Phuketindex.com Magazine Vol.34 by Guide Vision Limited

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Phuket

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EDITOR’S NOTE Dear readers, In this issue we are in a time of remembrance of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the ninth monarch of Thailand from the Chakri Dynasty. He is fondly remembered for his ‘Sufficiency Economy’ concept – a philosophy that stresses the middle path. He is also celebrated for his finely-honed musical skills and compositions and has many inventive patents in his name. Because ‘health is wealth’ we’re covering a few healthy issues this month; we get to know Dr. Narinthorn Surasinthon, Medical Director at Thanyapura who is looking after the anti-aging clinic there. We also find out how to have a ‘clean food’ dishes brought to your house with a brand-new delivery service by “Phuket Clean Box”.

Phuket

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As usual we have interesting interviews; we talk with Markus Kaliss, General Manager of Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa about his plans in next year... our chef interview is with ‘Big Brother’ Chef Adul Rattanasuwan, Executive Chef at The KEE Resort & Spa... and we focus on Phuket Tourism with Anoma Vongyai, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Phuket Oﬃce… we cover PKCD management team about their projects for a better Phuket… and chat with a bubbly girl group from PP&FL. index.com

Special for our lifestyle section we have Sawit Ketroj (Mai), CEO of Emerald Development Group, who tries his best to live a balanced life. Finally we oﬀer ‘5 cool drinks to heat up without alcohol.’

Remember: love brings happiness!!!

Phuketindex.com’s Team

Publisher Guide Vision Limited Editor in Chief Jormnapa Utuchkul Phuketindex.com Team Arnat Utuchkul, Nunghatai Cholchawalit, Sirisawan Hemtanon, Paradorn Promkird Advertising Enquiries dos@guidevision.com Subscription Enquiries subscription@guidevision.com Tel. +66 (0) 99 391 4056, +66 (0) 61 749 9392 Fax. +66 (0) 76 240 750

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CONTENTS NOV 2016 - JAN 2017

People 18

City Focus 12 - An Interview with the management of Phuket City Development Co., Ltd.

People Focus 18 - Anoma Vongyai - Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Phuket OďŹ&#x192;ce

Clean Food

32 - Phuket Clean Box

Coach 34 - Interview with Dr. Narinthorn Surasinthon

Style

38 - Sawit Ketroj (Mai) CEO of Emerald Development Group

Catwalk 40 - Making an Impression on the Catwalk with Art and Teacher Juk

Charity

42 - Phuket Professional & Fun Ladies

Chef Talk 46 - Chef Adul Rattanasuwan Executive Chef at The KEE Resort & Spa

GM Talk 64 - Markus Kaliss - General Manager of Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa 10

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Lifestyle & Travel

Food Gallery 44 - Big Fish Beach Restaurant 45 - Wanon Restaurant

Restaurant Guide 50 - Acqua Restaurant 52 - Baan Kalim Restaurant 54 - Savoey Seafood

56 - KEE Sky Lounge

Signature Dish 58 - Hanuman Kluekfoen

Drinks

60 - FIVE COOL Non-Alcoholic Drinks

Social 22 - Event Photo Albums

Lifestyle - City Focus

An Interview with

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Lifestyle - City Focus

Image Copy Copy yrright yr yri gh Phuket City Development gh nt Co., .,, Ltd.

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Imag ge Co Copyr Copyr py yri yr y ri r ght h Ph Phuk h et et C City ity t Developm ment Co Co., o Ltd. Ltd

Phuket City Development aims to be the medium between the government sector, the private sector and the public

Private sector made a move for Phuket city development.

Phuketindex interviewed Mr. Montavee Hongyok (Co-founder) and Mr. Phadet Jinda, Ph.D. (Deputy Managing Director) to learn more about their vision and mission.

It’s very exciting for many people who live in Phuket hearing the news about a newly formed company called ‘Phuket City Development Co., Ltd.’ or ‘PKCD’ in short. PKCD was founded by six wellknown businessmen and investors in September 2016 with 25 million baht registered capital thereafter raising 100 million baht from both old and new investors in Phuket.

The origins of PKCD “Phuket City Development Co., Ltd. is actually the result of our eﬀorts to develop Phuket to be the city we’ve always dreamed about. The company was established in a very short time because we as Phuketians who saw the island’s growth from the tin-mining

era to becoming a world-class tourist destination nowadays, believe that the island still has its potential to grow further despite the fact that development seems to have reached its peak.” states Mr. Montavee. Phuket City Development Co., Ltd. aims to be the medium between the government sector, the private sector and the public in the refurbishment and development of the city. “We wish to see a clear direction in the city’s development so we try to be the medium that links all the sectors to

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Lifestyle - City Focus push Phuket towards the future we would all like to see”, says Mr. Montavee. “Luckily the private sector in Phuket is strong enough to make this happen. We’re not dreaming about profits but wish this to be a good start and an inspiration to move Phuket towards the future – a world-class destination which tourists will want to visit over and over again. We’ve had a lot of advice from seniors who have witnessed the growth of Phuket for a long time as well as from social influences. They didn’t seem to get the idea much when we start selling it but after clearly explaining it all we finally got a lot of moral support. Hence our slogan, ‘PKCD, you can trust’. It’s the trust handed down from generation to generation.”

The long-term plan “As Mr. Montavee just said we would like to see Phuket develop to be able to compete with other destinations around the world. Our long-term plan then has been crafted for 10 years at the beginning stage. We’re interested

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to push forward three main issues,” explained Mr. Phadet Jinda. “We believe that basic infrastructure is the foundation for everything. Phuket has limited land area in terms of resources but we have to welcome millions of visitors every year so basic infrastructure such as electricity, water, safety and security, and facilities,

We would like to see Phuket develop to be able to compete with other destinations around the world.

Mr. Montavee Hongyok

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needs to be improved to handle the growing numbers. For example, Phuket consumes so much water each day that water shortage has become an issue. I think that actually Phuket still has many sources of water but we need a good management to maximize the eﬃciency of its usage. Each area will need self-management to handle water deficiency.” Mr. Phadet explained.

Mass transit development Mr. Montavee brings up the transit issue: “Our tourist destinations are scattered along the beaches. So increasing the effectiveness and eﬃciency of the island’s transportation is part of our plans to work on. Ideas include technologies such as Light Rail as well as Smart Buses compatible with mobile phones to allow passengers to know the arrival times in order to manage themselves. We are looking forward to use smart urban planning to develop the city. That might need studying in detail and to be specific on how we’d like Phuket to be in the future. It’s impossible that any single plan would be the answer for every area. Like Patong for example, the city itself is a nightlife area. We might

Lifestyle - City Focus need to think about strengthening this strong point as well as planning the residential area for those who work there so that they don’t have to travel a lot. It should be a safer and eﬃ cient solution when it comes to time and money for both individuals and investments from the government sector. This also involves smart transit, smart mobility and alternative sources of energy. You might question as to why the PKCD has to ‘interfere’ with these points,well it’s because we believe that no one understands Phuket better than ourselves.” Mr. Phadet reveals that the company is interested in developing Phuket’s landmark buildings. “Phuket’s locations should be ready to host big events. We should have landmarks that will help people remember Phuket just like Singapore has the Merlion. We definitely need to discuss further with Phuketians regarding what our landmarks should look like and where they should be located. These facilities should also be able to host big events such as Asian Expo. Imagine if we are about to host Asian Expo in the next ten years then we’ll need to help design and think about how the facilities will benefit tourism as well. The new landmark facilities for organizing events may be on a draft soon for public hearing.”

It’s not only the research papers we study. Planning of course needs some adaptations to be appropriate with what we have and what we are. Mr. Phadet Jinda

Image Imag e Copyri Copyright g Phuket City Development Co., Ltd.

Phuket: a ‘Smart City’ “Many people ask how the PKCD is going to be involved with the ‘Smart City’ campaign. We’re talking about bringing in LEED-ND* rating system for urban planning. Many countries have experienced the problems with spore-like growth of cities so knowing it doesn’t work, they start to adjust and adapt. To develop effective urban planning you need to understand the local lifestyle. Energy saving and the environment are also important factors to consider. It’s not only the research papers we study. Planning of course needs some adaptations to be appropriate with what we have and what we are. But we may need to start with certain areas fi rst, bit by bit depending on the readiness. Deep

Mr. Karn Prachumpan Managing director Imag m e Copyri Co y ght Phuket e City y Developm ment Co., Ltd t .

discussions with local administrative organisations will be needed. LEED-ND is getting to be well known in many countries and it’s starting to be talked about in Thailand. We think that Phuket may well be a good kick start to let the world know that LEED-ND has now reached Thailand. Being a smart city cannot be achieved without safety and security. Phuket City Development Co., Ltd plans to bring in a combination of technologies; IoT, CCTV, and smart simulator TV to help ensure surveillance and safety in both local and visitors’ lives,” explains Mr. Phadet. Ima ma m age Copyright ht Phu huk ket City Developm pment Co., Ltd. pm

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Lifestyle - City Focus 10-year plan starts with a feasibility study “These are what we expect to see happen in a 10-year timeframe. There are a lot of things to be done and one of the most important is a feasibility study. This is the first priority,” said Mr. Phadet. “We’ve started discussions with local government and related organisations as we think road traﬃc is the most urgent problem we need to address. Simultaneously, the government sector themselves also have a clear vision about the light rail project. It’s in the plans in the year to come. PKCD would like to represent Phuket to show that we really need it and not to just to let things go like many projects in the past,” said Mr. Montavee

constant with our project to develop new platforms for tourism – an application tourists can download. The platform will link all the important apps useful for trip planning on which local businesses can advertise.”

Phuket City Development’s repository project “One of the things we think about starting is a repository project. I believe there has been a lot of research and studies which have focused on Phuket. So the question is how we can gather all that knowledge for Phuketians to benefit from,” says Mr. Phadet. “It’s not just knowledge from research papers here; we also plan to gather knowledge discovered by locals and our own ancestors. It doesn’t have to be in the form of books, rather a digital library which allows anyone easy access,” Mr. Montavee explained.

An incubator for young entrepreneurs “If possible we would like to be a catalyst for young people who have good ideas and keen creativity.

Image Copy pyright Phuket Ciity ty Developm pm pment ment en nt Co. C L Co., Ltd td d.

Image Imag e Copyri Copyri pyright ght Phuk ght Phuket ett C City ity Dev Development Co., Ltd.

support. This is the advantage of being a private company – it’s easier to use initiative.”

Database Phuket “Finally we wish to help gather a database for Phuket. Now we have a lot people living here; both locals, outsiders residing here and visitors. The database will allow us to track down information when it’s needed and to increase security levels.” These are the proposals Phuket City Development Co., Ltd. has offered to Phuket. “We have to work hard and try to present progress to the public periodically so that we can help consider it together,” said Mr. Phadet. “If we look to the past, we see that those tin miners were the generation who started to build Phuket; I think this is the time when we need to do something to improve our island and raise it to another level of development. PKCD is the hands that pass knowledge from the older generation to the younger generation so that they can enjoy a smart future,” Mr. Montavee says, quoting the company’s core aim.

“For now, we will start with what we can do ourselves. It may be changes in the existing transportation system to be the smartest it can be. By the time we get the light rail, people will already be more familiar with mass transit. So let’s begin with the Smart Bus phone apps that can help you manage your trip. This will be

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The nowadays generations are born tech savvy. Some of them have skills and imagination you can’t neglect and PKCD would be very happy to give them a hand if they needed a stage to experiment. Just like they have in Bangkok PKCD is willing to give opportunities for the talented new generation with potential but we have no budget,” said Mr. Montavee before adding, “We don’t have to wait for government

*What is LEED-ND? LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND), where LEED-ND stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It is a United States-based rating system that integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green buildings into a national system for neighborhood design. LEED certification

9.00-24.00

Lifestyle - People Focus

Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Phuket Oï¬&#x192;ce

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Lifestyle - People Focus

any people come to Phuket to see Thailand’s most popular beaches, the island’s clear waters and its unique culture. As Phuket is a major tourist destination, local businesses depend heavily on the tourism factor. Phuketindex.com talks with Khun Anoma Vongyai about the focus of the TAT in Phuket’s future. “My name is Anoma Vongyai. I work at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Phuket oﬃce as the director. I graduated from the Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus. After that I studied for a master’s degree in tourism at the James Cook University, in Australia.”

“I worked with the TAT in Phuket from 1991 until 2009 then I moved to the TAT in Tokyo as the assistant director, and after that I moved back to head oﬃce. I was posted back to the TAT Phuket in 2014.”

Tourism in Thailand and Phuket last year. Phuket is a major tourist destination and in terms of the number of tourists coming here we are number two after Bangkok. Last year we welcomed about 13 million visitors. The number one demographic is Chinese, followed by Russia, and Australia.

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Lifestyle - People Focus Future plans of TAT As for the TAT, we would like to promote a wider range of nationalities coming to Thailand. We don’t want to rely on only one or two market segments. We think we need diﬀering nationalities and we need quality. So we try to tap more niche markets. It could be China or from anywhere like Europe, the Middle East, or even India, but there should be more of a selection, such as MICE for meetings and incentive groups, for weddings, honeymoons and for golf. These are the policies and strategies that we’re working on together with private sectors.

TAT and Phuket ‘Smart City’ project This year our received revenue from tourism was about 313,000,000,000 baht (3.13 K. million baht), up from last year. However there’s a lot of competition and a lot of situations change every year, so we have to work hard together with the private sector and relevant organizations to push more tourism promotions and also to work in improving tourist management in Phuket.

Tourism trends in the future, in the TAT’s opinion In the past, tourists visiting Thailand or Phuket came as a group but now the trend is changing. Recently visitors come to Phuket or Thailand as individuals rather than in big groups. So activities for them have to be adjusted to complement the typical tourist nowadays. The trend is that people love to travel by themselves, sourcing information on the internet rather than by tours or at the hotel information desk. And tourists prefer to experience more activities, not only to see, but they prefer to experience the locals. So local people or local communities are beginning to suit the trend including shops, the markets and the community itself. That means we should adjust if we would like tourists to visit our areas. In this manner locals can receive income directly, and it is one of government’s policies to try to push this kind of tourism, a style we call the ‘local experience’. This is the trend for this year for Thailand and Phuket.

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As mentioned above, now the trend is that visitors Phuket's tourism revenues annually (2013-2015) are more online rather Revenue (Million Baht) than using travel guides as they did in the past. It will 350,000 313,005.63 be a good opportunity to 300,000 cater to the tourists when 260,442.14 259,290.50 they come to Phuket and 250,000 tourists can know more 200,000 about Phuket through these digital tools and 150,000 it represents a distinct 100,000 advantage for tourists. So we call the concept 50,000 ‘Smart City’. These ideas Year are divided into diﬀerent 0 2013 2014 2015 fields such as ‘smart economy’, ‘smart health’, ‘smart safety’ and of course ‘smart tourism’. The relevant organizations each handle the individual projects and all projects receive a budget from the government to develop Phuket in order to facilitate tourism facilities in the future.

Lifestyle - Event Photo Albums

The Legend of Music - PIDA Dance Academy On 11 September 2016 – PIDA Dance Academy held a show ‘The Legend of Music’ at Aphrodite Cabaret Show in Phuket. ‘The Legend of Music’ is the annual student show for 2016. Income after expenses will be donated to the ‘Young Artists Project’ to support needy children.

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Lifestyle - Event Photo Albums

Last brunch of 2016 – Bodega & Grill On 25 September 2016 Angsana Laguna Phuket invited VIP guests to attend the ‘Last brunch of 2016’ at Bodega & Grill, set right by the pool in Angsana Laguna Phuket. The Sunday Brunch featured a delectable international seafood buffet, complimented by a 12-course degustation menu featuring the finest selection of gourmet plates.

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Lifestyle - Event Photo Albums Vegetarian Festival 2016 The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a traditional event of the Chinese community in Phuket, people who take part in the event abstain from meat and various stimulants in the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, for this year it was held from 30 September to 10 October. Phuketindex.com team attended some of the highlights of this festival at seven famous shrines. Raising the Go Teng Pole at Jui Tui Shrine on 30th September, shopping for vegetarian food along Phuket Road at Bangneaw Shrine on 3 October, lunchtime at Tee Kong Tua Shrine on 4 October, before the night parade at Sapam Shrine on 5 October, observing an ancient wall painting at Jor Soo Kung Naka Shrine on 4 October, attending the beachfront shrine, Kew Tain Keng at Sapanhin 6 October and visiting the source of the legend, at Kathu Shrine on 7 October.

Jui Tui Shrine

Bangneaw Shrine

Tee Kong Tua Shrine

Kew Tain Keng Shrine at Sapanhin

Sapam Shrine

Kathu Shrine Jor Soo Kung 24

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Naka Shrine

Lifestyle - Event Photo Albums

Cherngtalay Tourism Business Sport Club#6 Lay Pang Games 2016 On Wednesday 12 October Cherngtalay Sub District Municipality and Cherngtalay Tourism Business Sport Club held the Lay Pang Games 2016. The 18 teams who attended these games were Andara Resort & Villas, Amanpuri Resort, Anantara Layan Phuket Resort, Angsana Hotels and Resorts, Angsana Villas Resort Phuket, Cherngtalay Municipality, Banyan Tree Phuket, Cassia Phuket, Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket, Laguna Phuket Resorts and Hotels, Cherngtalay Police Station, Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort, Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort, COMO Point Yamu, Thanyapura Sports Hotel, The Surin Phuket, Trisara Villas & Residences Phuket and Or Bor Tor Cherngtalay.

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Lifestyle - Event Photo Albums

Millennium Resort Patong Charity Bowls 2016 On 14 October, Millennium Resort Patong Phuket held a Charity Bowls at SF Strike Bowl, Jungceylon Patong. This was non-profit event, and all income derived was donated to Vachira Hospital Phuket.

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Lifestyle - Event Photo Albums

Blood Donation Camp @Sleep with Me Hotel On Monday 14th November 2016, Sleep with Me Hotel, Vachira Phuket Hospital and Phuket Red Cross Office held an established temporary blood donation center at a meeting room in the hotel.

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Lifestyle - Event Photo Albums

“A Festive Evening” @Novotel Phuket Phokeethra On 18 November at Novotel Phuket Phokeethra, AccorHotels hotel team from Phuket and Krabi held a Night of AccorHotels Appreciation : “A Festive Evening”.

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Lifestyle - Event Photo Albums

Press Conference - 2016, Laguna Phuket Triathlon On 19 November – Laguna Phuket held a pre-race press conference. The event was graced by Ms. Siwaporn Chuasawat - Vice Governor of Phuket; Mr.Yuthasak Supasorn – TAT Governor; Mr. Ravi Chandran, – Managing Director of Laguna Phuket (the race organizer); Mr. Suvadhana Sibunruang – Director of Brand and Advertising Department, Thai Airways PLC., and Mr. Artiwara Kongmalai or ‘Toon Bodyslam’. The conference was also attended by elite pro athletes. This year, there will be around 1,100 athletes, representing more than 40 nationalities competing in the race.

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Lifestyle - Event Photo Albums

A Candle Ceremony @Yamaha Music School Phuket On 24 November – the Yamaha Music School held a candle ceremony in honour of His Majesty King Bhumibol at the school in Phuket Town. The students and teachers presented ‘The Musical Compositions of H.M.K. Bhumibol Adulyadej’.

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50% discount for children aged 6-12 years old free of charge for children below 6 years old

Lifestyle - Clean Food

Phuket Clean Box Your D�eam Body in a Box

oday, people are much more health conscious than in the past. They exercise, take vitamins, and pay more attention to what they eat. Nowadays ‘Clean Food’ is one variety of healthy options to choose from. Clean Food is a very hot trend with the belief that eating clean will help you lose weight. It’s a relatively simple concept that uses less ﬂavoring, more protein, avoiding processed food and keeping as close to the natural as possible using lime juice for the sour taste or using natural sweetness from pumpkins, sweet potatoes, sweet corns and carrots. Just think how convenient it would be if you could order good healthy food to your home! Well, Phuket Clean Box is the answer to all your foodie prayers. Phuketindex.com ordered from them and had the occasion to talk with Khun Namon Narukatpichai, founder of Phuket Clean Box.

What is Phuket Clean Box?

We’re an online business delivering healthy food – good food for good health. Phuket Clean Box is a clean food delivery service in Phuket oﬀering five classic menus and updating and rotating the menu every week. The menus are predominantly Thai with a mixture of western dishes.

When did Phuket Clean Box come about?

This online business was founded in September 2016 by two Phuket young bloods – Rittipol Tephabutra and Namon Narukatpichai.

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300 calories per box No oil No MSG Low fat Low sodium High protein

Lifestyle - Clean Food What’s the mission o� Phuket Clean Box?

With the growing health-food trend, Phuket Clean Box aims to cater to individuals who are looking to get in shape and to improve their overall health. With only approximately 300 calories per box, every ‘clean box’ meal helps to reduce fat and regulate carbohydrate intake. At Phuket Clean Box, we believe that the best lifestyle is about eating healthy, not eating less.

What’s so special about Phuket Clean Box?

The ingredients we use. In most of our dishes we use chicken breast which is low in fat and high in protein, compared to other types of meat of the same quantity.

How about the delive�� p�ocess?

If you order today we’ll deliver tomorrow. You can plan ahead for your meal and you can order if you want us to deliver every day or every second day. You can order individually or you can order as a package.

Anything to say to our �eaders?

For people around Phuket who looking for a healthy eating option, Phuket Clean Box provides good alternatives for you to look after your health and to eat better so check us out on Facebook and online. Now we’re also running a promotion for free delivery in Phuket Town, Patong, Kata, Karon, Chalong and Chaofha Road for minimum of three boxes per order. Contact information: Tel: +66 (0) 96 647 3921 LINE ID: phuketcleanbox FB: Phuket Clean Box

Why choose Phuket Clean Box and how to o�der ��om you?

Phuket Clean Box gives you an option of clean food in an easy way by ordering online through Facebook – LINE and also on the phone. To order maybe you can start with our Facebook page to see our weekly updated menus.

Stir-fried chicken with ginger

Spicy minced chicken

Classic Dishes

Chicken phad krapow

Chicken with yellow curry powder Garlic chicken

Image Copyright SeDmi, 2016 Used under license from Shutterstock.com

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Lifestyle - Coach

Interview with

Dr. Narinthorn Surasinthon

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Lifestyle - Coach

Image Copyright Thanyapura Health & Sports Resort

“

Thanyapura Health & Wellness Cent�e’s new Medical Di�ector.

”

Image Copyright Thanyapura Health & Sports Resort

r. Narinthorn Surasinthon, MD, also known as Dr. Mee, has recently joined Thanyapura, the well-known centre for holistic health and wellness located in the north of Phuket. Phuketindex welcomes Dr. Narinthorn to the island and takes the opportunity to talk to him about his past experiences as well as his present role as Medical Director at Thanyapura.

“Thanyapura provides services in many areas of health for our clients. We have our own anti-aging clinic that deals with blood testing, check-ups, hormone therapy and gene tests. Here we can provide customized vitamins to each patient specifically because we can do blood tests to monitor the level of antioxidants, the stress as well as the nutrients in the body. Then we can work out which vitamins match the patient.

“I moved here only a few weeks ago. Before that I worked as an Assistant Hospital Director at the Samitivej private hospital in Bangkok.

As well as the anti-aging clinic, Thanyapura also provides facilities for alternative medicine.

Dr. Narinthorn started working for the Emergency Department at the hospital. He then later moved to holistic wellness.

“We have chiropractic, traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture or cupping, a spa therapist, yoga and also a physiotherapist,” explains Dr. Narinthorn before he goes on to mention the sports complex which Thanyapura is well known for. He also talks about the restaurant. “The restaurant at Thanyapura focuses on plant-based foods. In every dish, we calculate the calories, ingredients, level of fat, carbohydrates and sugar in the food. You will see that we take care of people’s health from inside out!

Image Copyright Thanyapura Health & Sports Resort

“I worked at the hospital for almost 13 years, it was time to make a change and I made the decision to be with Thanyapura Phuket.” As a Medical Director, his scope involves all health aspects.

Image Copyright Thanyapura Health & Sports Resort

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Lifestyle - Coach “Our vision is to help people have a healthy lifestyle. Thanyapura is a destination for lifestyle modification so that you can be a happier and healthier person,” The doctor emphasizes the core of Thanyapura’s values and the reason for him being there. “Another area that differentiates Thanyapura from other clinics, spas or wellness centres is that we focus on ‘mind training’.” Dr.Narinthorn shares his ideas about lifestyle modifications. “It’s because we believe that to change people’s lifestyles to healthy habits is to start with

“

Our vision is to help people to have a healthy li�estyle

”

the mindset. If they have a good mindset about themselves, they will take good care of their health and that is the key to a healthy lifestyle. For more infomation please contact Thanyapura Health & Sports Resort +66 (0) 76 336 000. Image Copyright Thanyapura Health & Sports Resort

Image Copyright Thanyapura Health & Sports Resort

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Lifestyle - Style

Sawit Ketroj (Mai) CEO o� Emerald Development G�oup

A �amily man who tries his best to live a balanced li�e

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Lifestyle - Style The �amily man side

Sawit Ketroj is CEO of the one of the most talked-about and rising real estate developers on the island. Aside from his work life, Phuketindex chatted with him to find out about the other sides of his life and how he relaxes. “I did a lot in the past; ranging from oﬃce worker, to an executive position, not to mention being a freelancer. I did it all. But now I have my own little family my main leisure time is reserved for them and playing with my son.” Sawit Ketroj or K. Mai is trying his best to live a balanced life. “When the business day is over I prefer to spend time with my family. When my son has gone to sleep, then it’s time for me to catch up with social networks or to relax with a nice book. My favourite reads are about business and self-improvement.”

His �avourite item

“I wear a watch sometimes but I’m not so interested in accessories. I’d prefer a good briefcase in which to carry important documents and paperwork.” My favourite item is my Yoga Laptop. It’s very slim and lightweight, and comes with a touchscreen monitor and is a lot diﬀerent from what I’m used to. It’s capable of so much it became my favourite.

His ‘must-do’ �outine

He has a lot of responsibilities and employees as well as clients but he also takes time out to take care of himself. “Every morning after I get up, I spend some time taking care of my facial skin. My friends recommended many diﬀerent brands but what impressed me most was SK-II for Men. I also put sunscreen on.”

His d�ess style

“I stick to comfortable clothes. It’s all about my job. I have to inspect construction sites and show customers around sometimes that means I need clothes that are all-round. Jeans as well as dark tone polo shirts with sneakers. And a suit jacket for more formal situations like business meetings or financial proposal. Living in Phuket, I must admit that it’s only on rare occasions that I wear a suit. But if that’s the case, I love to look cool in a stylish suit.”

His �avourite cuisine

“I like European cuisine. My favourite is Italian cuisine. I like its variety and I think it is an art form.”

I also have an iPad for my downtime which I use for reading online articles or e-books, business news and self-improvement articles. Mainly these are the two items that I use the most.”

His �avourite place to go

“I travel quite a lot because of my business and I’d really like to visit New York. The city has a lot of modern and beautiful architecture which I wish to explore.”

His childhood d�eam

“As I remember I always wished to be a sportsman. I liked to watch sports and dreamed of being a member of a national sports team representing Thailand to win in international football or volleyball. So now I try to have fun every time I have a chance to play, imagining that I’m in the national team. I play football and volleyball and I used to be a member of a youth team. I also swim. If I can’t get together a team for football or volleyball, swimming is what I do.”

His one-year plan

“When you talk about plans for the year ahead, a lot of people might have thoughts about business but my goal is kind of simple. I wish to have a second child. We only have one kid now but I think about having another one within a year. That’s the plan!”

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Lifestyle - Catwalk

Making an Impression on the

Catwalk with Art and Teacher Juk

he first steps towards being a professional model are very important. Kachain Arthur Wheatley or ‘Nong Art’ is a good example. Many people remarked to his mom Khun Pornlapas Ruengthong that he had the right sort of material to be model and so he eventually entered the competition ‘Top Model Thailand 2016’. But first, to prepare, his mom took him to modeling classes at the PIDA Dance Academy – the classes comprised a workshop to learn how to present himself on the catwalk. Let’s have a chat with Nong Art and his teacher Phatthida Phasintharat aka Teacher Juk about their modeling classes.

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Lifestyle - Catwalk

Tell us something about yourself.

What’s your favorite hobby?

What do you like most in this class?

“My name is Kachain Arthur Wheatley, I am study at British International School Phuket.” This seven-year-old boy is obviously very smart. Teacher Juk remarks, “Nong Art, has great intelligence and talent. In this class we not only teach him how to walk like a model but we also improve his personality and bolster his selfconfidence in the right way. We give him the best that we can.”

“I like drumming because it’s fun”. Yes, like everyone he loves to play. His teacher says, “We are not fixed or stuck in our ways in our training; we mix both playing and lessons, trying to avoid any boring factors.”

“I like it when the teacher puts a book on my head.” Juk says, This can help form a good posture, when an invisible vertical line can be drawn down your side from your ears, shoulders, the centre of the hips, knees and ankles, and for children it can be a game to help them pay more attention in class. “We need to have answers for their questions, children have their own opinions, we need to show them why we should do things the way we do and when they accept your reasons they’ll do it.”

“

Show them why we should do things the way we do and when they accept your reasons they’ll do it

”

How did you discover this place? “I know this place because my mom first took me here at her friends’ suggestion.” Says his mom, “This class not only teaches catwalk skills but will also train Nong Art’s personality.”

PIDA Dance Academy 158 Yaowarat Rd. Muang Phuket 83000 Tel. +66 (0) 76 213 644, +66 (0) 76 213 655, +66 (0) 86 475 1534

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Lifestyle - Charity

Image Copyright Phuket Professional & Fun Ladies

Phuket Professional & Fun Ladies

n this issue of Phuketindex.com we have the pleasure to interview three beautiful ladies representing the Phuket Professional & Fun Ladies; Cecilia, Aime and Vicki.

Cecilia started by introducing herself, followed by Aime and Vicky – a new member who has just moved here from Koh Samui.

It’s like a Facebook group in that for example if a member staying in Rawai knows that there is an event she tells people and the members decide if they want to go or not. Or Amy wants to say something or wants to give a cat away. It’s small but it’s a community exchange.

Cecilia: There are many ladies who have good jobs, good social situations but not many events or places to go to. We started with close friends, chose a restaurant and decided to go out together without our boyfriends, husbands or kids. Just have a night out which means a nice dinner, a couple of drinks and a bit of a party but with the same kind of people in quality places. We have different places that we like.

Aime: We’re helping each other, coming together with ideas.

What’s the mission of the group?

How does one become a member?

Cecilia says that the group is a leisure activity and it’s nothing oﬃcial.

Cecilia: As I said, it’s not actually a group with membership cards. It’s more about social events and people. It’s a ‘secret’ group which not everybody can see but you have to be added by me or someone else invites you to an event then you can request to join the group. Normally it is very selective. Newcomers have to live in Phuket and have a job, something to talk about.

Cecilia: There’s not too much of a mission in the way of our organization. It’s not an association. It’s just a fun

group. Nothing oﬃcial, we’re just a group of friends that gets together with other friends.

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Cecilia: It’s becoming bigger because people will come with a new friend; for example before today Aime and Vicki didn’t know each other. They just met today but maybe tomorrow they’ll have a cup of coffee without me in the middle anymore. It’s just like a spider web, a few of us that make up a network to exchange together.

Lifestyle - Charity can go to any event they want on their own. But when we decide to go, we try to push people to go and help others. Image Copyright Phuket Professional & Fun Ladies

For those who are interested to join the group, you may search for Phuket Professional & Fun Ladies on Facebook. All members are ladies living in Phuket; both expats and Thais.

About the inte��iewees

Why did you join the club? Aime: Why? It’s the great place to meet people. Again, we do different events so it depends whether you want enjoy a splash in the pool or go for a cup of coffee or a glass of nice wine. If you want you can dress up in beautiful eveningwear or come in beachwear. There are so many different events that it doesn’t really matter what you specifically like, we’ll always have an event for you. When you attend you’ll meet people and you never know what will happen. Maybe I’ll have a new business idea. Maybe I’ll have a new best friend. It’s that kind of thing; you go there to see what’ll happen. Vicki: It’s a great chance to network and meet with people, talk about ideas, business, become friends and get to know the island as well, in different places and stuff.

“

We’re helping each other, coming together with ideas.

Are there any charitable projects that you would like to tell us about?

Cecilia Pitre Cecilia was born in France and moved to Thailand (Pattaya) in 2005, where she was a TV presenter for the local programs and later worked for the ACCOR international Hotel Brand. Her last position in Pattaya was at The Pullman Pattaya Hotel G in July 2013. She started and registered BCBG ‘Party Style by Cecilia’ about 10 years ago and in 2013 she arrived in Phuket. In November 2016, BCBG’s Secrets by Sila & Cecilia was born.

”

Cecilia: We don’t have our own projects but we help other people’s projects like Sentosa Wellness Centre in Kata. On the November 8, they had a ’Kid’s Day’. So the ladies who wanted to volunteer could go there and help. There were 40 kids to play with, to paint and things like this. On November 26, they will have the beach cleaning event, ‘Clean the Beach Boot Camp’ in Patong and we’ll join them. On December 3, Phuket Has Been Good to Us will organize a ‘Black Tie Muay Thai’ event at the Outrigger Laguna. Members

Vicki Cu�tis Vicki Curtis is the founder and lead fashion designer for the established fashion label Island Girl that has recently relocated to Phuket from Koh Samui. Vicki is also an accomplished singer and has sung and performed all over the world.

Aime Yodkaew Aime Yodkaew, is also known by public Facebook profile as ‘Amy At Phuketeers’ but lately being called ‘Blue’; she is still wondering why. She first came to live in Thailand, leaving her hometown of Stockholm, Sweden in the last millennium and has been living here in Thailand for over 20 years. She’s “on a creative mission #paintingphuketblue, I’m promoting Phuket with a passion!”

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Travel - Food Gallery

Big Fish Beach Restaurant

he restaurant is located at the Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach. Relax right on the beach at this casual and beautiful oceanfront restaurant which features some of Phuket’s freshest seafood from the Andaman Sea as well as Thai and international favorites. A nice place to relax and pamper yourself, with great service and welltrained staff members. Reservation: Not necessary Dress Code: Casual Open time: 12pm – 11pm daily Vegetarian dishes: On request Mobile phones allowed: Yes Car parking: Yes Credit cards: Accepted

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Recommended dishes: – Crab cake – Baked pastry mixed with Thai chili oil – Grilled tiger prawns – Grilled white snapper – Soft shell crab – M-Nai yang salad

Contact information Tel: +66 (0) 76 625 555 Location: 8.089235, 98.298517

Travel - Food Gallery

Wanon Restaurant

elcome to Wanon, a restaurant named after the Thai word for ‘primate’ and a good way to describe the soul in our approach to cuisine. You will eat right in the heart of the forest of Hanuman World, just as the monkeys do. Your food will be made from the freshest ingredients and capture the original flavours of classic Thai Dishes from all over the country.

Recommended dishes: – Hanuman prasankai (local vegetables boiled in coconut milk with Phuket chili paste) – Hanuman clook fuun (Hot & spicy minced pork/ chicken Southern style)

Reservation: Recommended

– Moo ob ar-najak (Phuket-style roast pork)

Dress Code: Smart casual

– Koong longka (shrimp in tom yum sauce)

Open time: 8am – 10pm daily

– Soft shell crab burger

Vegetarian dishes: On request

– Spaghetti squid ink

Mobile phones allowed: Yes Car parking: Yes Credit cards: Accepted

Contact information Phone: +66 (0) 76 390189 Location: 7.876002, 98.350989

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Travel - Chef Talk

Chef Adul Rattanasuwan Executive Chef at The KEE Resoï¿½t & Spa

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Travel - Chef Talk

Image Copyright The KEE Resort & Spa

Executive Chef at the KEE Reso�t & Spa Taking on the role as Executive Chef for the kitchens at The KEE Reso�t & Spa recently, Chef Adul Rattanasuwan reveals the inspiration that led him to this position while sharing with us about what he is doing. Talking about his background and the origins of his culina�� route

“I’ve liked to cook ever since I was very young. When I was a child I always helped my mom to cook the school lunch at a secondary school as it was part of our family business. It’s what we did for our living. Then after I finished high school, I moved to Phuket to help my uncle who had a small Thai restaurant here. So it was simple and natural for me to begin on this culinary path.”

“I’ve liked to cook ever since I was very young”

Chef Adul Rattanasuwan or ‘Big Brother’ for many chefs in Phuket has had extensive experience in cooking. “I’ve had 27 years of experience in cuisine and 12 years of being an Executive Chef in many five-star hotels around Phuket”. Chef Adul even represented Phuket’s chefs in the famous ‘Iron

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Travel - Chef Talk

27 years of experience in cuisine; 12 years as an Executive Chef Chef Thailand’ TV programme broadcast in September 2013. He is also President of Patong Phuket Chefs Association. Chef Adul is an expert in modern cuisine with an Asian twist. He tells us about his specialty dish and explains, “It’s panseared rack of lamb imported from Australia with Sichuan pepper, served with mashed potatoes and vegetable sauce.”

Chef Adul is waiting to take you all on his culinary journey at the KEE Resort & Spa. The alfresco KEE Kitchen is serves daily European, Thai and fusion Italian cuisine for breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper.

cocktails – all with fantastic views over the Andaman Sea from 17:30 – 24:00.

Another highlight is the KEE Sky Lounge located on the 6th and 7th floors serving the fusion food influenced by cuisine from around the world and a new selection of creative

He says “Our rooftop sky lounge also provides a private zone ideal for private weddings, parties and any special occasion. Come for the view. Stay for the food.”

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Travel - Restaurant Guide

Acqua Restaurant Alessandro Frau

Following a black-and-white theme that gifts the restaurant clean lines and a good sense of proportion, Acqua’s design fully complements an all-round satisfying dining experience. The restaurant has imaginative lighting, nowhere more so than at the bar. Trendy without being gratuitously chic, cutting edge without going over the top and spacious without being cavernous, Acqua’s décor balance practicality and aesthetics in a fine dining environment in Phuket.

Chef and Owner

Acqua Restaurant is the first of a series of restaurants designed by Alessandro Frau, as Alessandro dedication for culinary doesn’t stop to cooking but also to project and design restaurants and concepts. Chef Alessandro Frau was the Winner of Iron Chef Thailand on November 2013. Find more about Alessandro by visit www.fraualessandro.com In 2013 Acqua Restaurant was appointed as one of the Best Italian Restaurant in Phuket and Thailand from Ospitalita’ Italiana in the World.

Guide Cuisine: Italian Reservation: Recommended Dress Code: Smart-casual Open: every day from 16:00 – 23:00 Mobile phones allowed: Yes Car parking: Yes Credit cards: Accepted Tel: +66 (0) 76 618 127 E-mail : reservations@acquarestaurant.com GPS/DD: 7.916537, 98.290996

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Recommended Dishes 45-minute slow cooked egg on a Parmesan cheese fondue, fresh black truﬄe and crispy pancetta powder

Sous-vide cooked octopus salad, marinated in extra virgin olive oil, lemon and vinegar, fennel leaves, celery and taggiasche olives DOP

Pan-fried USA scallops with duck liver, chili jam and truffle pumpkin sauce

Trenette pasta with Alaskan king crab in its own jus with sliced Sardinian tuna bottarga

Wood-fired roasted suckling pig, saffron and violette potatoes, broad beans in its own sauce

Where Italian dining experience meet art and passion

324/15 Prabaramee Road â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Kalim Bay - Patong - Phuket Tel 076 618127 email: reservations@acquarestaurantphuket.com www.acquarestaurantphuket.com

Travel - Restaurant Guide

Baan Kalim Restaurant Wanlop Phothong

Baan Kalim Restaurant and Seafood offers a mouthwatering and taste bud tingling array of Executive Che� dining choices ranging from seafood, to Chinese dishes, Royal Thai cuisine, and western classic dishes to suit all tastes, all under the guidance of a highly experienced Chef and professional seafood restaurant team. Great emphasis is placed on Thai hospitality service with a lot of interaction between the service staff and diners. The restaurant has an array of fresh seafood, ranging from live lobsters, tiger prawns and crab, along with a rich variety of local fish prepared in many manners to suit diners’ taste. The restaurant has stunning views overlooking the beautiful Andaman Sea and a panoramic view of Patong Bay. The sunsets at Baan Kalim have to be seen to be believed – with stunning, breathtaking views.

Guide Experience: Seafood, Royal Thai cuisine, Phuket traditional and international dishes Reservation: Recommended Dress Code: Smart-casual Open: 11:00 – 24:00 Mobile phones allowed: Yes Credit card: Accepted Tel: +66 (0) 76 618 125 E-mail: baankalimrestaurant@hotmail.com GPS/DD: 7.906419, 98.297476

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Recommended Dishes Boiled fish balls with garlic sauce Deep-fried Phuket style sausage ‘My grandma’s ﬁsh’ and ginger soup with a dash of sesame oil Num-prik-khung-sod Crab curry served with mee hoon noodles Fried crab with garlic and pepper Stir-fried lobster with garlic, butter and white wine sauce Baked mixed seafood Steamed mussels with Thai herbs Deep-fried ﬁsh with sweet and sour sauce

Travel - Restaurant Guide

Savoey Seafood Supit Jararith Asst. Manager

Open since 1980, Savoey Seafood is considered one of the landmarks of Patong Beach. This popular and bustling restaurant not only has a wide array of fresh seafood but also oﬀers competitive prices.

Baked lobster with butter and garlic sauce

Savoey Seafood is a large, open-plan restaurant with a seating capacity of 400 plus, but you would never know. Despite its size, with 50 staﬀ members the service is excellent, polite and considerate.

Tom yum koong

Savoey Seafood is very popular and getting there early is recommended. It would be a real shame if you missed the opportunity to dine at this ﬁrst-class seafood restaurant during your stay on Phuket.

Stir-fried crab with spring onions, ginger and garlic

Guide Experience: Seafood and Thai cuisine Reservation: Recommended Dress Code: Smart-casual Open: 10:30 – 24:30 Mobile phones allowed: Yes Car parking: Yes Credit card: Accepted Tel: +66 (0) 76 341 171 – 4 E-mail: info@savoeyseafood.com GPS/DD: 7.894471, 98.295719

Recommended Dishes

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Stir-fried crab with curry powder

Steamed fish with lime juice and chili sauce Deep-fried fish with sweet chili sauce Stir-fried mussels or clams with roasted chili paste sauce Oven-barbecued fish Stir-fried mixed vegetables in oyster sauce

Travel - Restaurant Guide

KEE Sky Lounge Che� Adul Rattanasuwan Executive Che� Choose from air-conditioned and open-air spaces to sip sundowners and enjoy stunning views – all accompanied by sensational food, live music and wines from around the world. These trendy rooftop venues oﬀer something for every mood. Have a romantic dinner with wine or party the night away while discovering the Kee Sky Lounge’s signature cocktails.

Recommended Dishes Sea scallops with black pepper sauce Peking duck in fresh spring rolls with Hoisin sauce Canadian lobster & vegetables with caviar dressing

Guide Experience: Sensational sunsets & live entertainment Cuisine: East-meets-West tapas and trendy fusion food Reservation: Recommended Dress Code: Smart-casual Open: 17:30 – midnight Mobile phones allowed: Yes Credit card: Accepted Tel: +66 (0) 76 335 888 Ext 8241 E-mail: fb@thekeeresort.com GPS/DD: 7.895185, 98.296634

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Surf & turf platter with char-grilled beef tenderloin, tiger prawns, sea bass ﬁllet, spinach and wedge potatoes Roasted rack of lamb with Sichuan pepper, grilled asparagus, mashed potatoes and jus Warmed chocolate volcano cake served with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream

Travel - Signature Dish

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Travel - Drinks

FIVE COOL NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS

Long vacations spent with the �amily a�e a g�eat time to chill out by the pool with a ��esh and cool non-alcoholic drink. And they’�e not only �or child�en… non-alcoholic beverages or ‘mocktails’ a�e good �or your health too, and as people know say, “The g�eatest wealth is health.” so let’s discover some non-alcoholic �un drinks with Muse Kantara, the youngest member o� the Phuketindex.com team…

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Travel - Drinks

Lychee Refresher at Silk Restaurant & Bar, Andara Resoďż˝t & Villas

Ingďż˝edients Lychee 5pcs Lychee juice 90ml Lime juice 30ml Syrup 15ml Water 30ml

Garnish

Lychee, lime, mint

Mint leaves 12pcs

Silk Restaurant & Bar, Andara Resort & Villas Address: 15 Moo 6, Kamala Beach, Kathu, Phuket 83150 Thailand Tel: +66 (0) 76 338 777 Email: reservations@andaraphuket.com Website: www.andaraphuket.com

Bartender Preeyavit Na Nakorn www.phuketindex.com

Travel - Drinks

Drop Baby Drop at Lobby Bar, Banyan T�ee Hotels & Reso�ts

Ing�edients

Bar Waitress Tassiri Taabmuang

Fresh Thai mango juice 120ml Grapefruit juice 30ml Lime juice 15ml Orgeat 15ml

Lobby Bar, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts Address: 33, 33/27 Moo 4, Srisoonthorn Road, Cherngtalay, Thalang, Phuket 83110 Thailand Tel: +66 (0) 76 372 400 E-mail: phuket@banyantree.com Website: www.banyantree.com

Mint 1g

Garnish Mango, mint

Bramble at Baba Poolclub, Sri panwa Phuket

Bartender Surassanan Chaiwongkaew

Baba Poolclub, Sri panwa Phuket Address: 88 moo 8, Sakdidej Road, Vichit, Muang, Phuket 83000 Thailand Tel: +66 (0) 76 371 000 E-mail: chill@sripanwa.com Website: www.sripanwa.com

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Ing�edients Apple juice 40ml Hibiscus juice 30ml Blueberry puree 30ml Vanilla syrup 15ml Lime juice 20ml

Garnish Lemon, mint

Travel - Drinks

Virgin Thai Jito at The WIWA, The NA�A Phuket

Ing�edients Lemongrass 30ml Fresh lemon 30ml Lemon juice 30ml Syrup 15ml Brown sugar 2tsp

Soda water 120ml

Garnish Lemon, red cherry, mint

Bartender Prawech Thongmeebua

The WIWA, The NAKA Phuket Address: 1/18, 1/20 Moo 6 Kamala, Kathu, Phuket 83150 Thailand Tel: +66 (0) 76 337 999 Email: info@thenakaphuket.com Website: www.thenakaphuket.com

Rabbit Roar Smash at Xana Beach Club

Ing�edients Raspberry puree 40ml Honey syrup 20ml Lime juice 25ml Mint 10pcs Ginger beer (on top)

Garnish

Mint, icing, ginger, marsh mellow

Xana Beach Club Address: 10 Moo 4, Srisoonthorn Road, Cherngtalay, Thalang, Phuket 83110 Thailand Tel: +66 (0) 76 324 101 Website: www.xanabeachclub.com Bartender Nur Vawaeni www.phuketindex.com

Travel - GM Talk

Markus Kaliss General Manager o� Hilton Phuket A�cadia Reso�t & Spa

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Travel - GM Talk Education? In Germany I was an apprentice more on team level, it’s school on one side and practical on the other side. I went through every department. I cleaned rooms for three months; I was a room service waiter; I was a bellboy… I know most of the rank-and-ﬁle positions because I’ve done them. It gave me a very good understanding of people’s jobs.

How did you come to Hilton Phuket? Image Copyright Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa

arkus Kaliss, 43, from Stuttgart, General Manager of Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa, talks about his vision for One of the Biggest Hotels on the Island.

My wife is Thai and I’ve always wanted to work in Thailand. It’s like a puzzle: It’s not like “Oh I want to go there”. No, if somebody moves then head office looks to see who has the correct background, who fits into the culture and who fits into a property. I did not expect to be here as I was only 18 months in Jakarta but then when I was asked if I was interested – as my wife is Thai and I know the Chinese market which is very big here and know Thai culture through my wife. That’s how I came here. And for my wife, moving to Thailand is like a dream as she’s lived 10 years away. I’m very happy here and I believe I understand the culture a little bit – at least more than the ‘normal’ farang. So it was a good move for me and for the hotel and I think it was a smart move from Hilton.

I know most of the rank-and-file positions because I’ve done them. Image Copyright Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa

Could you tell us about yoursel� and your education? I’m German and about 18 years ago I left Germany and initially I left because I wanted to study English. I joined Hilton in London, and from then every couple of years I got promoted and moved. It’s like a big puzzle in the company – if someone moves, someone else takes the position. From England I went to Wales and then to the Maldives. After three years in ‘paradise’ I went to KL and then to China - I spent six years there and ran two properties so I deal with all our Chinese guests as I have had a lot of experience. Then I was 18 months in Indonesia – a very interesting place – and then came here.

Image Copyright Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa

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Travel - GM Talk Then there’s the community; we’ve just pledged to hire people with learning disabilities because we have a lot of jobs that are not so diﬃcult to learn and we want to give people a chance. We’re also building a hydroponic garden for Phuket Special Education Centre. I don’t believe in just giving cash for charity, that doesn’t help; if I employ these people, and if they can grow vegetables and make a living, it helps them. I have a very involved team that loves to do these things; there’s a culture behind this – ‘Blue Energy’ that drives us to do these things and because we’re a big hotel with more than 700 team members, if we need 15 people to build something, no problem, the operation continues and that’s why I think we should be a leader on the island with regard to these things. So there’s no such thing as one goal.

Image Copyright Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa

What is your goal �or next year?

Image Copyright Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa

Could you tell us about Hilton Phuket? We’re the biggest hotel on the island and for me space is luxury… Even on a day like today when we ‘only’ have 800 people you hardly see anyone because we have five swimming pools, and 8 food & beverage facilities. If you look around, some hotels are condensed and built on small plots whereas we have a whole park around us! It’s a very established hotel and it’s been here for 29 years – a Hilton for 13 – so the team knows very much how things work. They’re very experienced unlike my previous hotel which was only open for two months with everyone new to their job and needing help! Here is the opposite; the hotel runs [itself] and I can look at the bigger picture.

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This is a big operation and we need to deliver certain numbers. For me that’s the base. Being the biggest hotel in Phuket I believe we can make a diﬀerence. Sustainability is something that’s getting more and more important for example we’ve quit using plastic bottles in our meeting rooms and we use recyclable glass now. Very easy; if we can do it everybody can and reduce so much waste and really make this a green island. This hotel has a lot of potential because we’re running successfully, we have time to look at other things and become a role model.

What is your li�estyle? I’m a family man. I have two daughters, two and five years old. My partying days are over; I go home at six o’clock every day to have dinner with my kids. I may be back in the office at 7:30 when they sleep but I’m not a crazy workaholic. For me family is number one and hotel number two and not the other way round. We love travelling and even though my kids are little they’ve travelled extensively. This summer we went to Italy. The kids are used to ﬂying – they ﬂew before they could walk! But here there’s so much to do it’s almost like being on holiday! So for me, family, travelling, that’s our lifestyle.