,” as well as “Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on October 30, 1948.”

A list of 151 car makes and models for sale has been posted so far - among them are dozens of BMWs, Alfa Romeos, and Lancias. There are also a few surprises, namely nine highpowered Maseratis owned by the Defence Ministry, and a couple of Jaguars.

THAILAND: Leaping Lizards

When the reporters arrived at Mr Dokrak’s house, he was at the centre of a crowd holding a plastic bag containing two small, live lizards. He pulled one of the lizards out of the bag and held it over his gaping mouth. Then he flicked the creature on the head, presumably to stun it, before stuffing it into his mouth. After he took a gulp of water, the gecko was gone.

A Barca, a village that dates back to the 15th Century, is being offered for nothing - but only to a future owner with a viable plan to preserve its 12 crumbling stone buildings. Meanwhile, the five stone houses in the hamlet of Pena Vella are going for just 62,000 euros .

Italy’s new government is selling off hundreds of executive cars used by government officials, in an online auction on eBay, it has been reported. Around 1,500 non-essential cars will eventually be sold off.

The country’s birth rate is at a 27-year low of 10 per 1,000 people (compared with the UK’s 13). The campaign aims to capitalize on the notion that 10% of Danish children are conceived while their parents are on holiday. As an incentive, an “ovulation discount” is being offered. If you can prove that you conceived a child during one of the promoter’s holidays, you will win a three-year supply of baby stuff, plus a free holiday with the child in question.

He said eating lizards was an old belief that had died out. When he was a child people regularly grilled and ate lizards because they believed it would make them strong.

“The way you eat geckos is to take them and grill them. Or some people cover them in wet tamarind and eat them,” said Mr Dokrak. “These days, whenever I find a lizard I grab it and eat it straight away. Sometimes I don’t eat one for half a month as there aren’t many left and finding them gets harder and harder every day,” he said. “But for health, eating one every two or three days is good. The important thing is it also increases your sexual power,” he added.

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

36 HEALTH HOW TO GET FIT FOR SUMMER Do you want to look your best during the summer season? Drop those extra pounds by opting for suitable celebrities’ diets. We have done some research and have selected diets chosen by celebrities Megan Fox, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Middleton and Kim Kardashian. Pick the plan that’s right for you and drop a dress size just in time for summer.

What diet is best for me? Each person has a morphology, a character, a will and a different lifestyle. So to lose your extra pounds, list your eating habits, your main character and traits. Then refer to our individual plans to choose one that will really work for you! Don’t forget to exercise; 70% of how you look is based on what you eat and 30% on exercise. Just a question of character!

For the demanding ones: The Dukan Diet, Will be your best friend. Similar to a high protein diet, the Dukan Diet has a 4-phase programme; it’s high in protein, low in calories and also reduces your appetite. How to do the Dukan Diet?

*Phase 2: Cruise phase: like the attack phase, only vegetables are gradually added to the protein. All that’s off the menu are starchy foods (potatoes, sweetcorn, peas, lentils, green beans etc). Then you alternate these 2 phases until you reach your desired weight (maximum loss 1kg per week). *Phase 3: Consolidation phase: you return to normal eating as slowly as possible to avoid the dreaded yo-yo effect, reintroducing forbidden foods gradually. Allow for 10 days of consolidation for each kilo lost. *Phase 4: Stabilisation phase: you eat normally, respecting two golden rules: have a pure-protein day once a week for life, and eat 3 tablespoons of oats and bran per day.

What he claims to do with the Body Reset Diet is to reprogram your metabolic system to kick-start effective weight-loss, so much so that you’ll see a dramatic difference in just 15 days. The Body Reset diet is an improvement on some ‘meal replacement’ diets as it is split into 3 x 5 day phases, with only the first 5 day phase being based on smoothies alone. The smoothies themselves are made from a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and should not result in any complications in healthy individuals. How it works?

A typical day during the Dukan Diet attack phase:

Breakfast: Unsweetened coffee or tea, either 1 or 2 low-fat yoghurts (fruit yoghurts if desired) or 200g fromage frais, and either 1 slice of turkey or ham with the fat cut off, or a boiled egg, or a bran pancake.

*Phase 1: Pure protein attack phase: you only eat protein, i.e. meat, poultry, fish, seafood and fat-free dairy products. This phase lasts for 3 to 10 days depending on your target.

Blood Test

Healthlab Medical Laboratory Blue building near Ptt gas station Between soi 45 and 45/1

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

The Atkins diet can lose 2 to 4 kg in the first week without “hunger” and up to 6 kg after the first month. Carbohydrates have been reduced to 20 g per day (1 apple). It lasts about 2 weeks. There are three categories: foods that can be eaten at will (fish, seafood, meat, poultry, egg, butter, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, olives and lawyers), those with a restriction (hard cheeses, lettuce vegetables) and those prohibited (sugars, starches, legumes, fruits, milk, yogurt, cream cheese, frozen desserts....

Whatever the diet you Will choose, there is a risk of nutritional deficiency. Consult your doctor for advice on vitamin and mineral supplements. And if you want to avoid the yo-yo effect you must understand that it is all about consistency and adopting a new way of eating.... A new lifestyle!!

In the first phase you will eat 1 smoothie for each breakfast, lunch and dinner and then two snacks in between. In the second phase you will replace one of the smoothies for a small dish meal, then have your two snacks. In the final phase you will consume one smoothie, two meals and 2 snacks. All of the smoothies are meant to be low in fat, low in sugar and with a very small amount of calories.

PREGNANCY TESTING How Do You Know?

In this article, we would like to share with you some information about pregnancy testing. We have many patients requesting this test and we clarify how this is carried out. Pregnancy testing is the measurement of the level of hormone called human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG). This hCG hormone is present in the placenta of a baby and can be found both in blood and urine of a pregnant woman. It usually takes about 6 days after the fertilization for this hormone to be present. Pregnancy testing can be conducted in two ways: UrineTesting

Standard Price

This diet was developed by the famous Dr. Atkins, American cardiologist in the 70s. The Atkins diet banishes all carbs!

Warnings:

For the sporting ones: The Paleolithic Diet, also known as the Cave Man Diet and the Paleo Diet.

For the motivated ones: The Body Reset Diet: The A-list names like Katy Perry, Halle Berry, Jennifer Hudson are the latest converted to join the Body Reset diet.

The Atkins Diet adopted by Kim Kardashian

Menu of a typical day: Breakfast: Tea or coffee without sugar, + 1 scrambled egg, + 1 serving of cheese, cheddar, + 1 serving of green salad with olive oil and lemon juice. Lunch: Ground beef, + Broccoli, + Hard cheese. Snack: Carrots, Cucumber sticks / or cauliflower raw. Dinner: Fish, + Lettuce, black olives, avocado and dressing, + Sugar-free yogurt.

Snack: 1 yoghurt or 100g of fat-free fat fromage frais (optional). Lunch: Seafood sticks, crab, 1 turkey escalope, and either 1 helping fromage frais or a bran pancake. Snack: 1 yoghurt or 100g fat-free fromage frais (optional). Dinner: Chicken or a hard-boiled egg, fish or shellfish, 1 yoghurt.

This was never actually meant to be a diet. It simply involves eating what our ancestors ate (a long time ago). Back in the ‘80s American expert Dr Eaton gave the Paleolithic Diet a revival when he decided it was the ‘ideal’ diet for a human being. Since then, Jessica Biel, Miley Cyrus and Matthew McConaughey have become big fans of the diet.

For the savoury tooth:

A testing kit will give the most accurate result if it was used 1 week after the last day of the period. Although most pregnancy testing kits claim to be accurate to 99%, there is really a great deal of inaccuracy as the chances that the embryo may not be implanted after

the first day that the period is missing is as high as 10 percent. In this case the hCG level is not be high enough to be detected. To increase the accuracy of the test, it should be done soon after to wake up when the hCG level will be at its highest. If the result is positive, it means that you are pregnant. This is the most popular and convenience way as everybody can buy the testing kit and do it by themselves. However, we would suggest that you re-check with a medical technician or doctor to affirm the result. Blood Testing This may be the best option for anybody who does not want to wait. However the expense will be higher as the examination is more complicated. Blood testing can be done even though the hCG level is low. Blood testing can be done 14-21 days after ovulation (in the event of fertilization). False Results Now we will talk about the cause of false positive test result or false negative test result, which can occur from the following factors: A false positive test result means that the test result shows a positive result without pregnancy. This may occur from certain types of medicine which help improve the chance of pregnancy with women

with fertility issues as these medicines contain hCG hormone. Cysts in the ovary, ectopic pregnancy or menopause may also cause a false positive test result. A false negative test result meaning that the test result is negative but there us a pregnancy. This may occur from testing too early, false interpretation of the test results (especially with self-testing), diluted urine, certain types of medicine, alcohol and birth-control pills. Even irregular periods can lead to a false belief of pregnancy. Should you have any query, please do not hesitate to contact us at the Healthlab our clinic. In our next articles as we will be talking about pregnancy, ovulation counting and the ovulation period. This should be useful for anyone interested in fertilization and pregnancy.

Classifieds 37 Condos and Land for Sale by Owner

Baan Chai Talay ( next to Hyatt on Hua Hin Main Beach) 2brs/2 bths 129 sq.m. 2nd Flr. Baan Saechuan (opposite Market Village on Hua Hin Main Beach) 2 brs/2 bths 99 sq.m. Ground Flr. Boathouse (near Palm Hills Golf ) 1 br/1 bth 67 sq.m. Ground Flr. 1 br/1 bth 60 sq.m. Ground Flr. Both with terrace direct into pool

Great Car Deal

Nissan sunny 14 years, power windows, central locking, good tires, good painwork.

Only 110,000 THB

080 0522 840 swed, engl. 081 1939 520 Thai

Palm Pavilion (very good deal, opp. Makro on the beach) 2 brs/2 bths / 2 balconies 120 sq.m. 3rd Floor Lake View

One of the best Condos

For price and nego please contact

main beach) 2 beds/2 baths, 120 sq.m, 2nd floor, complete with solid furniture, A/C in all rooms.

Land on Palm Hills Golf Course 1.5 Rai - 2.400 sq.m. Located in Palm Village on main lake with great scenery

M: 081-829-5478, 086-003-6920 E: claus@lct-asia.com

Baan Chai Talay (next to Hyatt on Hua Hin

For long term rent or sale Email: bau.info@gmx.at

Best Buys

LAND

HOMES RENTALS H Land for sale 1.5 rai 2.9 m. H Mountain view lots near Banyan Golf H 2 Story Villa, 2 beds/ 2 baths with beautiful mountain view, 2.9 m for Sale or 15,000 for Rent per month Many properties Available Thai 087 882 4453 Eng 089 911 6536 Email: sumvee@gmail.com

Monthly apartments from

8,000 THB, Villas up to 90,000 THB

Look at www.coyshus.distudio.se 080 0522 840 swed,engl. 081 1939 520 Thai

45m2, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, fully furnished, 8th floor

10,000 THB per month Available from 1st of April

Contact: 0819812997 or 0909213547 Email: debbelt2011@gmail.com

at Sirada

The Learning Centre Fully accredited by the Ministry of Education

Education Visa for Eligible Applicants

Sirada The Learning Centre

Ground Floor 83/14 Wongchomsin Bldg. Phetkasem Road Hua Hin (between Soi 63/1 and Soi 65)

Phone: 032 532 650 083 801 1335

www.learningcentre.co.th Email: info@learningcentre co.th

I would like to buy or rent a Private Condo on the beach

Villas & Apartments for Rent

Condo for Rent

Learn Thai or English

FOR SALE TOYOTA FORTUNER

(Note: not from agent or agency) Needed: 1 or 2 bedroom 60-80sq apartment Optional: For Rent of condo lease starting from 3 years up. Please send me photo & price on my email kemod@gmx.de

Color Red Year 1985 Km 180,000 Perfect Conditions

Sale or rentals to be paid in euro (cash)

One Cardio Trainer

I am looking to rent a garage place for one car in Hua Hin. Period Mid March-Mid November 2014

650,000 Bahts

“Treadmill” 18,000 Bahts One Slim Vibrator: 9,000 Bahts

Looking to Sell or Rent out your Condo or Villa?

Regal Thailand Real Estate wants your Property! We have many inquiries and we need more listings. With offices in the Hilton Street and opposite Cicada

Looking for Garage Email: alferd@klaar.at

VINTAGE STYLE CONDO

• Fully serviced 1bed/1bath poolside apt in The Breeze Khao Takieb. • Recently decorated with brand new vintage style furniture. • Showroom condition.

29,500

THB /month. Special rates for long term stay.

Sale: 4.2 million including furniture. Phone: 0897711683 (Eng/Thai) email: breezemail2@gmail.com

HUA HIN TODAY, May 2014

Formor ei nf or mat i on:0826353151,0830465650 i nf o@r egal r es i dence. net