01-01-2016

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016 2016

HAPPY NE W

YE A R

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SOUTHERN COMFORT

Phuket gains new emergency medical centre in Chalong

The new A&E centre will open beside the existing Chalong Health Promotion Centre, located opposite the Hompro shopping mall on Chao Fa West Rd in Chalong. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot Tanyaluk Sakoot r e p o r te r 2 @ c la s s a c tm e d ia .c o .th

T

he Accident and Emerg ency (A& E) D ep artment of the yetto-b e-b uilt Chalong Hosp ital officially began operations on Monday (D ec 2 8 ) , mark ing the op ening of the first government emergency medical centre in the south of the island.

Located at the site of the Chalong Health Centre across f rom HomeP ro

on Chao F a West R d, the A& E unit will b e op erated b y the P huk et P ub lic Health Office and its Director, Dr B ancha K hak ong , and staf f ed b y medical p rof essionals, doctors and nurses f rom the P atong , Thalang and Vachira Phuket government hospitals.

Its p rimary p urp ose is to stab ilise and provide emergency medical treatment to patients before having them transf erred to b etter-eq uip p ed hospitals, explained Chalong Mayor Samran Jindaphol, who has invested

heavily in having market vendors moved from the site so that construction of the f ull hosp ital may b eg in.

“The A& E will b e op en to p atients 24 hours from am on Monday,” said Ladda Thong tan, who heads the Emerg ency section at V achira P huk et Hosp ital in P huk et Town.

“This is so it we can provide emerg ency medical treatment all throughout the Seven Days of Danger,” she added.

The Seven Days of Danger na-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

@thephuketnews

tional road-saf ety camp aig n will b eg in at midnig ht (0 0 0 0 hours) on Tuesday (D ec 2 9 ) and conclude at midnig ht (2 4 0 0 hours) on J anuary 4 .

“Af ter that, it will b e op en f rom 0am until 0pm seven days a week,” said Nurse Ladda.

“It will have modern emergency equipment and services like Vachira Hosp ital and will handle p atients in all sorts of medical need, excep t f or surg ery.

“The Emerg ency R oom will b e…

LIFE

PAGE 20

Wishing you a yogi-happy 2016

SPORT

PAGE 40

Local youths vie for national football glory

News 2

PHUKET NEWS

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Foreigners without travel insurance eligible for hospital care > page 4

No military road checks on island for New Year Tanyaluk Sakoot r e p o r te r 2 @ c la s s a c tm e d ia .c o .th

T

here will b e no military p resence at road check p oints across P huk et during the N ew Y ear holidays, desp ite an announcement that armed services p ersonnel will b e manning check p oints in B ang k ok , T h e Ph u k e t N e w s has b een told.

“We are aware of the announcement in B ang k ok b ut we will only have reg ular p olice and def ense volunteers at p olice check p oints in P huk et, ” Col Teerapol Thipjaroen, Deputy Commander of the P huk et Provincial Police, confirmed.

“R eg ardless, we will p erf orm our duties as usual, ” he added. “We will have check p oints across the island, and these p oliceman will f ocus

More than motorists ere slapped ith fines at the hristmas ve traffic chec point Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub more on road saf ety during this p eriod. ” R eg arding p olice seiz ing vehicles of motorists f ound drunk driving , Col Teerap ol exp lained, “As usual, the vehicle will b e seiz ed while we p rocess drunk driving charg es ag ainst susp ects, b ut once that is comp lete, the vehicle may b e

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

claimed and driven away b y a sob er nominee of the vehicle’ s owner. ” In a pre-Christmas blitz, more than 7 0 p eop le were slapped with traffic violation fines when they were stopped at a p olice check p oint on the outsk irts of P huk et Town on Christmas Eve.

Phuket City Traffic Police Inspector Lt Col Rungrit Rattanap ag dee led 2 0 of f icers at the check p oint, set up on Thep k rasattri R d, in R assada.

In total, 40 motorists and passengers were fined for not wearing a helmet while riding a motorb ik e, f our drivers were caug ht not wearing seat b elts and 11 were caug ht op erating a vehicle without a driver’ s license.

Several other motorists were fined for other moving violations.

“Motorb ik e drivers caug ht not wearing helmets were f ined B 5 0 0 each, while the passengers were fined B ,000.

Those f ound driving without a permit were fined B 00 each,” Lt Col Rungrit said.

The Christmas Eve crack down is to p romote road saf ety

and reduce the numb er of accidents during holiday season, Col R ung rit exp lained.

“Officers are to stop any drivers f or any susp icious activity, ” he said.

“They are check ing f or drunk driving and to mak e sure motorists and p asseng ers wear helmets and/ or seat b elts, b ecause many p eop le will b e on the roads during the holidays. ” Officers will not be overz ealous in mak ing arrests f or drunk driving . “O ne driver tested only .0 BAC for alcohol, so he was f ree to g o. ” Col Rungrit said (legal limit is 0.0 ) “We will also k eep a look out f or any criminals who mig ht tak e advantag e of this time of year, ” he added.

Ad d i t i o n a l r e p o r t i n g E a k k a p o p T h o n g tu b .

b y

M unit opens in halong C o n t i n u e df r o m p a g e 1 … used to treat minor to moderate inj uries only. Serious cases and p atients with internal inj uries or req uiring surg ery will b e transf erred to V achira Hosp ital, ” she said.

The A& E cent re is eq uip p ed with p re-hosp ital lif e-sup p ort eq uip ment, an x-ray machine, a p ulse oximeter f or monitoring a p erson’ s oxyg en levels, an automated external defibrillator (A D) and a f ull rang e of emerg ency first-responder first aid equipment, as well as an emerg ency team with a f ully eq uip p ed amb ulance and dedicated drivers.

The centre includes f our b eds, two f or k eep ing p atients under ob servation and two b eds f or p roviding immediate treatment, exp lained N urse Donapak Iabesakul.

atong police urge usinesses to oin safet campaign POLIC MARCH D throug h Patong on December 2 to urg e b usiness owners to f eed their CCTV f ootag e to P atong P olice Station and the K athu District Office in order to b oost saf ety on the streets of the resort town.

More than 10 0 b usinesses have j oined the camp aig n, said K athu P olice Chief Col Chaiwat Uyk am.

“We want residents, b usinesses, hotels, resorts and entertainment venues to set

olice are urging more usinesses to join the CCTV campaign to oost safet up CCTV in their areas to help monitor any susp icious

activity. We esp ecially would lik e CCTV at entertainment venues b e turned towards the street so we can b oost security to cover every street corner, ” he said.

Col Chaiwat p ointed out that having local p rivate CCTV f eed into a p olicemonitored system would alleviate the need f or extra b udg et and the time req uired to install g overnment CCTV cameras.

E a k k a p o p T h o n g tu b

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Chinese couple safe after jet-ski collision Saroj Kueprasertkij r e p o r te r 3 @ c la s s a c tm e d ia .c o .th

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he Chinese coup le inj ured in a j et-sk i collision on P atong B ay last Sunday (D ec 2 7 ) remain recovering in hosp ital, b ut may leave within a week , T h e Ph u k e t N e w s was told earlier this week .

“Mr Z hao P euie, 2 5 , suf f ered a b rok en shoulder b ut has already had an op eration f or that, ” a nurse at P huk et International Hospital confirmed Monday (D ec 2 8 ) .

“B ut Ms Su Han, 2 6 , needed a lot of stitches as she suffered a big esh wound on her lef t leg , ” she added.

“If there is no unf oreseen develop ments, I b elieve Mr Z hao can g o home within a week , b ut Ms Su may tak e a b it long er b ecause she has g ot a larg e wound which we are concerned mig ht g et inf ected. ” P atong P olice b elieve that the coup le have settled the comp ensation p rivately with the j et-sk i op erator.

“Af ter I heard the news, I

The Chinese tourists will have to pay no more than B15,000 each in compensation, the head of the Patong Jet-Ski Association said Monday (Dec 28). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub waited f or them until nig htf all, b ut no one had shown up and rep orted anything at P atong P olice Station, ” said Lt Sirinart Chertchutrak ulthong of the K athu P olice.

“I b elieve that they have already neg otiated and ag reed to the amount to b e p aid f or damag es b y themselves. Usually, if p eop le cannot reach an ag reement, they will come to the p olice station to settle their disp ute, ” she added.

N ucha P etchnimol, head of the P atong J et-Sk i Association, said that the coup le did not want to b ring the case to the

p olice b ecause they were af raid they would have p rob lems with their emb assy if they handed over their official state papers.

“So they ag reed to p ay comp ensation to the j et-sk i owner themselves, ” Mr N ucha said.

“B y law, we cannot hold their p assp orts, so we accep ted p hotocop ies of their p assp orts and (b ef ore renting out the j et-sk is) ask ed them to sig n the standard ag reement to p ay comp ensation f or any damag es that mig ht occur, ” he explained.

“At this stag e, the amount

Governor targets Hat Yai rail link, new airport road P H U K ET G O V E R N O R Chamroen Tip ayap ong tada has called for officials to expedite p lans f or a rail link j oining P huk et and Hat Y ai, and f or a new road along the p rop osed route f or new hig h-voltag e p ower p ylons on the island.

“B oth p roj ects would b olster inf rastructure and sup p ort tourism as Thailand enters the Asean Economic Community (AEC) , ” he told a meeting to the P huk et Land O f f ice on D ecemb er 2 4 .

As announced late last year, the terms of the AEC are p lanned to come into ef f ect “b y the end of 2 0 15 ” .

“P huk et must sp eed up the f easib ility study of the p rop osed route of the Hat Y ai-P huk et railway p roj ect b ecause the p roj ect will tremendously benefit tourism in the Andaman reg ion, ” Gov Chamroen said.

“The p rop osed rail link will connect Satun, Trang , K rab i, P hang N g a and P huk et, which will p romote tourism and p rep are the reg ion f or the AEC, ” he added.

“The State R ailway of Thailand of f icially op ened the Hat Y ai-P adang B esar @thephuketnews

Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada cracked the whip over the Hat Yai rail link and the proposed new road from Phuket Airport. Photo: The Phuket News / file rail shuttle on D ecemb er 12 , which will benefit both countries. If there is a railway connecting the Andaman p rovinces, that would g reatly benefit tourists and locals who could b etter travel around the area, ” Gova Chamroen said.

“The p rop osed Andaman railway coincides with the central g overnment’ s p ush to p romote tourism throug hout the reg ion. ” Look ing at transp ort link s closer to home, Gov Chamroen also called on officials to move ahead with p lans

f or the new road under the p lanned hig h-voltag e p ower lines to b e installed f rom P huk et International Airp ort to the B ang K hu Intersection, north of P huk et Town.

“To solve traffic congestion p rob lems on the island, I ordered the P huk et P rovincial Administration O rg anisation (P P AO ) and the P huk et Hig hways Office to re-examine the construction p lans.

“If we can g o ahead with the p roj ect, it will help alleviate the traffic issues on Thep k rasattri R d, ” he said.

of comp ensation is undisclosed. However, it will not b e over B 15 , 0 0 0 p er p erson, ” Mr N ucha said.

P huk et j et-sk i op erators have comp ulsory insurance p olicies covering accident damag e to their j et-sk is, Mr N ucha added.

“This covers up to B 5 0 , 0 0 0 f or damag e p er j et-sk i p er incident, b ut the insurance does not cover comp ensation f or loss of earning s resulting f rom accidents. The p erson renting the j et-sk i has to cover f or that comp ensation b y themselves, ” he said.

PHUKET NEWS

3

Global online booking giant Agoda currently touts that it accepts bookings for 2,381 Phuket hotels.

Hoteliers petition against 92,000 illegal hotel rooms D R K R ITSAD A TO N SAK UL, who heads the P huk et-ba sed Southern Thailand chap ter of the Thai Hotels Association, on Monday (D ec 2 8 ) led a deleg ation of tourism and hospitality leaders in filing a p etition calling f or the g overnment to tak e action ag ainst an estimated 9 2 , 0 0 0 illeg al hotel rooms in P huk et.

D r K risada handed the p etition in p erson to P huk et V ice Governor D r P raj ied Ak sornthammak ul, P huk et P rovincial Hall.

“Ab out 7 0 p er cent of the hotel rooms in P huk et are illeg al, ” D r K ritsada said.

“Almost all of them of f er daily-rate accommodation.

Some have ap p lied to reg ister (with the g overnment) , b ut others have not.

“If they do not reg ister

their own b usinesses, that will have neg ative conseq uence in several ways, esp ecially the economic ef f ect on the g eneral tourism industry of three and f our-star hotels, ” D r K ritsada warned.

“It also creates p rob lems rep orting their g uests to immig ration, ” he added.

Glob al online b ook ing g iant Ag oda currently touts that it accep ts b ook ing s f or 2 , 38 1 accommodation estab lishments in P huk et.

However, as recently as Sep temb er, Anoma V ong yai, D irector of the Tourism Authority of Thailand TAT Phuket office, reveleaed that P huk et has 9 3, 7 5 0 accommodation rooms in 1, 8 0 0 hotels – of which only 37 6 estab lishments were reg istered.

D a r a w a nN a k n a k h o n

4

PHUKET NEWS

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

M y f r ie n d is tra v e lin g in T h a ila n d a n d h a s b e e n r u n n in g a re a l h ig h fe v e r. It s e e m s to b e g e ttin g w o rs e . H e d o e s n ’t h a v e tra v e l in s u ra n c e o r a lo t o f m o n e y , b u t n e e d s to s e e a d o c to r. Is th e re a n y h o u s e c a ll d o c to r s e r v ic e s h e re th a t w e c a n c a ll to h a v e a d o c to r c a n v is it th e p a tie n t in h is h o te l?

If s o , h o w m u c h w ill th is s e r v ic e c o s t? If n o t, c a n w e ta k e h im to g o v e r n m e n t h o s p ita l a n d w ill th e y a d m it h im o r ju s t s e n d h im to th e e x p e n s iv e in te r n a tio n a l h o s p ita l?

– Tasha, Phuket.

Answer

SALES SU PPORT Siriporn ( Nok) Seangmas 08 6 479 7470 sales@classactmedia.co.th

J ANU ARY 7

Handle with care Question

SALES MANAGER

THU

A n y to u ris ts w h o b e c o m e q u ite ill o r a re s e r io u s ly in ju re d b u t d o n o t h a v e a n y tra v e l in s u ra n c e s h o u ld ju s t g o to th e n e a re s t g o v e rn m e n t h o s p ita l. It is th e p o lic y o f e v e r y p u b lic h o s p ita l to ta k e c a re o f a n y p a tie n ts w h o n e e d m e d ic a l c a re – n o t ju s t T h a i p e o p le , b u t a ls o to u r is ts , e x p a ts , m ig r a n t

For now, tourists without travel insurance can get free basic government medical care. w o rk e rs o r a n y o n e e ls e w h o n e e d s m e d ic a l tre a tm e n t.

P u b lic h o s p ita ls d o n o t p ro v id e h o u s e c a ll s e r v ic e s , b u t in c a s e o f e m e rg e n c y , p le a s e c a ll 1 6 6 9 fo r a n a m b u la n c e to tra n s p o r t y o u to h o s p ita l.

T h is s e r v ic e is f re e .

C a lle rs m u s t p ro v id e a s m u c h b a s ic in fo r m a tio n a s p o s s ib le a b o u t th e p a tie n t so that the edical staff res p o n d in g to th e c a ll a re w e ll p re p a re d b y b e fo re th e y g e t th e re .

T h e E m e rg e n c y M e d ic a l

S e o n b e o e n

r v ic e ( E M S ) in P h u k e t is e o f th e b e s t in th e c o u n try c a u s e o f th e h u g e v a r ie ty situations our staff ha e c o u n te re d in th e p a s t. O u r E M S is p ro v id e d b y w e lltrained staff and ell e uipped a m b u la n c e s .

F o r n o w , a ll to u r is ts w ith n o tra v e l in s u ra n c e c a n re c e iv e m e d ic a l tre a tm e n t a t a p u b lic h o s p ita l in T h a ila n d , re g a rd l e s s w he t he r o r no t t he y c a n afford to pa .

H o w e v e r, p le a s e n o te th a t n o t a ll m e d ic a l tre a tm e n t is

p ro v id e d f re e . If a n y p a y m e n t is re q u ire d , th e p u b lic h o s p ita l staff ill in or ou o an e x p e n s e s a n d d is c u s s h o w th e b ill is to b e s e ttle d .

F o r e x a m p le , if y o u c a ll a n a m b u la n c e a n d th e re le v a n t officials at the hospital ou a re ta k e n to d e e m th a t th e a m b u la n c e c a ll w a s n o t fo r a n e m e rg e n c y , b e p re p a re d to b e c h a rg e d a s p e r o n e o f th re e E M S s e r v ic e s a s fo llo w s : 1 . F irs t R e s p o n d e r S e r v ic e fo r m in o r h e a lth c o n c e r n , a b o u t B 3 0 0 .

2 . B a s ic L ife S u p p o r t S e r v i c e f o r m o d e r a t e he a l t h c o n c e rn , a b o u t B 6 0 0 .

3 . A d v a n c e L ife S u p p o rt S e r v ic e fo r s e r io u s h e a lth c o n c e r n , a b o u t B 1 ,0 0 0 . ospital staff ill do their b e s t to m a k e s u re th a t fre e m e d ic a l s e r v ic e s a re p ro v id e d fre e , b u t th a t a n y o th e r s e rv ic e s a re c h a rg e d . T h e re le v a n t official ill discuss hate er p a y m e n t o p tio n s a re p o s s ib le w ith y o u .

T h is is s u e is a g ro w in g c o n c e rn . L a s t y e a r, th e R o y a l T h a i G o v e rn m e n t sp e n t a b o u t B 4 2 0 m illio n c o v e r in g th e m e d ic a l c o s ts o f to u r is ts w h o h a d n o tra v e l in s u ra n c e .

A ls o , a b o u t 2 5 ,0 0 0 to u r is ts v is ite d P h u k e t’s m a in m e d ic a l fa c ility , P a to n g H o s p ita l, in th e p a s t y e a r. T h e n u m b e r o f th e s e p a tie n ts w h o w e re c o v e re d b y m e d ic a l in s u ra n c e w a s e s tim a te d a t le s s th a n 1 ,0 0 0 .

T h a i l a nd , a nd e s p e c i a l l y health officials in huket, are c u r re n tly p u s h in g to in tro d u c e c o m p u ls o r y tra v e l in s u ra n c e b y la w . V e r y s o o n , a ll to u ris ts w h o w a n t to e n te r T h a ila n d m u s t h a v e tra v e l in s u ra n c e .

– Dr Bancha Kakong, Director of the Phuket Provincial Health Office.

Five arrested for illegal medical services SALES REPRESENTATIVE Somsong ( Chompu) Radabut 08 8 765 58 8 3 sales1@classactmedia.co.th

O F F IC I A L S H A V E A R re s te d th re e w o m e n a n d tw o m e n fo r w o rk in g ille g a lly a s u n lic e n s e d m e d ic a l p r a c titio n e rs a fte r th e y w e re fo u n d c o n d u c tin g a n n u a l e m p lo y e e h e a lth e x a m in a tio n s in s id e a B igC s to r e inR a s s a d a .

The e arrested, hich p o lic e d id n o t n a m e , w o rk fo r a c o m p a n y b a s e d in P a th u m T h a n i, o n th e o u ts k ir ts o f B a n g k o k , th a t p o lic e a ls o d id n o t n a m e .

The e ere arrested, a n d th e ir m in iv a n s e t u p a s a m o b ile x -ra y c lin ic s e iz e d , a t th e R a s s a d a B ig C s to re o n T h e p k ra s a ttir R d o n D e c e m b e r 2 4 a f te r o ff ic ia ls f ro m th e P h u k e t P ro v in c ia l ealth ffice and the huket office o the onsu er rotection oard led a c o m p la in t w ith th e P h u k e t C ity P o lic e .

ll fi e we e a ested fo ille all p o idin medical se ices. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub fficers noticed the tea o r m i ng m e d i c a l e x a m s n th e y in s p e c te d h e a lth b e a u ty p ro d u c ts fo r s a le e s t o r e ,” e x p l a i n e d P P H O c to r D r B a n c h a K a k h o n g . “ T h e C o n s u m e r P r o tection officials ho ere a c c o m p a n y in g th e h e a lth o ff ic e rs a p p ro a c h e d th e m a n d a s k e d to s e e m e d ic a l p r a c titio n e r’s lic e n s e s , w h ic h t h e y d i d n o t h a v e ,” h e a d d e d .

The e e plained that p e rf w h e a n d a t th D ire

th a t th e y h a d a ll g ra d u a te d fro m a six -m o n th c o u rs e a t a h e a lth c a re s c h o o l.

H o w e v e r, p o lic e e x p la in e d th a t th e y n o w fa c e d u p to three ears in ail or a ne o f u p to B 6 0 ,0 0 0 o r b o th , f o r ille g a l o p e r a tio n o f a m e d ic a l s e r v ic e o r w o rk in g a s m e d ic a l s p e c ia lis t” .

T h e y a ls o fa c e d u p to three ears in ail and ne B 3 0 ,0 0 0 , o r b o th , f o r p r o v id in g u n lic e n s e d x -ra y s e r v ic e s .

D r B a n c h a s a id th a t th e p r iv a te c o m p a n y in P a th u m T h a n i p ro v id e d m o b ile m e d ic a l s e r v ic e s to o th e r p ro v in c e s. “ T h e c o m p a n y p ro v id e s h e a lth e x a m s fo r e m p lo y e e s o f lo c a l s u p e r m a rk e ts a n d s h o p p in g m a lls w ith o u t a n y le g a l h e a lth c a re p ro v id e r p e r m it a n d m o s t o f th e ir e m p lo y e e s w h o w o rk a t th e m e d ic a l u n it h a v e n o m e d ical licenses or certi cates,

h e s a id .

H o w e v e r, D r B a n c h a d id n o t e la b o ra te o n w h a t f u r th e r a c tio n is – o r m a y b e – ta k e n a g a in s t th e c o m p a n y a lle g e d ly p ro v id in g a n a tio n w id e ille g a l m e d ic a l s e r v ic e .

In s te a d , D r B a n c h a u rg e d a w id e r a n g e o f o rg a n is a tio n s to b e w a re s u c h p ra c tic e s . “ I w a n t to a d v is e a ll b u s in e s s o p e ra to rs , s c h o o ls a n d lo c a l a d m in is tr a tio n s in n e e d o f h a v in g a n n u a l h e a lth c h e c k u p s e r v ic e s p re fo r m e d th a t th e y m u s t c h e c k th a t th e c o m p a n y p ro v id in g th e h e a l t h c a r e s e r v i c e s a r e l e g a l ,” h e s a id . “ T h e y m u s t h a v e m e d ic a l lic e n s e s a n d m u s t h a v e b e e n is s u e d m e d ic a l p ro fe s s io n certi cates in to pre ent an ille g a l m e d ic a l-re la te d s e r v ic e f r a u d ,” D r B a n c h a s a i d .

E akkapop T h on gt ub

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

A

The year that was 2015

s 2 0 1 6 u s h e rs in a n e w d a w n u n d e r th e g u is e o f T h a ila n d e n te r in g th e A s e a n E c o n o m ic C o m m u n ity , b e tte r k n o w n s im p ly a s th e A E C , a n d s o m e c l e a n e r b e a c h e s , T h e P h uket N ew s t a k e s a l o o k b a c k a t t h e i e ne s ories o . o e er, in ead o editors spoutin off all the ories o the pa ear that the elie e ere the o i portant, this y e a r w e to o k to h e a rt w h a t y o u the reader oted as o i portant ith our clicks. ere are the o popular ories in huket, eek w e e k , m o n th b y m o n th , a s d e te r m in e d b y ir re f u ta b le e ati ics. app e Year, huket

January

The ear arted ith super ar B e y o n c e a n d o th e r h a lf J a y Z b e in g c a u g h t o u t in th e ir s e c o n d “ b o o b o o ” w ith in d a y s o each other. ter ein pictu re d r id in g o n th e b a c k o f a a elephant, e once po ed o n h e r F a c e b o o k a t 2 :0 9 a m o n Ja n u a ry 1 , “ H a v e a sa fe a n d app e Year. The iron w a s th a t th e c e le b r ity c o u p le w e re p h o to g ra p h e d r id in g a otor ike ithout hel ets.

After months of searching, police arrested Adem Karadag for the Erawan Shrine bombing.

F re n c h m a n B e rn a rd H a z e b ro u c o , 6 8 , m a d e a lu c k y e s c a p e fro m h is b u r n in g c a r on aton ill and a sandor in u ha i le t passen ers uck in huket.

B u t th a t w a s p e a n u ts to th e tw o s h o o tin g s a n d a s u ic id e atte pt that arred e Year c e le b ra tio n s , n o t to m e n tio n a m e g a -b r a w l a t a w o rk e r’s c a m p n e a r th e a ir p o rt th a t le f t s e v e n h o m e s ra z e d a n d troops patrollin the area.

A s p a te o f b re a k -in s in to orei ners ho es in a hlok o u ts o ld a n a k e d B r itis h m o to rb ik e r id e r b e in g d e p o r te d f ro m C a m b o d ia a n d e v e n a C z e c h m a n b u s k in g to p a y fo r his dau hter s edical ills.

February

T h e m o n th o f lo v e o p e n e d w ith p o lic e ra id s o n m a s s a g e p a rlo u rs in th e s p ir ite d ni htli e are o hunpol in huket To n, apparentl in in an anti hu an traffickin dri e, ollo ed huket s n o w fa m o u s b e a c h re g u la tio n s co in into orce.

B r in g in g s o m e lig h t in to th e n e w s , th o u g h , w e re th e arr otter onks in deep trou le and isit Janso on , the huket o ernor at the tim e , s la m m in g p o lic e fo r their o Su er rea b e a c h o rd e r e n fo rc e m e n t tactics.

F e b r u a r y e n d e d w ith re a d ers shakin off a . a ni-

he o an fe

fi e killed s aeli i l hani

a il

.

tude uake off oh Yao.

March

s huket ed ed to ard the des o arch the top or w a s a T h a i c o u rt ru lin g th a t “ s e c u re d ” o r “ c o lle c tiv e ” le a s e s w e re v o id , fo llo w e d closel e rench en, b e lie v e d to b e p a r t o f a n in te r n a tio n a l s k im m in g g a n g , arre ed or ski in illions ro huket T s, ut the or o the onth as lon ter huket e pat a n d b o a t to u r o p e ra to r C a p t ark endle ur ein arre ed or the a in death o aton ni htclu securit affer. r endle ur as later ac uitted. each clu s at Su r in each ere told, et out in da s . unnil enou h, officials are ill threatenin to d e m o lis h th e b u ild in g s a s this edition ent to print.

April

T h re e d e a d a s to u r b u s c ra s h e s off aton hill as no lau hin atter as huket passed pril ool s a , and a i ht ro huket sufferin en ine fa ilu re s e n t s h iv e rs d o w n an readers spines. ikki each clu as la a ed o er its part e le p h a n t b e in g u s e d to e n tertain ue s drunk, cele r ity o r b o th – w ith a n o n lin e c a m p a ig n b y a n im a l w e lfa re g ro u p s f ro m a ll d ire c tio n s c a llin g fo r re v e lle rs to b o y c o tt

Beyonce and Jay Z started the year with a ‘boo boo’. the enue no closed. erhaps the horror or o f th e y e a r w a s 1 2 -y e a r- o ld sraeli irl Shani aril ein th e s o le fa ta lity o f a fe r r y re that en ul ed the ess e l w ith in m in u te s w h ile e n route ro hi hi sland to o an in ra i. The oat s a n k tw o k ilo m e tre s f ro m its de ination.

Then e es turned ea as th e s u p e r y a c h t o f f u g itiv e ussian illionaire Ser e olonsk , ith an e i ated net orth o S . illion illion , ashed ashore in a odia.

May

huripat Theerakulpisut, director o the huket arine ffice at the ti e, announced that the da s o e tortion je t-s k i o p e r a to r s w e re o v e r a n d o ernor isit speaks lon u i in the each rules, p le a d in g fo r c r itic s to w a it

until the trial period as o er.

T h e n T h a ila n d d ro p p e d in g lo b a l to u r is m ra n k in g s and the Ti er isco la e h e a rin g s g o t u n d e r w a y a s the Sa ui ro incial ourt a p p ro v e d a n o u ts id e c h e c k o f e idence to e presented in the oh Tao urder trials. ear old S iss an d ie d in a b iz a r re e le v a to r a c cident at the e ore aan aradise otel, and an ir sia p la n e w a s s u b je c te d to a b o m b scare at huket irport.

June

ark da s continued as ear old u aiti touri dullah del adh ah an d ie d in a fa ll a t th e W o rld un ee Ju p on Sai a Yen d in aton no closed . lash oods hit aton and e ls e w h e re a c ro s s th e is la n d , and aton olice Station et a ain ound itsel inundated.

T h e n a h o te l e m p lo y e e

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PHUKET NEWS

The riot siege of Thalang Police Station made headlines around the world.

The cargo ship ‘Sinaran Andaman’ struck rocks at Corl island and sank.

The superyacht of fugitive Russian billionaire Sergey Polonsky beached in Cambodia. w a o f a d C h

s g u n n e d d o w n in fro n t d o z e n s o f w itn e s s e s a f te r ru n k e n b ra w l a t a b a r n e a r a lo n g C irc le . n aton , a police officer w a s tr a n s fe r re d o v e r n ig h tc lu b b r u ta lity a n d g u n th re a t clai s, a ter a prote ound its w a y o n to S o i B a n g la .

July

D r S m ith D h a r m a s a ro ja , th e m a n w h o w a r n e d T h a ila n d to prepare or disa er e ore th e 2 0 0 4 A s ia n T s u n a m i d e v a ated the nda an oa , ur ed officials and residents to prepare or the or in case a se ere earth uake rikes.

B u t th a t d id n ’t ra ttle re a d e rs a s m u c h a s th e m a n w h o a tte m p te d a irb o r n e s u ic id e o n a B o e in g 7 3 7 p la n e to H a t Y a i b y tr y in g to o p e n th e d o o r id i ht. n ranian touri dro ned off aton a ter i norin no s i in red a s and b lu e b o ttle s in v a d e d P h u k e t b e a c h e s , w h ile a C a m b o d ia n c a rg o s h ip d r if tin g w ith o u t p o w e r s la m m e d in to ro c k s a t C o ra l Is la n d a n d s a n k .

A R u s s ia n c r im e b o s s w a s uietl arre ed in a ho e in R a w a i, w h ile a n o th e r R u s s ia n w o k e f ro m a c o m a o n ly to fa c e c h a rg e s fo r a m o to rb ik e c ra s h that killed his anc e.

B a c k o n S o i B a n g la , a g a n g

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o f th u g s th re a te n e d e x p a v o lu n te e rs , a n d in a d v e e x p o s e d th e la c k o f presence on huket s touri reet.

t p o lic e r te n tly p o lic e usie

August

S e v e re w e a th e r w a r n in g s , ash oods and a S iss an b e c o m in g th e fo u rth d ro w n in g v ic tim in fo u r d a y s u n s e ttle d ner es alon the e coa , w h ile a T h a i w o m a n d y in g ro ell sh in s on a ull m o o n p a r ty tr ip to K o h P h a n g an unsettled touri s on the g u lf – a n d th a t w a s b e fo re the terror o la at the touri us ra an Shrine in B a n g k o k k ille d 2 7 p e o p le and in ured at lea .

T h e fo llo w in g d a y a b o m b h u rle d f ro m a B a n g k o k b r id g e o n to th e S a th o r n P ie r in B a n g kok, another us touri area, e x p lo d e d , b u t th a n k f u lly re s u lte d in n o in ju r ie s re p o r te d .

September

perts ere a ed a ster sh ite that tore a chunk f ro m th e fo o t o f p re g n a n t A u s s ie to u r is t J a n e N e a m e .

P ro fe s s io n a l o p in io n s d iv id e d o n w h e th e r o r n o t it w a s a s h a rk , a lb e it a s m a ll o n e , b u t th a t d id n ’t s to p a h e lic o p te r s e a rc h s c o u rin g th e c o a s t fo r a lik e ly p re d a to r.

M y a n m a r w o m a n K a T a ,

The ‘No Summer Dream’ beach cleanup campaign began. , as le t rossl dis ured a n d in c r itic a l c o n d itio n a f te r so called e riend doused h e r in a c id in a n a tta c k o n N a n a i R d in P a to n g .

T h e g o v e rn m e n t b a n n e d b o rd e r v is a r u n s , a n d a N e w Z e a la n d fa th e r a n d s o n w e re arre ed on arri al at huket irport o er an out andin aton re aurant ill incurred d u r in g th e ir p re v io u s h o lid a y o n th e is la n d a y e a r e a rlie r.

October

olice nall re eal that da arada , the r suspect arre ed in the hunt or the ra an o er, is their

7

pri e suspect or terror la .

K a ra d a g la te r c o n fe s s e s a n d th e p o lic e p ro b e s p re a d s its w e b urther a eld as ar as Turke , w h ile re v e a lin g a ta n g le d w e b o f c o n n e c tio n s to d e p o r te d U ig h u r te r ro r s u s p e c ts b a c k to C h in a . n huket, police arre ed a n d d e p o r te d th e n o to r io u s R e y e s b ro th e rs f ro m th e P h ilip p in e s a m id c la im s b y th e P h ilip p in e p o lic e th a t th e p a ir w e re p ro te c te d b y a “ P h u k e t dru lord .

T h e S u m a tra h a z e re a c h e d c r itic a l le v e ls a n d p u b lic h e a lth official arned residents and touri s not to o outside.

T h e h a z e lifte d , a n d life re tu r n e d to n o r m a l – u n til tw o y o u n g m e n d ie d d u r in g a d r u g s arre in Thalan , sparkin the or reet iolence huket h a d s e e n in d e c a d e s a s r io te rs v a n d a lis e d c a rs , a tta c k e d police officers at Thalan P o lic e S ta tio n . ot to e sidelined reet htin , aton olice ur ed ussie touri s to le a co p la in t o v e r a v ic io u s b e a tin g b y B a n g la b a r b o u n c e rs .

T h e U N ro a d -sa fe ty c o u n c il d e c la r in g T h a ila n d ’s ro a d s the second deadlie in orld and a ear old ein slain in a reet shootin at the closin g o f th e P h u k e t V e g e ta r ia n e i al.

November

The rape o a ritish touri in th e ru ra l p ro v in c e o f P a i s p a rk e d a b a r c lo s in g -tim e c ra c k d o w n in P h u k e t w h ile the ne odel each rules arted in aton .

T H A I A irw a y s In te rn a tio n a l’s f u t u r e w a s le f t u p in th e a ir a s th e a irlin e h e a d e d f u r th e r in to m is e r y , a m id o n g o in cut acks, plun in pro ts a n d a s a fe ty s c a n d a l th a t s a w i ht ser ices ter inated on s e v e ra l in te r n a tio n a l ro u te s d u e to th e a irlin e fa ilin g to

p a s s s a fe ty a s s e s s m e n ts .

December

R u s s ia n s in P h u k e t b e in g n a m e d in a p o lic e m e m o a s p o te n tia l IS ta rg e ts s e n t th e is la n d a b u z z , w h ile C h in e s e d e a th s b y d ro w n in g to o k a t i as the od o ear old Z h a n g L in w a s fo u n d a b a n doned at a depth o etres near oh on, off ura uri in P h a n g N g a .

H e a v y -h a n d e d R u s s ia n la d ie s in R a w a i a p p re h e n d e d a thie atte ptin to eal f ro m th e w o m e n ’s h a n d b a g s hile the o en ere ill h o m e , a n d P h u k e t’s d e a d ly roads returned as ke or d r iv e r s a s th e y e a r d re w to a c lo s e , w ith th e d e a th o f B r itis h w o m a n R e b e c c a L e a n n e S h aw , 3 2 , k ille d a f te r th e m o to rb ik e she as ridin as ruck a p ic k u p tr u c k o n P a to n g H ill.

L e s s th a n tw o w e e k s la te r, ritish touri li a eth orri an died a ter allin off a m o v in g tu k -tu k in K a m a la a f te r a n ig h t o u t in P a to n g .

It s e e m s P h u k e t is n e v e r s h o rt o f n e w s , a n d m a y th a t continue into thou h T h e P h uket N ew s t e a m i s lo o k in g fo r w a rd to h o p e f u lly a s a fe r, le s s tr a g ic , n e w y e a r.

Opinion 8

OPINION

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

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e d ito r @ c la s s a c tm e d ia .c o .th F r o m th e U S A ; B A in C o m m u n ic a tio n A r ts fr o m B a n g k o k U n iv e r s it y In te r n a tio n a l C o lle g e ; s e v e n y e a r s ’ e x p e r i e n c e a t Nation Junior Magazine, Bangkok Recorder, Phuket.net, Thailand-USA. com, Farangs.com a n d Phuket Gazette.

CHRIS HUSTED Executive Editor

0 8 4 3 0 7 7 e x e c e d ito F if te e n y e c a l is s u e s h ia tu s s p o n B o rn e y e a r s liv in g in th e U K b e fo r e in b u s in e s s m a n a g e m e n t. S p

4 0 8 r@ c a rs a n d e n t o . F m o a re

la s s w o rk e v e w o r ro m v in g tim e

a c tm e d in g in n n ts in P k in g fo Q u e e n to P h u s p e n t

ia .c o .th e w s a n d c o h u k e t, w ith r th e B ru n s la n d , A u s k e t in 2 0 0 0 s a ilin g o r w

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DALIA HILMI Life Editor e d ito r 1 @ c la s s O r ig in a lly fr o m U n iv e r s it y o f B in O n lin e / P r in t th e A r ts in L o n B r i t a i n ’ s t h i r d -b i g g e s t p u b l i s h e r , I m M e d i a a n d InStyle m a g a z i n e .

a c C a ir m J o d o m

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EDITORIAL

The winds of change

L

ook ing b ack at 2 0 15 , lik e every year in recent memory, many chang es came f or P huk et, which continues to discover its ever-evolving identity within the g reater, g lob aliz ing p lanet.

The island has exp erienced constant g rowing p ains this p ast year. Thoug h estimates vary, waste data p rovides a consistent and reliab le indicator that the island’ s p op ulation continues to g row b y 7 -10 p er cent annually. And with roug hly a million p eop le occup ying the nation’ s sole island-p rovince at any g iven time, inf rastructure is strained and services and in constant demand – b ut in short sup p ly – as p ub lic p olicies and restrictive b udg ets strug g le to k eep p ace.

The f ace and race of tourists continues to transf orm along with the volatility and uncertainty of domestic and in-

ternational p olitics, b ut P huk et’ s tourism lif eb lood manag es to sustain steady ow, with thousands of rooms added to the unofficial inventory, and airp ort p asseng er cap acity b olstered.

Thoug h much of the recent tourism g rowth has b een thank s to “discount-seek ing ” tour g roup s – mostly f rom China – smaller hig h-cap niche mark ets continue to meet hig h exp ectations, as the outlook is look ing swell f or wedding , MICE, marine and “indy” traveller sectors, among others.

With more and more p eop le coming to the island, traffic and transp ort issues are ever dire; saf ety and accountab ility on multip le f ronts remain scarce; corrup tion, drug ab use and p etty crime seeming ly ineradicab le, and the so-called economic multip lier ef f ect f rom overz ealous real estate and

retail sectors yet to b e realised.

Then there’ s the Asean Economic Community, which officially begins today (Jan ), and which aims to unif y the economies of 10 Southeast Asian nations, home to some 6 0 0 million consumers, or p roducers, dep ending on which side of the coin you view.

And while we would all love the chiming of a N ew Y ear to cast our p ain and woe out to sea along with our sewag e – out of site and out of mind – the winds of chang e don’ t work that way.

P rog ress may b e slow, b ut it is certain. The g rowing p ains g uaranteed f or at least another 10 N ew Y ears. B ut p atience p erf orce, as with all thing s, time shall come to p ass, and those who can f rame challeng es as op p ortunities, and loss as g ain, will b e b etter of f in the end.

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HAVE YOUR SAY Better to stay quiet?

R e : Po l i c e c h i e f o r d e r s s e a r c h fo r ‘ in s tig a to r’ o f K o h T a o p r o te s ts This is the true f ace f rom the ‘ leaders’ of Thailand. D on’ t demonstrate your op inion, the ‘ leader’ himself will b e ang ry and up set.

R ichm e

Jet-skis really need to go

R e : Pa t o n g j e t - s k i c o l l i s i o n C h in e s e c o u p le s a fe , c o m p e n s a tio n ‘ lim ite d ’ Tourist that are not used to watersports, surfing and the sea and esp ecially riding j et-sk is, should not N O T b e allowed to rent and op erate these J et-Sk is and endang er themselves and the lives of others or have a Memb er of the op eration riding with them, seeing it ALL ab out MO N EY ! Same as larg e p owerf ul b ik es. TO O many tourists are dying these days.

It has to b e more controlled. cgtours Comp ensation “limited” . . ? . . limited to $ 1, 2 0 0 USD ? This is j ust more of the same un-

derhanded rack et, and I am certain that these p oor Chinese were intimidated into p aying the maximum. N ob ody b elieves any Thai associated with this rack et, including the p olice. The P atong J et-Sk i Association is also a Master j etsk i rip of f association, with many years of exp erience on how to soak tourists to the maximum. I wish more Chinese were made aware of this ong oing scam, and I hop e word of this event g ets b roadcast all across Chinese television and newsp ap ers.

O h. . . and thank you so much p olice, since af ter you learned of the event, you j ust sat b ack and relaxed at the P atong P olice Station and “waited f or them until nig htf all” . Heaven f orb id that you would g o see the tourists to see what hap p ened. J ust let the j et-sk i thug s work it out f or themselves.

R ichard Vickers R e : ‘In e x p e r ie n c e d ’ C h in e s e to u r is ts h o s p ita lis e d a fte r je t- s k i c o llis io n o ff Pa t o n g B e a c h I would summarise that the vast maj ority of tourists who hire j et-sk is have very little or no p rior exp erience. How there are not more accidents must b e

down to luck ? Get rid of them!

B j ay Well, I hop e no one b lames the j et sk i op erators, as I am sure some will! And you don’ t need exp erience to ride a j et-sk i, j ust common sense.

If you ride toward each other, you’ re g oing to hit – it’ s not rock et science! And not much dif f erent f rom riding a motorb ik e that I’ m sure they would have exp erience with? m arklouisw

Unrealistic expenses

R e : B 3 0 h e a lth c a r e s c h e m e u n s u s ta in a b le , s a y s m in is te r Wow, this g overnment is really innovative. Let those Thais who are already wet stay in the rain. 4 8 million with B 30 healthcare cost B 2 , 7 0 0 year/ p erson, 5 million g overnment officials and family (extended f amily inclusive p arents inlaws, sib ling s, the lot) B 14 , 0 0 0 year/ p erson. This in state hosp ital’ s lik e V achira, b asic ag ainst V IP treatment. V IP is 5 . 18 5 times more exp ensive and what ab out the b ig b rass in unif orm, they in p rivate hosp itals no f ig ures avail-

ab le. P aid b y the taxp ayer!

The B 30 healthcare was j ust another Thak sin-thorn in to someb ody’ s testicles. What’ s next? The scrap ing of the state p ension f or the old and the handicap p ed Thai p eop le? j ogi

Colourful cricket

R e : C R I C K E T : Pa t o n g e d g e o u t IC C I’ ve heard that Alan Cook e is a ‘ colourf ul’ character, I would love to p lay however f eel slig htly intimidated. Are all welcome at the g round?

H am m ertim e

Russian rebound R e : T AT f o r e c a s t s 2 0 1 6 R u s s ia n r e b o u n d

It’s something that it is finally b eing rep orted that R ussian tourism is down 4 0 % af ter all the denials this p ast year. It would b e interesting to learn how much other tourism is down, too. Emp ty b eaches indicates they aren’ t coming to P huk et anymore. It seems only tourism f rom Asia has held steady or increased. Fo o t

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THAILAND NEWS

9

Gen Prawit suspects Koh Tao plot BANGKOK

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Bangkok Post

ep uty P rime Minister P rawit Wong suwon b elieves the p rotests ag ainst the K oh Tao murder case ruling have b een instig ated b y those who want to cause p rob lems f or the g overnment.

“I want to k now who instig ated p eop le to p rotest ag ainst the ruling , p articularly those in Thailand, ” Gen P rawit said.

“A p olice investig ation is under way and those involved must b e dealt with. ” He insisted those b ehind the p rotests intend to p revent the g overnment f rom work ing smoothly.

His comment came amid demonstrations in Myanmar ag ainst Thursday’ s sentencing to death of Myanmar mig rant work ers Z aw Lin and Win Z aw Htun, b oth of them 2 2 .

They were convicted of rap ing and murdering Hannah Witheridg e, 2 3, and k illing D avid Miller, 2 4 , – b oth B ritish b ack p ack ers – on the resort island in Surat Thani p rovince on Sep t 15 , 2 0 14 .

Myanmar’ s armed f orces chief Gen Min Aung Hlaing also ask ed Thailand f or a “review of the evidence” ag ainst the men, the state-run N ew Lig ht of Myanmar newsp ap er rep orted on Sunday (D ec 2 7 ) .

R esp onding to the call, Gen

This crowd in Myawaddy on Sunday was one of several large demonstrations around Myanmar that protested the convictions of Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun. Photo: Bangkok Post / Assawin Pinitwong P rawit said Gen Min Aung Hlaing may have p ossib ly disag reed with the ruling , adding if Myanmar authorities have some inf ormation which is dif f erent f rom the Thai p olice investig ation, they can f orward it to their Thai counterp arts.

He said he would g ive the Myanmar armed f orces chief the exp lanation that Thailand has a three-tier court system – the first instance, ap p eal and sup reme courts. Additionally, the convicts can still seek a royal p ardon.

Sup reme Commander Gen Sommai K aotira has b een assig ned to exp lain the matter to his Myanmar counterp art, Gen P rawit said.

Gen P rawit said the case would

b e lef t to the normal j udicial p rocedures and there is no need f or it to b e reviewed.

Such a p rocess can b e ensured throug h the Ap p eal Court, he said.

“Thailand’ s j udicial p rocess is trustworthy, ” said Gen P rawit, adding the authorities cannot re-investig ate the case since this would mean the j udicial p rocess has b een incomp etent.

The dep uty p remier insisted the case would not af f ect b ilateral ties.

R esp onding to the p rotests outside the Thai emb assy in Y ang on, he said Myanmar authorities can handle the matter and there is nothing to b e worried ab out.

P rime Minister Gen P rayut Chano-cha, resp onding to the Myanmar

HM King’s favourite pet dog, Thong Daeng, dies of age BANGKOK THO N G D AEN G, A F Avourite p et dog of His Maj esty K ing B humib ol Adulyadej , has died at the ag e of 17 due to old ag e.

In his statement released on Monday (D ec 2 9 ) , P rof Ap inun Sup rasert, dean of the F aculty of V eterinary Medicine at K asetsart University, said Thong D aeng died p eacef ully while sleep ing at the K lai

@thephuketnews

Thong Daeng.

K ang won P alace in Hua Hin district, P rachuap K hiri K han, at 11. 10 p m Saturday (D ec 2 6 ) .

In the p ast f ew years, the f emale dog had suf f ered sev-

eral illnesses due to advancing ag e. They included p rob lems with her nerves, b ones, j oints, muscles, l iver and k idneys.

B orn f rom a stray near R ama IX R oad, Thong D aeng (“Cop p er” ) was b roug ht to live in the Chitrlada P alace af ter a doctor showed her to His Maj esty at the op ening of the Medical D evelop ment Clinic.

She then b ecame His Maj esty’ s f avourite dog and was g iven the surname Suvarnachad.

B a n g k o k Po s t

demonstrations, said: “They [ the two Myanmar work ers] can still ap p eal, can’ t they? Isn’ t this the same leg al p ractice all over the world? ” Meanwhile, national p olice chief Chak thip Chaij inda said on Monday (D ec 2 8 ) that p olice are on the look out f or the p eop le who instig ated the p rotests ag ainst the ruling .

“I have ordered all security-related ag encies, p articularly the Sp ecial B ranch, to track down those who are b ehind the Myanmar demonstrations, ” said P ol Gen Chak thip , noting he did not yet k now which g roup was involved.

The case has g one throug h j udicial p rocedures and there are still the ap p eal and sup reme courts to g o, he

said. There have b een a numb er of cases in which Myanmar nationals murdered Thai p eop le in Thailand, b ut no similar p rotests had tak en p lace b ef ore, he added.

F oreig n Minister D on P ramudwinai said the ministry has contacted Myanmar’ s F oreig n Ministry to ensure the p rotests are under control b ecause the rallies have sp read to other p laces outside Y ang on and the numb er of p articip ants shows sig ns of increasing .

In some p laces, the rallies ap p eared to b e set up , Mr D on noted.

Meanwhile, ministry officials said 7 2 Myanmar monk s g athered at the Thai emb assy in Colomb o, Sri Lank a, on Monday to sub mit a p etition calling f or j ustice f or the two Myanmar convicts. They disp ersed p eacef ully af terwards.

Elsewhere, Myanmar p rotesters turned out in f orce ag ain Monday at the P haya Tong Su b order check p oint, op p osite Three P ag odas P ass in K anchanab uri’ s Sang k hla B uri district – the second p rotest in that location within three days.

The demonstrators handed a p etition to Thai authorities, calling f or a re-investig ation of the case and the release of the two Myanmar convicts.

Myanmar authorities closed the check p oint to p revent Thais f rom entering the country, f earing f or their saf ety.

12 WORLD NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

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Russia goes underground Moscow renovates its subterranean world of kiosks RUSSIA

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e llin g e v e ry th in g fro m u n d e rw e a r to d r ie d f r u it to te a c u p s , tin y g la s s -w in d o w e d k io s k s p a c k e d w ith g o o d s lin e M o s c o w ’s n e tw o rk o f lo n g , g lo o m y p e d e s tr ia n u n d e rp a sse s.

B u t n o w th e c ity ’s g o v e r n m e n t h a s re p la c e d th e o ld , h a p h a z a rd ly b u ilt k io s k s w ith n e w p u r p o s e b u ilt u n its a n d is tr y in g to tu r n th e u n d e r p a s s e s in to s m a rte r s h o p p in g a r c a d e s fo r b u s yM u s c o v ite s .

T h e u n d e rg ro u n d re n o v a tio n s a re p a rt o f a b ro a d e r p u s h o v e r th e p a s t fe w y e a r s th a t a u th o r itie s s a y is a im e d a t tu r n in g th e s p ra w lin g m e tro p o lis in to a m o re liv e a b le c ity , w ith k ilo m e tre s o f p a v e m e n ts r e p la c e da n dp a r k s d o n e u p .

E v e r y d a y , th o u s a n d s o f p e o p le w a lk th ro u g h th e u n d e rp a s s in th e U lits a 1 9 0 5 G o d a d is tr ic t n e a r c e n tra l M o s c o w , p a s s in g its 2 0 k io s k s , e a c h m e a s u r in g ju s t e ig h t s q u a re m e tre s . “ I o f te n p ic k u p s m a ll p ra c tic a l th in g s h e re fo r m y f la t, b e c a u s e it s et een office and here I l i v e , ” s a ys M a r i n a R y a b i k o v a , a 3 8 - y e a r - o l d l a w y e r w h o s a ys s h e ’ s a l w a ys p r e s s e d f o r t i m e .

M o s c o w , a c ity o f 1 2 m illio n ,

A man walks past kiosks in an underground passage in Moscow. Photo: AFP is in te r s e c te d b y m a s s iv e h ig h w a y s a n d th e u n d e r p a s s e s a llo w p e o p le to w a lk s a fe ly a n d a ls o e s c a p e th e s n o w a n d ra in .

In th e 1 9 9 0 s , a f te r th e lib e ra lis a tio n o f th e e c o n o m y , a lm o s t 2 2 ,0 0 0 k io s k s s p ra n g u p in M o s c o w ’s u n d e r p a s s e s , p ro v id in g a s p e e d y a lte r n a tiv e to q u e u e in g u p in la rg e s to re s .

E ld e rly la d ie s b e g a n s e llin g h a n d -k n itte d w o o l s o c k s a n d m itte n s in u n d e r p a s s e s , w h ic h w e re a ls o h a n g - o u ts fo r y o u n g p e o p le w a n tin g to d r in k b e e r o r g r a b a p ie .

B u t s in c e S e rg e i S o b y a n in to o k o v e r a s th e c ity ’s m a y o r in 2 0 1 0 ,

w ith th e b a c k in g o f th e K re m lin , th o u s a n d s o f o ld -s ty le k io s k s h a v e b e e n d e s tro y e d , p ro m p tin g th e ire o f m a n y M u s c o v ite s .

A f te r a y e a r o f m a jo r re n o v a tio n s , th e c ity h a s in s ta lle d 4 5 9 p u r p o s e -b u ilt k io s k s , a ll o f th e m re istered ith the a or s office, s a y s N ik o la i T s v e tk o v w h o is in c h a rg e o f th e c ity ’s u n d e r p a s s e s . “ T h e w o rk in g c o n d itio n s [fo r t r a d e r s ] h a v e g o t m o r e c o m f o r t a b l e ,” h e s a y s , e x p la in in g th a t e a c h u n d e rp a s s h a s r u n n in g w a te r, e le c tr ic ity a n d to ile ts a n d m e e ts s e c u r ity a n d h y g ie n e s ta n d a rd s . “ M a n y o f th e u n d e rp a s s e s h a d n ’t

b e e n re p a ire d fo r a lo n g tim e , th e y w e re v e r y d ila p id a te d b e c a u s e o f th e ne er endin o o people. The a u t h o r i t i e s n e e d e d t o i n t e r v e n e ,” h e sa y s.

Y a n a C h e rn y sh e n k o , w h o sp e n d s a lm o s t e ig h t h o u rs a d a y s e llin g lin g e r ie a t h e r s m a ll s to re in U lits a 1 9 0 5 G o d a , s a y s h e r n e w k io s k h a s “ b ig g e r w in d o w s ” a n d is “ m o re p r a c t i c a l f o r t h e c u s t o m e r s .”

B u t th e u p g ra d e h a s c o m e a t a c o s t a n dn o t e v e r y o n e is h a p p y .

I n th e u n d e r p a s s c lo s e to S m o le n s k a y a m e tro s ta tio n in c e n tra l M o s c o w , a ro u n d h a lf o f th e k io s k s a re s till e m p ty , w h ile th e o th e rs a re

s tr u g g lin g to s ta y o p e n . T o m a rk e t the ne acilities, the a or s office is auctionin off the ri ht to run a kiosk at a speci c location.

B u t te n a n ts m u s t n o w p a y re n t w h ic h is le a s t e ig h t tim e s h ig h e r th a n w h a t th e y u s e d to p a y th e p r iv a te o w n e r s o f o ld -s ty le k io s k s . “ T h is w a s a re a l lo s s th a t th e c i t y c o u l d c l a w b a c k ,” e x p l a i n s M r T s v e tk o v .

S o m e k io s k s w e re p u t o u t to te n d e r a t a v e r y h ig h re n t d u e to th e ir c e n tr a l lo c a tio n a n d d id n o t nd an takers.

A n d m a n y p e o p le w h o p re v io u s ly o w n e d k io s k s fo u n d th e m s e lv e s u n a b le to ta k e p a r t in th e n e w te n d e rs . “ T h e re a re p e o p le w h o h a v e b e e n w o rk in g 2 0 y e a rs a n d n o w th e y a re 4 5 o r 5 0 , a n d s u d d e n ly th e y n o lo n g e r h a v e a s to r e , b e c a u s e it’s t o o e x p e n s i v e o r t o o c o m p l i c a t e d ,” e x p la in s O lg a K o s e ts , a m u n ic ip a l la w m a k e r a n d p re s id e n t o f th e B u s in e s s P e o p le a s s o c ia tio n , w h ic h p ro te c ts th e r ig h ts o f s m a ll a n d m e d iu m -s iz e d b u s in e s s e s . “ I’m v e r y s c a re d th a t b ig fa s tfo o d c h a in s w ill ta k e o v e r o u r u n d e r p a s s e s ,” M s K o s e t s s a i d . “ T h e n M o s c o w w ill lo s e a little o f i t s s o u l .”

A F P

Overdose deaths in US hit record high UNITED STATES M O R E P E O P L E D IE D O F d r u g o v e rd o s e s la s t y e a r in th e U n ite d S ta te s th a n e v e r b e fo re , la rg e ly d u e to d is tu rb in g in c re a s e s in p re s c r ip tio n p a in k ille rs a n d h e ro in u s e , h e a lth a u th o r itie s s a id la s t w e e k .

H e a lth c h ie fs w a r n e d o f a s u rg in g o p io id “ e p id e m ic ” th a t is r ip p in g fa m ilie s a n d c o m m u n itie s a p a r t.

M o r e th a n 4 7 ,0 0 0 p e o p le d ie d la s t y e a r f ro m d r u g s , h ig h e r th a n d u r in g a n y p re v io u s y e a r o n re c o rd , s a id th e re p o rt b y th e U S C e n te rs fo r D is e a s e C o n tro l a n d P re v e n tio n (C D C ).

D e a th s d u e to o p io id o v e rd o s e s ju m p e d 1 4 p e r c e n t in ju s t o n e y e a r, s a id th e C D C ’s M o r b id ity a n d M o r ta lity W e e k ly R e p o r t.

S ix in 1 0 o f a ll d ru g o v e rd o s e d e a th s w e r e d u e to o p io id s , w h ic h m a y in c lu d e e ith e r p ill-b a s e d m e d ic a tio n s to d u ll p a in o r th e s tre e t d ru g h e ro in .

D r u g o v e rd o s e d e a th s w e r e a b o u t 1 .5 tim e s m o r e c o m m o n th a n c a r c ra s h fa ta litie s la s t y e a r, s a id th e re p o r t. “ T h e in c re a sin g n u m b e r o f d e a th s f ro m o p io id o v e r-

Drugs like oxycodone and hydrocodone are the most commonly prescribed opioid pain relievers, and “continue to be involved in more overdose deaths than any other opioid type,” said the report. Photo: Paul J Richards/AFP d o s e i s a l a r m i n g ,” s a i d C D C D ire c to r T o m F r ie d e n . “ T h e o p io id e p id e m ic is d e v a s ta tin g A m e r ic a n fa m ilie s a n d c o m m u n itie s .

T o c u rb th e s e tre n d s a n d s a v e liv e s , w e m u s t h e lp p re v e n t a d d ic tio n a n d p ro v id e s u p p o rt a n d tre a tm e n t to th o s e ho suffer ro opioid use d i s o r d e r s .”

D r u g o v e r d o s e s h a v e k ille d a lm o s t h a lf a m illio n p e o p le in th e U n ite d S ta te s fro m 2 0 0 0 to 2 0 1 4 , a n d th e ra te o f o p io id o v e rd o s e s h a s tr ip le d s in c e 2 0 0 0 .

T h e C D C s a id “ tw o d is tin c t b u t in te r re la te d tre n d s ” a re v is ib le in th e d a ta : a 1 5 -y e a r r is e in p re s c r ip tio n p a in k ille r d e a th s a n d a m o re re c e n t s u rg e in h e ro in u s e a n d o v e rd o s e d e a th s .

B o th d r u g s w o rk in s im ila r w a y s , a n d w h e n a d d ic ts a re u n a b le to g e t p re s c r ip tio n m e d ic a tio n s to fe e d th e ir h a b it, m a n y tu r n to h e ro in , w h ic h is o f te nc h e a pa n da c c e s s ib le .

D r u g s lik e o x y c o d o n e a n d h y d ro c o d o n e a re th e m o s t c o m m o n ly p re s c r ib e d o p io id p a in re lie v e rs , a n d “ c o n tin u e to b e in v o lv e d in m o re o v e rd o s e d e a th s th a n a n y o t h e r o p i o i d t y p e ,” s a i d th e re p o r t, n o tin g d e a th s fro m th e s e ty p e s o f d r u g s in c re a s e d b y n in e p e r c e n t in o n e y e a r, w ith 8 1 3 m o re d e a th s in 2 0 1 4 th a n in 2 0 1 3 .

O v e rd o s e d e a th s a re u p in b o th m e n a n d w o m e n , in n o n -H is p a n ic w h ite s a n d b la c k s , a n d in a d u lts o f n e a rly a ll a g e s , s a id th e re p o r t. “ D e a th s fro m h e ro in in c re a s e d in 2 0 1 4 , c o n tin u in g a s h a r p ris e th a t h a s s e e n h e ro in o v e rd o s e s tr ip le s in c e 2 0 1 0 ,” i t s a i d .

Illic itly m a d e fe n ta n y l, a s h o r t-a c tin g o p io id th a t is s o m e tim e s a d d e d to h e ro in a n d c a n m a k e it fa r m o re p o te n t, is b e lie v e d to b e re s p o n s ib le fo r th o u s a n d s o f d e a th s p e r y e a r.

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BUSINESS NEWS 13

Surging forward

Phuket International Boat Show

The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

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h e P h u k e t I n te r n a tio n a l B o a t S h o w o n J a n u a r y 7 -1 0 lin e s u p m illio n s o f d o lla r s o f b o a ts a n d lu x u r y p ro d u c ts o n d is p la y a t R o y a l P h u k e t M a rin a . S in c e its la u n c h 1 3 y e a rs a g o , th e s h o w h a s d e v e lo p e d in to a k e y m a rin e e v e n t in A s ia , m a rk e tin g P h u k e t, T h a ila n d a n d A s ia to th e w o rld , a n d to d a y is th e lo n g e s t r u n n in g m a r in e a n d life s ty le s h o w in S o u th e a s t A s ia .

A s o lid tr a c k re c o rd o f b u s in e s s a t a n d a fte r th e e x p o h a s p u t th e e v e n t a t th e to p o f th e lis t fo r b o a t d e a le r s , b ro k e r s , m a r in e , lu x u r y a n d life s ty le p ro d u c ts e x h ib itio n s to b e a t.

T h e b o a t sh o w , h o w e v e r, is m o re th a n ju s t s a le s . “ T h e P h u k e t I n te r n a tio n a l B o a t S h o w is a p la tfo r m fo r b u sin e s s a n d m a rk e tin g . E v e ry y e a r a t th e s h o w e x h ib ito rs h a v e a n n o u n c e d s a le s a n d o v e r th e th e p a s t 1 2 y e a r s s a le s a t th e s h o w , a n d s a le s re s u ltin g f ro m le a d s m a d e a t th e s h o w , r u n s

A world premiere of the special edition Princess 82MY will go on display by Boat Lagoon Yachting at the Phuket International Boat Show at Royal Phuket Marina on January 7-10. in to th e h u n d re d s o f m illio n s o f d o l l a r s f o r s u r e ,” s a i d A n d y D o w d e n , M a n a g in g D ire c to r o f A n d a m a n M a r in e C o n s u lta n ts , o rg a n is e r o f th e P h u k e t I n te r n a tio n a l B o a t S h o w . “ U n d e rs ta n d a b ly th e g o a l o f m o s t e x h ib ito rs is to s e ll p ro d u c ts a n d m a k e n e w b u s in e s s le a d s , h o w e v e r, m y g o a l a s o rg a n is e r is m u c h m o re a n d I’m p ro u d th a t th e s h o w h a s b e c o m e a n u n r iv a lle d to o l to p ro m o te P h u k e t a n d T h a i-

la n d , a n d its m a r in e to u r is m in d u s try . “ O v e r th e la s t 1 3 y e a rs w e h a v e s p re a d th e w o rd fa r a n d w id e , h a v e s p e n t m illio n s d e v e lo p in g n o t ju s t th e s h o w b u t a ls o th e im a g e o f P h u k e t a s a w o rld - c la s s m a r in e to u r is m d e s t i n a t i o n ,” h e a d d e d .

In 2 0 1 5 , th e P h u k e t In te rn a tio n a l B o a t S h o w w e lc o m e d m o r e th a n 5 ,0 0 0 v is ito r s o v e r its fo u r d a y s a n d in d e p e n d e n t v is ito r a n a ly s is s h o w e d th a t

AMCHAM to target trends in sustainable hospitality

Grace Kang

@thephuketnews

T H E A M E R IC A N C H A M b e r o f C o m m e rc e (A M C H A M ) G re a te r P h u k e t C h a p te r w ill h o ld a to u r is m s e m in a r le d b y G r a c e K a n g o f G re e v ie w H o s p ita lity f ro m S in g a p o re a t th e K e e m a la R e s o r t in K a m a la o n F e b ru a ry 5 .

M s K a n g , M a n a g in g P a rtn e r o f s p e c ia lty c o n s u lta n t G re e n v ie w , w ill p re s e n t ta n g ib le e x a m p le s o f a c tio n s h o te ls c a n u n d e r ta k e , a n d a la n d s c a p e o f th e la te s t tre n d s f ro m a ro u n d th e

w o rld th a t a re d r iv in g s u s ta in a b ility in to th e d is c u s s io n a t a s tr a te g ic le v e l, in c lu d in g th e tre n d o f g re e n m e e tin g s .

M a n a g in g D ire c to r o f S h in e P R , N a ta s h a E ld re d , w ill m o d e ra te th e s e m in a r.

R e g is tr a tio n fo r th e e v e n t b e g in s a t 4 :3 0 p m , w ith th e s e s s io n r u n n in g f ro m 5 p m to 6 p m .

A d m is s io n is o p e n to th e p u b lic a n d is B 1 0 0 fo r n o n m e m b e r s . V is it w w w .A m c h a m T h a ila n d .c o m f o r d e t a ils .

4 0 % o f th o s e w e re v is ito r s f ro m o v e rse a s, m a n y o f w h o m w e re isitin huket speci call or th e s h o w .

T h e s h o w ’s c o n tr ib u tio n to ro o m re v e n u e s a ro u n d th e is la n d is s o m e th in g o f te n o v e rlo o k e d . A s is th e ro le o f th e b o a t s h o w in p o s itio n in g P h u k e t a s a b u s in e s s a n d e v e n ts d e s tin a tio n . “ W e h a v e w o rk e d c lo s e ly w ith th e T h a ila n d C o n v e n tio n & E x h ib itio n B u re a u (T C E B )

fo r m a n y y e a r s . T C E B ’s g o a l is to p ro m o te P h u k e t a n d T h a ila n d a s a d e s tin a tio n fo r b u s in e s s a n d e v e n ts , a n d th e y c a n s e e th e v a lu a b le ro le th e P h u k e t I n te r n a tio n a l B o a t S h o w h a s p la y e d in h e lp in g to p o s itio n P h u k e t a s s u c h ,” c o m m e n t e d M r D o w d e n . “ I n a d d itio n to th e life s ty le a n d to u r is m s id e o f P h u k e t, th e is la n d is a k e y b u s in e s s d e s tin a tio n a n d is h o s t to m o re a n d m o r e i n t e r n a t i o n a l e v e n t s .”

T C E B s ta tis tic s s h o w th a t B u s in e s s T o u ris m is a n im p o r ta n t s e c to r fo r T h a ila n d ’s to u r is m in d u s tr y w ith le n g th o f s ta y fo r b u s in e s s tra v e lle r s a p p r o x im a te ly 5 .6 d a y s p e r p e rs o n , p e r tr ip , w h ile s p e n d in g p e r p e rs o n p e r d a y is a p p r o x im a te ly B 2 0 ,0 0 0 o r B 1 0 8 ,0 0 0 p e r p e r s o n , p e r tr ip . “ P h u k e t h o s ts m o re th a n 1 ,0 0 0 M I C E ( M e e tin g s , I n c e n tiv e s , C o n v e n tio n s , E x h ib itio n s) e v e n ts e a c h y e a r a n d w e lc o m e s m o r e th a n 1 0 0 ,0 0 0 in te r n a tio n a l b u s in e s s tr a v e ll e r s e a c h y e a r ,” e x p l a i n e d M r D o w d e n . “ T h e P h u k e t I n te r n a tio n a l B o a t S h o w is a u n iq u e e x a m p le o f h o w P h u k e t’s p r im e le is u r e fa c ilitie s a n d m a r in e to u r is m c a n c o m b in e w ith b u s in e s s to p ro d u c e S o u th e a s t A s ia ’s la rg e s t m a rin e a n d lu x u r y life s ty le s h o w , a n d th e lo n g e s t r u n n in g s h o w o f its k in d in th e r e g i o n ,” h e a d d e d .

F or m ore in f orm at ion ab out t h e P h uket I n t ern at ion al Boat Sh ow , v is it w w w . ph uket b oat s h ow . com .

14 BUSINESS NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

Slow and uneasy

D

Second-hand home market still troubled by mortgage conditions Bangkok Post

e s p ite g o v e r n m e n ts p o n s o re d p ro p e rty s tim u lu s m e a s u re s , th e se c o n d -h a n d h o m e m a rk e t c a n e x p e c t a s lo w y e a r a h e a d . T h e tw o m a in re a s o n s a re h o m e b u y e rs’ c o n tin u e d c o n c e rn a b o u t th e s lu g g is h e c o n o m y a n d nancial institutions tou h c r ite r ia o n m o r tg a g e le n d in g , e s p e c ia lly fo r th e lo w e r- e n d c o n d o s e g m e n t.

S o m s a k C h u tis ilp , p re s id e n t o f th e R e a l E s ta te S a le s a n d M a rk e tin g A s s o c ia tio n (R e s a m ), s a y s th e w e a k e c o n o m y h a s ta k e n a to ll o n th e p u rc h a s in g p o w e r o f lo c a l b u y e rs in th e s e c o n d -h a n d h o m e m a rk e t a n d s o it w ill re m a in in 2 0 1 6 . “ B u y e rs in th e s e c o n d -h a n d ho e arket are not con dent a b o u t o v e r a ll e c o n o m ic p ro s p e c t s ,” h e s a y s . “ M a n y o f t h e m d e la y e d m a k in g d e c is io n s in S e p te m b e r a n d O c to b e r a fte r le a r n in g th e re w o u ld b e ta x in c e n tiv e s fo r th e p ro p e r ty

s e c t o r .” S a l e s p i c k e d u p i n N o v e m b e r a fte r th e p ro p e rty s tim u lu s m e a s u re s b e c a m e effecti e on cto er .

B u t th e in c e n tiv e s h a v e fa ile d to b o o s t m a rk e t s e n tim e n t a s m u c h a s e x p e c te d , la rg e ly b e c a u s e o f th e s till-s tr u g g lin g e c o n o m y .

T h e p ro p e rty ta x in c e n tiv e s in c lu d e a re d u c tio n in th e tra n s fe r fe e a n d th e m o r tg a g e f e e f r o m 2 % a n d 1 % to 0 .0 1 % a n d a d e d u c tio n in p e r s o n a l inco e ta or e ears or a h o u s in g u n it p r ic e d B 3 m illio n o r le s s . “ B u y e rs d o g e t b e n e f its f ro m th e in c e n tiv e s , b u t m a n y o f th e m a re u n a b le to g e t a m o r t g a g e ,” M r S o m s a k s a y s .

M o r tg a g e r u le s a re s tr ic te r fo r b u y e rs o f s e c o n d -h a n d h o m e s p r ic e d B 3 m illio n o r le s s , s o th e ir lo a n a p p lic a tio n s a re o f te n re je c te d . T h e y a ls o g e t a lo w e r c re d it lin e a n d le s s a ttr a c tiv e in te re s t p a c k a g e s th a n b u y e r s o f h ig h e r-p r ic e d u n its .

B u y e rs o f s e c o n d -h a n d h o m e s p r ic e d B 5 m illio n o r

Elderly visitors look at a display at a recent homebuyers’ expo in Bangkok. Photo: Jiraporn Kuhakan m o re u s u a lly g e t m o r tg a g e a p p ro v a ls m o re e a s ily , w ith a h ig h e r c re d it lin e a n d m o re a ttr a c tiv e in te re s t r a te s . B a n k s c o n s id e r th is g ro u p o f b u y e r s a s ta b le r s e g m e n t.

V is it K u n a th a r a k u l, m a n a g in g d ire c to r o f p ro p e rty b ro k e r R e a lty W o rld A llia n c e C o , s a y s th e s e c o n d -h a n d h o m e m a rk e t th is y e a r a n d n e x t w ill re m a in at ecause the i pact ro

th e p ro p e r ty ta x in c e n tiv e s is u n lik e ly to b e s tro n g e n o u g h . “ B u y e r s a re v e r y w o r r ie d a b o u t th e b ig g e r im p a c t – th e e c o n o m i c p r o s p e c t s ,” h e s a y s . “ D e m a n d fo r th e s e c o n d -h a n d h o m e m a rk e t e x is ts , b u t it d e p e n d s la rg e ly o n lo c a tio n a n d e c o n o m i c c o n d i t i o n s .”

R e s a le s o f c o n d o s in th e in n e r c ity re m a in a c tiv e , a s s e llin g p r ic e s fo r u n its a t n e w ly

la u n c h e d p ro je c ts a re 1 5 -2 0 % h ig h e r th a n th o s e a t n e w ly c o m p le te d o n e s .

S u ra c h e t K o n g c h e e p , a sso c ia te d ire c to r o f p ro p e r ty c o n s u lta n t C o llie r s I n te r n a tio n a l T h a ila n d , s a y s m a n y s e c o n d hand condo units ere offered fo r s a le a f te r th e p ro p e r ty ta x incenti es eco e effecti e, b u t a c tiv e tr a n s a c tio n s w e re fo u n d in a fe w lo c a tio n s in B a n g k o k .

T h e a c tiv e a re a s in c lu d e u p p e r S u k h u m v it, L a n g S u a n a n d S ilo m , w h e re n e w s u p p ly is lim ite d . T h e p r ic e o f a n e w u n it is a ls o m u c h h ig h e r : 3 0 0 ,0 0 0 b a h t p e r s q u a re m e tre in L a n g S u a n , c o m p a re d w ith le s s th a n B 2 0 0 ,0 0 0 f o r a s ix -y e a r- o ld s e c o n d -h a n d u n it.

T h e tw o m o s t p o p u la r lo c a tio n s fo r s e c o n d -h a n d c o n d o s a re T h o n B u r i, w ith u n it p r ic e s o f le s s th a n B 3 .5 illion or , per s uare m e tre , a n d B a n g N a , w ith u n it p r ic e s o f le s s th a n B 3 m illio n o r B 8 0 ,0 0 0 /s q m . “ E c o n o m ic s e n tim e n t is

not ood, hich affects not o n ly n e w h o u s in g u n its b u t a l s o s e c o n d - h a n d o n e s ,” M r S u ra c h e t sa y s. “ T h e p ro p e rty ta x in c e n tiv e s h e lp e d b o o s t th e p ro p e r ty m a rk e t b y 3 0 % w h e n th e y w e re u s e d b y th e A b h is it V e jja jiv a g o v e rn m e n t, a s th e e c o n o m y d u r in g th e p e r io d w a s in a g o o d c o n d itio n . B u t th is y e a r th e in c e n tiv e s m a y n o t w o rk , d u e t o t e p i d e c o n o m i c c o n d i t i o n s .”

P o o m ip a k J u lm a n ic h o ti, m a n a g in g d ire c to r o f p ro p e r ty c o n s u lta n t P lu s P ro p e r ty C o L td , s a y s th e o v e ra ll s e c o n d h a n d c o n d o m a rk e t h a s s lo w e d in s te p w ith th e a ilin g e c o n o m y .

M a n y u n its w e re u n tr a n s fe r a b le a n d a re b a c k o n th e m a rk e t a g a in . “ R e s a le c o n d o u n its a re u s u a lly a c tiv e d u r in g th e tr a n s fe r p e r io d , b u t th is y e a r s o m e o f th e s e u n its c o u ld n o t b e tra n sfe rre d b e c a u s e th e b u y e rs c o u l d n o t g e t a m o r t g a g e ,” M r P o o m ip a k s a y s .

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

An unforgettable experience at Iniala

18

A happy, healthy way to bring in 2016

20

ELECTRIFIED THRILL RIDE

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

The battery-powered surfboard that just might Phuket jet-skis out of business > Page 17

The Lampuga is a motorised surfboard that has a range of 20km on a single battery charge and can go as fast as 54kph. @thephuketnews

16 ENVIRONMENT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

Empowering Phuket

Trends, advantages and incentives of solar power in light of rising energy demand Steven Layne e d ito r @ c la s s a c tm e d ia .c o .th

W

ith power demand in Phuket slated to rise steadily by 10 per cent annually for the foreseeable future, pressure is on for the government to import more fossil-fuel-combustion-derived energy – from power plants in Krabi, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Songkhla and Surat Thani.

Yet at the same time, the dawning of a “solar power revolution” is upon us, as more and more individuals and companies around the planet come to realise that renewable energy is a “no brainer”, whether in respect to the environment or investment.

Here The Phuket News speaks with William Mono, owner of the island’s leading solar company Mono Sun Technology, about solar power in Phuket, and Thailand.

into the grid, and can theoretically roll back your meter. Whereas in the past we mostly installed stand-alone systems on remote islands, for instance, out in the sticks where there wasn’t grid power, and the client needed to depend on battery systems. But now, I’d say just in the past two years, 90% of our work has been grid-connect systems, in your ordinary residential neighbourhoods and at private homes.

What are some of the trends with solar power in Phuket and the general region?

More and more residents and businesses are installing grid-connect systems, which feed the solar power back

Is there still a demand for standalone systems?

There is still some demand for standalone systems, especially for clients off the grid, but such systems can be a little more cost-prohibitive because of

Monosun also sells solar water heaters.

William connects a simple vent van to a solar panel.

the element of battery systems whereas grid-connect systems don’t require a battery as you draw your electricity directly from the grid, which is essentially your battery. But even on many of the islands off Phuket, they’re running off large diesel generators already, so they’re more seeking hybrid systems to reduce their fuel consumption.

What about power outages?

With grid-connect systems, there’s a safety element that will shut off the power generation if the power goes out.

This is necessary so workers don’t get electrocuted when working on the grid.

There are hybrid systems for clients who require back-up when the power goes out, but technically these aren’t 100 per cent “legal” and have yet to be certified by the PEA. What’s the return on investment (ROI) like for a solar system these days?

As costs for solar panels and equipment have drastically fallen, so has the ROI period. Whereas in the past, it could have been 10 to 20 years before you broke even, depending on the system, now you’re looking at only 5-6 years, without subsidies, or only 3-4 years with subsidies. The systems will last 30 years plus, and we can offer warrantee guarantees of 25 years. So it’s really a no brainer when you crunch the numbers. One example was for a largescale system quote we did for a factory in Phuket. About 10 years ago, the client was looking to go solar, and the system they would have needed would have cost US$5 million, or upwards of B200 million at the time. Now, for the same sized system, with newer equipment would only be about B18 million. It depends on the size of the system too. Generally, the larger the system, the cheaper rate per kilowatt and thus shorter ROI period.

So Monosun can advise residents, businesses and organisations who want to invest in solar?

Monosun’s shop on Chao Fah West Rd. Indeed, in addition to our regular residential and commercial clientele throughout Phuket and the rest of the kingdom, we’re currently consulting with a local organisation about the prospect of constructing a large solar plant that would help curb Phuket’s rising demand for energy, which mostly comes from coal and oil power plants off the island. Solar is definitely a viable and smart solution for Phuket’s power issues, which will continue to grow as the demand rises as much as 10 per cent annually.

Are there any buy-back programmes in Phuket right now?

Currently there aren’t any new programmes for the residential sector.

In the past, there’ve been at least two types of incentives offered to the general public. More than a decade ago, they started with a buy-back programme for Very Small Power Producers (VSPP), which enabled those with a contract to sell excess power – that which they didn’t use – back to the grid. In practice, most [VSPP contractees] didn’t produce excess power, as you’d need a fairly large power system to have excess. The latest incentive applied a “feed-in tariff” (FIT) model, which stipulated that you sell all the power you generate back to the PEA – all of it, so you wouldn’t use any of it.

Under this programme, the government agreed to buy electricity at a subsidized rate of nearly B7 per kilowatt-hour, whereas the normal rate is only about B4.75. But they reached their quota already and stopped issuing contracts a few months back.

Are there any government incentive programmes for private individuals or investors now?

The government recently launched a programme inviting private investors to invest in solar systems that would be installed on government land. Under this scheme, the investor would get a certain return from the sale of electricity, and the government unit which operates that land would also get a cut for their own coffers. If anyone is interested in the details, we’re happy to consult and can serve as the go between. Just give us a call or email us.

Monosun’s shop, warehouse, and Phuket’s only Solar-assisted bakery is located on Chao Fa West Rd, across from the entrance to Kajonkiet Pattana School. For more information, visit taspower.com, or call 076-263717

The Monosun team is ready to consult. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

T

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

he 13th edition of the Phuket International Boat Show (PIMEX) will be held at Royal Phuket Marina from January 7 to 10 and will showcase some of the marine and leisure industry’s latest and greatest vessels, toys, tools, accommodations and services (See ‘Set Sail’ insert for more details).

One particularly cool item to debut at this year’s show, and which is certain to make a wave in Phuket – figuratively and literally – is the Lampuga, a battery-powered electrical surf board.

Available in two models, an 8' 5" rigid model: the Lampuga Boost; and a 6' 6" inf latable/stowable model: the Lampuga Air. According to the product description, “The Lampuga Boost is powered by an emission-free electrical jet engine which delivers 15 horsepower directly to the water, transforming the output into pure forward thrust.

Riding the Lampuga Boost is fairly simple: the power is varied employing the thrust control which is attached to the bow via the steering belt, providing a safe stance and full control over the board.

Whereas, “The Lampuga Air combines the speed and agility of the Lampuga Boost with the handiness of an item of luggage. The body of the board is inf latable. Engine, battery and the complex electricity controlling system fits into a 100cm x 50cm x 10cm carbon-fibre composite case, the body of the board can be easily inf lated by a small integrated engine. This enables everyone to transport and use the Lampuga Air at every imaginable place.”

Phuket and the Phang Nga Bay, with all its beaches, islands and coastal cliffs and caves is a budding surf and sea destination waiting to be explored and enjoyed by aspiring adventurists dying to get out on the water more often.

Such a fact is evident by the sustained and rising popularity of kayaking, dinghy sailing and stand-up paddle (SUP) boarding.

Bringing water leisure and exploration to the next level, the Lampuga will make exploration more accessible for those of us not quite fit @thephuketnews

The Lampuga debuts in Phuket

enough yet to paddle out in the unforgiving sun for hours, covering only a few miles an hour. With the assistance of an electric motor, one’s speed and thus range increases by 10-20 times this (see specs).

But unlike the notorious jet-skis, the Lampuga does not produce air or noise pollution, and doesn’t require a special trailer to tow, nevermind a captain’s license to operate for that matter.

The Lampuga allows for wave cruising in coastal areas, speeding through warm and sunny bays, drifting in cozy lagoons or just enjoying the most relaxing and quiet sunbath ever – far away from massively crowded beaches.

Its lightweight carbon-fibre composite construction and powerful fullelectric jet drive enable it to reach high velocities, making the Lampuga as fast, agile and smooth as the marine creature which shares its name – the dolphinfish, one of the fastest fish in the world.

Both the Lampuga Boost and the Lampuga Air models are available through Asia Marine (Thailand), who is the exclusive dealer appointed by Asia Marine Yacht Services, its Hong Kong-based partner and regional distributor. Be sure to visit Asia Marine’s booth at PIMEX, and for enquiries, enail: vincent@asia-marine.net or call Mob +66 81 827 60 7. For more info, visit http://lampuga.de

Lampuga Air

• Length: 2.00 m (6' 6") • Width: 0.7 m (2' 3") • Height: 0.15 m (5") • Weight: 32.0 kg (66.1 lb) • Battery type: Lithium 51.8 V capacity 52.8 Ah • Speed*: up to 47 kmh (29.2 mph) • Engine power: 15 hp • Battery duration*: up to 40 minutes • Range*: up to 20 km (12 miles) • Charging time: 120 minutes with standard charging device / 60 minutes with high power charger ** • Price ex factory: from €9,900 + Tax + Shipping

TECHNOLOGY 17

Lampuga Boost

• Length: 2.56 m (8' 5") • Width: 0.8 m (2' 7") • Height: 0.16 m (6") • Weight: 37.0 kg (81.0 lb) • Battery type: Lithium 51.8 V capacity 58.8 Ah • Speed*: up to 54 kmh (34 mph) • Engine power: 15 hp • Battery duration*: up to 40 minutes • Range*: up to 20 km (12 miles) • Charging time: 120 minutes with standard charging device / 60 minutes with high power charger ** • Price ex factory: from €12,900 + Tax + Shipping

18 DINING

Iniala at its best

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

A magical journey of art, wine and fine dining Dalia Hilmi e d ito r 1 @ c la s s a c tm e d ia .c o .th

A

s I stepped into the luxurious grounds of Iniala Beach Resort, it felt as though I was stepping into the entrance of a princess’ boudoir. A land of extraordinary, mesmerising designs that only the most elaborate and finite designers could dream of constructing.

The resort is set on the beautiful Natai Beach, and there really is nothing that compares to it. Even after being fortunate enough to visit some of the most luxurious hotels on the island, nothing can prepare you for the extreme wealth that Iniala conveys and can only be understood when one enters these enchanting grounds.

Upon arrival of this exquisite heaven you are faced with a castle that exudes all the trappings of true opulence – a billionaire’s playground, if you will.

A gate shuts off the resort from the rest of the world, and on the inside sits Iniala Beach House, renowned for its acclaimed culinary offerings as well as its stunning architecture and distinctive art. Bringing a new level of luxury hospitality to the Phuket region with three beautifully appointed villas (each with three suites) and one spectacular penthouse suite.

The residence is a masterpiece of design fusing traditional Thai architecture with organic, contemporary forms featuring the work of world-renowned designers. Each villa comes with its own spa and personal therapist, as well as your typical unobstructed views of the beach and the Andaman Sea. Within this admirable resort lays the most magnificent dining experience: Aziamendi restaurant. Just last month, I had the pleasure of attending a lunch celebrating the relaunch of the

Tempting desserts: delicious panna cotta with burnt strawberry and vanilla.

The stunning designs at Iniala are as sumptuous as the food served at its restaurant, Aziamendi. majestic restaurant for this high-season as well as a celebration and warm welcome to new Chef de Cuisine, Aisha Ibrahim.

The artfully designed Aziamendi is headed up by three-star Michelin Chef Eneko Atxa from Spain and he has worked alongside the new talented Chef Aisha (you can find a profile on her on thephuketnews.com) to produce faultless, impeccable dishes.

After a lovely drinks reception, my dining companions and I were were presented with our first course, which arrived in a picnic basket, in itself an artistic creation, featuring cured pork and eggplant on brick paper (toast); clam in crème fraîche; and king trumpet mushroom “mille feuille”; followed by a lovely hibiscus infusion with orange and pomelo. And yes, each one of these bite-sized nibbles tasted as grandiose as they sound.

Our next part of the journey was a pit-stop to the bonsai tree. Intricate and round cherry tomatoes, which had been injected with mango juice, were beautifully sat on the tree waiting for its guests to pick at. These creative starters though, were just the beginning of an adventurous dining trip.

Shortly after, we were escorted into the restaurant where we sat down at our tables and awaited the next course. Next to arrive was the amazing experience of eating “rock” – but delicious, edible rock; indeed, a unique form of bread. We used this to dip into the next course, which by the

way was one of my favourites, a bowl of egg, hom nin rice, sprouted grains, and truffle. It wasn’t hard to recognise the incredible amount of intricacy and finesse that went into the creation of this, and the rest of the dishes, each resulting in a perfect balance of flavours and textures.

Aziamendi’s stylish, eclectic décor featuring art from various artists provide an appropriately luxurious setting for this kind of a meal.

Subsequent courses, each of them artfully presented, included crab, jamoin sauce with black olives; corn custard, uni emulsion and fungi; as well as prawn, romesco and chives, each as delicious as the next. And who could forget the tuna with a red pepper sauce, oozing with flavour, and a light-as-air potato soufflé ‘pillow’, which was the perfect carby side.

Another highlight to the chain of magical dishes was the duck, which was filled with alliums and surrounded by rice. The duck was soft and tender and was a decent portion size.

But, after all that, I have to say that the star of the show lay within the dessert courses. My favourite, of course, was the heavenly dulcey panna cotta, with burnt strawberry and vanilla.

The burnt strawberry was something that I had never experienced before and was cooked to the utmost perfection. I started to expect nothing less from the culinary genius that is Chef Aisha. Just when I thought we were finished, more desserts arrived. I had to slightly put my foot down when it came to the petit

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

Pigeon-Duxelle. fours, including delightful homemade chocolate macaroons. The pace and portions of the meal were perfect, so you don’t feel over-full, even if the continuous servings of bread that accompany each course start to push your limits.

Each course was paired with the finest vintages – and when I say finest, I mean it, but it’s no surprise considering the wine pairing was managed by one of Thailand’s best sommeliers, Fabienne Etienne, whose passion for viticulture has won him many awards.

Following the glorious tour of the whole resort, and since the day was a celebration of passion for gastronomy and art, we were then escorted into the in-house gallery where some of the most creative artworks proudly trumpet on the walls. Here you will see an array of unique and eccentric inspired art, and on this day collections from three different artists, all in the style of pop-art. But, with such few words left in this review, it would be impossible to give the art justice and it should indeed be seen for itself.

Overall, my experience of Iniala was nothing short of unbelievable. Indeed, what is clear is that the luxury doesn’t lie in just the design, it lies in the attention to detail. Each room, and moreover, each corner of the resort seemed to tell a story all on its own, and yet, everything came together in such a magical way. From the gothic-esque boudoir dressed in eclectic furniture, including the large and grandeur kingsize bed shaped in the style and size of a cake, to the charming vanity mirror decorated with over-the-top wings, somewhat representative of a room that any Disney villain would happily inhabit in. And let’s not forget the extravagant penthouse designed by British architect Graham Lamb. No matter where, each room conveyed a theme that was as much a celebration of art and design as it was about cocooning the resident in luxury.

The intimate and homely feel of the whole resort, in spite of the opulence and luxury that one is surrounded by, makes the guest feel as though they are holidaying in their friend’s beach house abroad. Inialia’s philopshy comes to life in the sense that whatever you feel like, whenever, is made available to you. Not least the food, which is as personalised as anything else, but everything else that comes with it in such a magical stay. For those that couldn’t imagine such a stay, then I strongly recommend at least booking yourself in for a meal at Aziamendi. It’s a culinary experience that is simply unmatched in Thailand.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

TRAVEL 19

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

Nature abounds A journey through Negeri Sembilan

Dasha Suleyman life @ n o v o s tip h u k e ta .c o m

L

ast week, I told the first part of my journey through one of Malaysia’s 13 states, Negeri Sembilan, and how I had arrived and began my exploration of Dusun resort and the natural wonders that abound there.

Inside one of the units at Perling (one of the houses at the resort) there weren’t many things to be honest, but, it looked cosy with its snow-white bed covered by a translucent canopy.

It was beautiful and unusual in this wooden-style house. But obviously its actual use was to protect the guests from mosquitoes and other insects. I guess that’s the main creature that would be of a bother here.

“We have a few rules, one of them is the ban of any crazy parties, as well as not disturbing any of the other inhabitants staying at Dusun,” said the lovely hotel staffer Asmaq, who was also my guide. It was evident that this rule is probably what makes the hotel so special. And, probably why it received the Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor in 2013.

“And now I’ll show you the deers.

One of them was delivered a couple of weeks ago,” she added. I thought I misheard. But, we walked down the hill and ended up in front of a paddock with just a giant tree in the middle, and funnily enough, not a single deer.

Within a few seconds, I suddenly no-

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Heading for the city

ticed an ear-shape appear from behind the tree, and then, his black staring eyes looked up at me and I soon realised that I could see the whole deer!

Although the deer wasn’t that close to me, I could still see the whole deer’s family, including the ever-so-cute twoweek-old that reminded me of Bambi, the delightful Disney character that I’m sure many my age remember from their childhood.

There were two mature females and one male with a huge rack of antlers.

It’s unfair that he has two girls, isn’t it?

But all things considered, that probably wasn’t so alarming for the locals.

“These animals live in Dusun and children enjoy touching them,” Asmaq said. I wanted to touch them too, but apparently I scared them, it seems that

scared animals never come near me!

Oh, not including other jungle inhabitants though, like snakes, for instance.

After my walk with Asmaq, I went and sat on the terrace and suddenly one lady who was working there screamed and pointed at the flower just next to me. It took some time to distinguish what it was, but I realised it was a very still grey snake.

I still have no idea if it was poisonous or not, but I guess the shocked screaming orang asli (indigenous) woman knew it better. Anyway, I went a little closer for a second so I could take a photo of this dangerous creature, but just for a second! Their unexpected visits and surprises on us, are perhaps one of the disadvantages of living in the jungle, far from civilisation!

By each evening, the Dusun staff pack up and leave everyone to it. Every day from 7pm, guests stay on their own.

Cee, who runs the resort, and his family are still here, but there is a rule not to disturb hosts in the evening. So if you were unlucky to miss the dinner at Dusun, then you probably need Muhammed who can drive you to Seremban where you can easily find some Malay, Indian or any other food.

It started to grow dusky while I was sitting on a terrace of a small wooden house with Cee’s faithful hound Maya laying at my feet. And sadly, it was time to leave, which I didn’t want at all.

But, there were new adventures waiting for me in Kuala Lumpur.

I’m planning to return to Dusun and hopefully stay a little longer with a bunch of friends who, I believe, will enjoy such a unique place and all the kind people living there.

For more information visit thedusun. com.my

20 HEALTH

This is your life

Bringing in the new year with some inspiration they could possibly imagine and create.

It got me thinking, why do we wait until a tragedy to realise that our life is precious?

No one can live your life for you.

Kim White k im @ m in d b o d y y o g a s y s te m .c o m Your life is your own and you alone are the driver. Why wait to live a perfect life? What are ello and welcome you waiting for? Happiness is to January 2016! just one thought away.

Happy new year That doesn’t always mean lovely people. I was seriously changing all the asrecently fortunate pects of your life. Sometimes enough to meet some very inspiring it just means doing the little and interesting peo- things that you always plan to do next week, or next month, ple at a music, art and health festival just outside of Pattaya. and then get angry with yourself for not yet doing it. Take One story in particular the leap, make the change, be is my inspiration for sharing the driver. with you this month. I met I look forward to shara person who had had a tering the path of yoga with you rible accident in Morocco and it had altered them physically again this year, in the pursuit of a happy, healthy body, mind forever.

However, in the moment of and life. Let me leave you with this: impact and the following two “The secret to change is to heart-stopping moments of near death, the decision was focus all of your energy, not on made that if they were being fighting the old but on buildgiven a second chance at life, ing the new.” – Socrates they would live THE life, the This is your life. ultimate life, the happiest life, Metta and the most satisfying life Kim

H

Kim White is the owner of Sala Samadhi.

She offers authentic Hatha yoga instruction for private and group sessions. Contact: www.mindbodyyogasystem.com or 086 276 9174.

The opinions and advice contained in this column are those of the author only. The Phuket News is not responsible for the outcome or results of following any advice in any situation.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

Coffee-drinkers less likely to die from certain diseases

P

eople who report drinking three to five cups of coffee per day are less likely to die prematurely from heart disease, suicide, diabetes or Parkinson’s disease, US researchers said.

Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee were shown to have benefits, said the study by researchers at the Harvard University Chan School of Public Health published in the November 16 edition of the journal Circulation.

The study compared people who don’t drink coffee, or drank less than two cups daily, to those who reported drinking “moderate” amounts of coffee, or up to five cups daily.

The study did not prove a cause-andeffect for coffee and the reduced likelihood of certain diseases, but uncovered an apparent link that aligns with previous research, and

that scientists would like to probe further.

“Bioactive compounds in coffee reduce insulin resistance and systematic inflammation,” said first author Ming Ding, a doctoral student in the Department of Nutrition.

“That could explain some of our findings.

However, more studies are needed to investigate the biological mechanisms producing these effects.”

No protective effect was found against cancer in this study.

Some previous research has pointed to a link between coffee consumption and a lower risk of certain cancers.

The study was based on data gathered from three large, ongoing surveys including some 300,000 nurses and other health professionals who agree to answer questionnaires about their own medical conditions and habits. AFP

thephuketnews

22 ISLAND SCENE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

A MAG I CAL X ’ MAS EVE D I NNER AT D U S I T T H ANI I N LAG U NA Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket celebrated the Christmas Eve tradition this year with an enchanting theme featuring hailand’s first and onl pop opera and ivera

rom left udanong amantarat han apura Director of uman esources ham roen ipa apongtada hu et Governor and athaphat savathanachart han apura Director of usiness Development and ommunications

T H ANY APU R A VI S I T S G O V F O R H APPY NEW Y EAR G R EET I NG

s dre to a close han apura management paid a visit to hu et Governor Mr hamroen ipa apongtada to ish him and hu et a prosperous e ear

rom left hun rachoom antiprasertsu General Manager of Dusit hani Laguna ason eavan General Manager of lass ct Media and famil

R O T AR Y MAK ES K I D S H APPY he otar lu of a tong Beach took 88 stu dents from the M anmar camps to the cruise ship the Costa Victoria when it was moored in Patong a on o ing Da he ids live in poor conditions and do not have access to educa tion he an a Learn ing entre and app Home from where they come are supported donars he smiles on their faces tell it all Thanks to the staff of the Costa Victoria, a cruise ship out of tal and the otar mem bers who assisted with the visit

AMAR I H O S T S F I NAL S K AL D I NNER O F T H E Y EAR

mari hu et representative Mr ichard Margo elcomed the l nternational hu et and outh hailand mem ers at im ala estaurant for a get together dinner in the last month of he dinner as a trul happ occasion thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

ISLAND SCENE 23

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

H AR LEY - D AVI D S O N LAU NCH ES I N PH U K ET

Power Station Motorsport Ltd held the soft opening event for their second authorised Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership in Thailand on December 23. The dealership is located on Thepkrasattri Rd, between the main airport road intersection and the entrance to the Blue Canyon Country Club.

Mr Erik Svensson, CEO of HarleyDavidson Bangkok and Phuket.

LI VI NG T H E D R EAM AT VU B AR @ D R EAM PH U K ET H O T EL

Dream Phuket Hotel & Spa hosted their ‘Sexy Pool Party’ at Vu Bar, on Saturday, Decem er here man attended and en o ed a fine selection of canapés and drinks as well as live entertainment by their resident DJ, as well as Yue Saxman live on the saxophone. It was a fun time had by all.

Some lovely ladies enjoying the fabulous pool party at Dream.

Andrew and Aida (right) of Aleenta Resort.

I NT O T H E B LU E F U ND R AI S ER @ ALEENT A R ES O R T

he fifth ure lue oundation fundraising evening designed to help save marine life, took place on Saturday, December 26, and was hosted by Aleenta Resort & Spa Phuket. A delightful cocktail dinner was enjoyed as well as live entertainment. @thephuketnews

Junior Morten (right), GM, Dream Phuket Hotel & Spa.

24 EVENTS

FRI

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

1 JAN

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5 JAN

Pasta Lovers’ Parade “All you can Eat”

Bollywood Phuket’s Weekend Special Indian Lunch Set

Traditional Sunday Roast Angus O’Tool’s Karon Beach

BBQ at Expat Hotel

m

All you can eat BBQ night

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Sunday roast at Gallery Cafe By Pinky @ new Chalong branch

All you can eat Sunday Roast Buffet Japanese Sunday Brunch Every bite rafted with air

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

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. . . nc u u ec s & P r e p a - R e se r va t i o n s: co m / skyza b vi e w f ee one se ecte sa

DAILY EVENT UPDATES ON

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THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

WED

6 JAN

of the t chts m ine e uipment u u ifest e p o ucts n p ope t e e opments. pen i f om . m to . pm n e come ith f ee ent . oo n e e ge out ets f esco on the o k n fun fo the f mi . n e ent ot to e misse . . phuket o tsho .com ou suppo te ss ct e i he huket e s o osti huket i e . he huket e s . ont ct n o en n m n ine onsu t nts m se @phuketem i .com .

SAT V

EVENTS 25

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016 southe n point of m e ch to the o the n point of m e ch et s not fo get so the mount in ie s. est u nt menu h i usion is esigne e in mieson s nge of ishes fo in i i u s o s sh e se ection. ention huket e s n ecei e off on oo on info@t osh g oup.com .

23 JAN

Pool eagues Season

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PIWC fundraising event - A Mediterranean Night he

nnu fun ising e ent cost is ht pe pe son inc u es ink uffet inne n ente t inment. o e et i s to fo o soon. ou suppo te he huket e s.

TUE

1 MAR

resh Truf e eeks at eonardo Davinci Kata e e te the festi e se son ith one of the finest e ic cies o i e. he f eshest impo te hite t uf es. u chef is p ep ing sumptuous menus fe tu ing these i ine e ic cies gu ntee to s tisf the most isce ning p ette. ese tion .

Festive Season Beverages Promotion at TEXTURE Café and Restaurant

All you can eat BBQ Ribs night

e e te the festi e se son togethe ith the p omotion of impo te outh f ic n ott e t on ht hen spen ing minimum of ht pe i . en o ou p omotion on se ecte e e ges u ing ecem e e e f om m to pm c ose e e e nes info@te tu ephuket.com o .

pm pm ou c n e t i s se e ith s uffet pot to s choice of s uces. ese tions ecommen e ht . . sh ke sphuket@gm i .com .

PGFC Thailand 2016 “Classic” Sport Fishing Tournament

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THU

7 JAN

hou s of non stop spo t fisihing he offsho e oun the imi n s n s. s s the p i e monies offe e e the gest in si . i es inc u e fishing t ips t ck e imite e ition p ints n much mo e. n o ts e confi me inc u ing te ms f om ust i n em n ong ong the n ing po e. o fu the et i s p e se cont ct en o e o n ight info@phuketg mefishingc u . com ou suppo te he huket e s.

EVERY DAY

PIMEX : Phuket International Boat Show 2016 he huket nte n tion o t ho t kes p ce f om th to th nu . he egion s ongest unning o t ho since e ing togethe spect cu isp of st te

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Holiday promotion from Tiya’s Hammocks 20% discount pu ch se on items u ing ec n get iscount. it efo e u it t n op ight e ch c u in tong fo u u ope mmock o nthem ke k in he ng fo ou est se ing o o fu e e h mmock .

Order a somtam tray, get FREE 1 bottle of Coke THE DECK restaurant ie s

est u nt em ces e p nsi e c oss the te sp nning f om the

st est u nt n is offe ing p omotion efo e the en of the e o e somt m t get ott e of oke. o e info hun ek . f ce ook.com t st .

Great Mexican, Thai and Flamegrilled Burgers in a beautiful setting! f ou h e time this month get o n to e ee e oc te in o huket in . pen m to pm e e se ing home m e me ic n speci ties me g i e u ge s n h i speci s spo t i e sho n i e ont ct ese tions info@se ee e pm.com .

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Crossword by Myles Mellor & Sally York Across 1. Which hills boast the source of the Thames?

2. What is a mortadella?

3. What is the largest living species of lizard? . n which film do a team of ational ua dsmen find themselves hunted by the locals in the swamps of Louisiana?

5. The Bodleian Library is in which city?

Answers below, centre.

SUDOKU

1. Disentangle 5. Reply 9. Founder of PLF 14. Succulent plant 15. Weapon 16. Disinclined 17. Old time city in Central China 18. Letter opener 19. So much in Spanish 20. 1978 Record of the Year winner 23. Wine cask material 24. Declare 25. Err 29. W. C. Fields persona 31. ___ judicata 32. Asian capital 33. River in Mexico 36. 1974 Record of the Year winner with 41. Weatherspoon of the . . . .

42. Dessert sandwiches 43. Chill 46. Promising words 47. Bandage 48. Spot

51. By the agency of 52. 1999 Record of the Year winner 59. Flip over 60. Indian music 61. Cathedral area 62. Hospital cry 63. Eagerly excited 64. Money, slang 65. City north of Cologne 66. Priestly title 67. Commotions

22. String bean’s opposite . ip it 26. ___-tzu 27. Hostel 28. Plath, for one 29. Approval 30. Cantina cooker 33. Ran, as colors 34. Statement of belief 35. Vaccines 37. Judge 38. Even so Down 39. Joyful exclamation 40. Draw upon 1. Bills 43. Free (from) 2. Mixture 44. Aquatic rodents 3. Alternative to a fence 45. Some solvents . he in . .

47. Fodder 5. Porter 49. English 101 subject 6. Command to a dog 50. Weighed down 7. Calf’s meat 51. Energy 8. Prefix with scope 53. Animal catcher or meter . inimum 9. Some singers amount 10. Swine 55. Well known Lady 11. Online ad . ewspape piece 12. Duds 57. Olympics city 13. Young swine after St. Moritz 21. Title role for Susan Sarandon 58. Realizes

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s Pop Quiz: 1) The Cotswolds; 2) A large Italian sausage; 3) Komodo dragon; 4) Southern Comfort; 5) Oxford

GOT YOUR NUMBER

This week in history

ISLAND VIEW

■ January 1, 54 BC

The Julian calendar takes effect as the c iv il c a le n d a r o f th e R o m a n E m p ire , e s ta b lis h in g J a n u a r y 1 a s th e n e w d a te o f th e n e w y e a r.

1

hour of dancing can burn off the calories consumed by drinking three standard glasses of wine.

■ January 2, 1981

S e r ia l k ille r P e te r S u tc liffe , th e “ Y o rk s h ire R ip p e r” , is a r re s te d in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

30

■ January 3, 1961

A c th e n e a S ta

percent of medical students have received treatment for a mental health condition and 15% have considered suicide.

o re e S L -1 r Id a te s , k

x p lo s io n , a g o v e rn h o F a lls , ills th re e

a n m in w

d m e ltd o w n a t e n t-r u n re a c to r Id a h o , U n ite d o rk e rs.

■ January 4, 1948

B u rm a g a in s its in d e p e n d e n c e fro m th e U n ite d K in g d o m .

270

puppet characters in total were c eated fo the film Team America: World Police”.

23,000

■ January 5, 1972

annual emergency room visits are due to side effects from the consumption of dietary supplements.

U n ite d S ta te s P re s id e n t R ic h a rd N ix o n o rd e rs th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f a S p a c e S h u ttle p ro g ra m .

200,000 standard laser pointers all focusing through a lens to an exact point are needed to create a laser powerful enough to kill.

Source: Uberfacts

■ January 6, 1492

T h e C a th o lic M o n a rc h s F e rd in a n d a n d Is a b e lla e n te r G ra n a d a , c o m p le tin g th e R e c o n q u is ta .

Vantage point, over rocks and waves at Kalim. Photo by Jethro Rimando Abagao Got an unusual or particularly beautiful picture of Phuket?

Email it to execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

■ January 7, 1835

H M S Beagle drops anchor off the C h o n o s A rc h ip e la g o .

Source: Wikipedia thephuketnews

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Jobs

Class Act Media is southern Thailand's most comprehensive media company, incorporating Phuket’s leading English newspaper ‘The Phuket News’, Russian language newspaper 'Novosti Phuketa', Chinese language newspaper 'Puji Doa Xin Wen', Phuket’s leading English radio station ‘Live 89.5’, Phuket English TV 'Phuket News TV' and a a host of publications & services including ‘The Phuket Colouring book’ & ‘Phuket Ticket Master’.

Chinese Editor Responsibilities:

Class Act Media seeks a Chinese Editor to head up our new publication The Phuket News (Chinese), a Chinese-language newspaper for Southern Thailand. The position is based in Phuket.

Qualifications:

● e a native Chinese speaker with strong English communication skills. ● This role would suit someone with a strong editing, writing, and manage ment background, preferably in newspapers though those with maga ine experience will also be considered. ● deally, candidates will have first-hand knowledge of Thailand and its current affairs, culture and politics, but applicants with a strong connection to Asia are also welcome to apply.

We offer:

A friendly work environment, 5-day work week 8.30am-6pm , competitive salary, local health insurance, work-related travel expenses, time in lieu for overtime, and the chance to live and experience a great part of the world, while also furthering your career. The position is open to both foreign and Thai nationals, but you must be a native Chinese speaker. For foreigners, a work permit and visa will be provided. nterested candidates are invited to send their applications, with full resume, in English indicating qualifications, experience, recent photo and expected salary.Apply online at thephuketnews.com/job.php

Class Act Media Co., Ltd.

99/7 Moo 1 T. Kathu A. Kathu Phuket 83120 Tel: 076 612 550-2 Fax: 076 612 553

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

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Class Act Media is southern Thailand's most comprehensive media company, incorporating Phuket’s leading English newspaper ‘The Phuket News’, Russian language newspaper 'Novosti Phuketa', Chinese language newspaper 'Puji Doa Xin Wen', Phuket’s leading English radio station ‘Live 89.5’, Phuket English TV 'Phuket News TV' and a a host of publications & services including ‘The Phuket Colouring book’ & ‘Phuket Ticket Master’.

PR & MARKETING ASSISTANT Responsibilities :

Class Act Media is southern Thailand's most comprehensive media company, incorporating Phuket’s leading English newspaper ‘The Phuket News’, Russian language newspaper 'Novosti Phuketa', Chinese language newspaper 'Puji Doa Xin Wen', Phuket’s leading English radio station ‘Live 89.5’, Phuket English TV 'Phuket News TV' and a a host of publications & services including ‘The Phuket Colouring book’ & ‘Phuket Ticket Master’.

SALES REPRESENTATIVES Qualifications:

● Assisting the PR manager with planning and implementing PR plans for the company ● Representing the company at events & exhibitions ● General Marketing and PR admin tasks

● Thai or Expat.

● Good communication skills both in Thai & English ● Degree qualified – recent graduate welcome to apply ● Have own transport (bike or car) ● Ability to work after normal work hours and/or weekends (time in lieu will be given)

● ighly motivated self-starter with a positive attitude.

Qualifications:

We offer:

● Competitive salary ● Social security (10%) paid by the company ● Excellent career progress opportunity ● Time in lieu for any overtime hours worked If you are professional & enthusiastic person, this is an excellent opportunity to advance in a growing & innovative media business in Phuket

Interested candidates are invited to send application with full resume, in English, indicating qualifications, experience, recent photo and expected salary.

Apply online at thephuketnews.com/job.php

Class Act Media Co., Ltd.

99/7 Moo 1 T. Kathu A. Kathu Phuket 83120 Tel: 076 612 550-2 Fax: 076 612 553

● Excellent communication and negotiation skills in Thai and English. ●

orks well under pressure and has a will to succeed.

We offer:

● Competitive salary, bonuses and travel expenses. ● A friendly work environment. ● ocial security paid by the company. ● Excellent career progress opportunities.

Interested candidates are invited to send application with full resume, in English, indicating qualifications, experience, recent photo and expected salary.

Apply online at thephuketnews.com/job.php

Class Act Media Co., Ltd.

99/7 Moo 1 T. Kathu A. Kathu Phuket 83120 Tel: 076 612 550-2 Fax: 076 612 553

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Trades & Services

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ADVERTISING SERVICES

CHILDREN ACTIVITIES

EDUCATION

HOME IMPROVEMENT

IMMIGRATION SERVICES

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MARINE SERVICES

MARINE SERVICES

MARINE SERVICES

MARINE SERVICES

MOVING SERVICES

PROPERTY SERVICES

STORAGE

TRAINING

TRAVEL GUIDE

Reserve Your Storage Space

Call 076 29 29 09

or visit mystorageasia.com

 Sizes to Suit all Budgets  Personal & Business Storage  Motorcycle Storage  Left Luggage Service  We Sell Boxes  Storage Insurance Inclusive

Secure, Clean & Cost Effective Self Storage Jungceylon Shopping Center, Patong, Phuket

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

HOME DECORATION

HOME IMPROVEMENT

ADVERTISE HERE

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES Building Renovation Engineering Maintenance

T: 094-546 0422 (Eng-Thai)

Huge Work Reference www.tularuxa.com thephuketnews

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PETS

ACTIVITIES, GROUPS Roof top Patong Mini Golf The best sea view 18 Holes, roof top Mini Golf. Located on the 4th floor of Banana Walk Plaza in Patong, 091 762 2628, http:/ / patongminigolf.com

Horse and Dog Vet Hospital

Open from 10am. – 8pm.* Service all types of animals. * Experienced professionals.Contact: 076 620 136 / 084 210 6868 and contact@horsedogvet.com www.horsedogvet.com

BUSINESSES FOR SALE Business for sales

Fast food & Kebab shop for sale In the best location 50 meter from Bangla road. Patong Free rent until APR 2016. 1.8 MB, mak ryno@ gmail.com, 081 088 1451.

Pets Magic Planet

Open from 9am. - 7pm. * The best international brands. * The ultimate choice. * Luxury accessries & jewels.

Contact: 076 620 106 / 091 040 4000 and contact@petsmagicplanet.com

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Looking for Partners/ Investors

Business requires added funding.5-7 million bht. Investment exchanged for company shares.

Company is state of the art with exceptional ROI. Investment repaid over 5 years and annual dividends. Active/ Silent partner.Serious inquiries only. Full information to qualified investors. Eng 088 491 3857/Thai 088 753 6897. 2,000,000 THB.

Newly renovated hotel for rent

Newly renovated hotel/ guest house in Patong’ s heart for rent from owner. 12 rooms, 2 shops to busy street, many facilities. More details check thephuk etnews.com, search Listing ID 55398 or call +66( 0)81 538 1399.

Commercial laundry in Patong

Already serve more than 400 hotel rooms. Income up to 10,000 baht/ day during high season. 80 sqm.

Rent 25,000 baht inc. water supply plus a truck .

2 MB, Jeeppy, the_ promenade@hotmail.com, 093 160 6566

Business for sale in Patong

Commercial space with 6 furnished rooms upstairs. Registered Thai company ( 2 work permits). Lease upto Sep, 2022. Profitable business, Shilpa Ganguly, ithembahomes@yahoo. com, 089 980 7758/ 084 443 0488.

Wellness Centre For Sale Ocean

Breeze Residence. Total land 1,800 sq.m ( 5 Rai). Located on Kho Khao Island. ( about 20 k ms. from Khao Lak ) exactly on stunning beach front. Built in year 2011. Accommodation: 8 Villas, 6 One- Bedroom Apartment, 6 Two-Bedroom Apartment. * * 90 % book ed for accommodation in High Season* * , Price: 180 MB, benjamas. newdetox@gmail.com, 061 207 2077.

Restaurant on Main Street

Large, tastefully decorated restaurant in Cherngtalay. Fully fitted and equipped kitchen, 100 seats, bar. Walk in and start business. Now only B790,000, 089 400 5907.

German bakery &

deli &

snack

Main road, 8 years clientele, tak e over + incl. training complete equipment, sta room, 3 or 5 years leasing contract. early volume 4 mio. hansibak ery@gmail.com, Price: 3.5 million, Contact Mr. Stark , ansibak ery@gmail.com

Best Deal

Rawai business for sale. Area approx 2Rai, can do restaurant or other business.Five mins from beach. Long term lease, yearly rent B200,000. 4 bedrooms house included. Reduce from B980,000 to B520,000. Contact Khun Asok e at 089 646 7176 / big_ redchili@yahoo.com

CAR FOR SALE I NEED A NEW OWNER

s nt e g r

ale

CAR FOR SALE Honda J azz 2009 1500cc Auto

57,000k ms. One owner since new. Regularly serviced by Honda. Tax and Insurance until the end of June and available now at right offer.Reduced by 40,000bht, Price : REDUCED to 330,000bht o.n.o, Andy +66846909144, andysmalster@gmail.com Price : REDUCED to 330,000bht o.n.o, Andy +66846909144, andysmalster@gmail.com.

U

Nissan Teana 2.5Lt

Model 2014 17,000k m. New price 1.7Mln NOW 1,050,000Baht Eng: 081 788 8280 Thai: 090 163 2140, Contact Maurice, maurice.phuk et@ gmail.com , 090 163 2140.

Everest 4WD Q uick Sale

10+yrs but mechanically drives and look s great. Manual. Only B450,000 or offers above 400k considered for fast sale, B450,000 THB, peterh@asianwind.biz, 081- 8926710.

CAR FOR RENT Long term car rental have a good car rental, Toyota Vios, Mazda 2 or similar with true full professional insurance and 24/ 7 support Monthly rates B14000, Soi Suk ee 40/ 19 moo 9 Chao fa east rd 39 chalong muang, ninascars@gmail.com, 089 648 0499.

MOTORBIKES FOR SALE Sale Ducati Monster 79 6 ABS

2014 year 7500 k m Perfect condition! Several extras. Same new Price 320,000. +6685 068 1133, 0681133@gmail.com

Z oomer-X for sale

ear 2013. Good condition, one owner, well maintained, Price 38,000 baht. Pls call 088 765 5882.

Kawasaki Versys 650 ABS 2012

Showroom condition, new from Kawasak i Phuk et May 2012, 2,000k m, Hepco & Beck er Engine Bars & Rear-rack , Kawasak i Handguards and Pyramid Hugger., 220,000 THB, Paul, 084 1 303 234, Plongmore@hotmail.com

MOTORBIKES FOR SALE

Immaculate 1997 GTO 3000 Auto.Genuine 39,000k ms.18inch wheels,metallic black ,class 1 alarm.Genuine Main Dealer import,red/ black leather interior,8 speak er stereo,1 previous owner,factory sun roof. Stunning car and very hard to find in Thailand in such good condition. 1.25m/o ers close to., Paul, 0817473000.

TOY OTA Fortuner 2009

7 seats, Silver, GPS video, Family car Diesel 2,694cc, Blue book Service history Toyota Pearl 78,000k ms. AUTOMATIC transmission, golfguru2005@yahoo.co.uk , 076 615 827.

2012 Toyota Fortuner 24, 000km

2012 Pearl white Toyota Fortuna For Sale.

3.0 D4D VN Turbo Great condition- Baht Black leather interior. Tax / insurance till 2016, 900,000, Loch Palm, Kathu, Phuk et, glawre123@gmail.com, 0898668825.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

COMMUNITY

CAR WASH DELIVERY Tired Of Waiting?

We clean your car at your place - at your time. No.1 car wash delivery in Phuk et.

Call 076-355-042 or go to CleanCar.me for more details.

MEMBERSHIPS Blue Canyon Membership

Blue Canyon Membership for sale. 1 corporate nominee for sale THB 630,000 inc transfer fee. grahamhaslam@hotmail.com

PERSONAL SERVICES Doctor on call

24 Hrs Medical Service,Home & Hotel Call Phuk et life/ Phuk et Health Health Care @ Home Medical Service Center Contact : Doctor Pisit 081 693 4816, 081 958 8891.

8/ 10 Moo 6, Kamala beach, Phuk et 83150, pisit.doc@hotmail.com.

De Laguna By Dr.J aQ

International Clinic English Speak ing Doctor By Appointment 095 0851188 FB: DrJaq Warnnissorn Providing Anti-Aging ( Botox, Filler, Live Cell Therapy, Alternative Cancer Treatment, Chelation Medical, House Call).

Integrative and Advancement in Medicine for individualized treatment programs for patients of all ages and with various disorders, Email: tosawcute@gmail.com

FURNITURE FOR SALE Swinging Sun Loungers For Sale

Swinging, sun loungers, brand new, excellent quality6,000 baht only, Contact: Eddy, eddyelan@yahoo.com, 0899710278.

KITCHEN SERVICE The German Knife-grinder service

Mobile sharpening service for k nives and meat slicer blades, blunt k nives sharpened professionally with German k now-how and German equipment. Mr. Dirk , thek nifegrinder@hotmail.com, 087 276 5869.

MOVING SERVICES Looking for Moving Company?

With over 15 years of experience Bigmove Phuk et is the number 1 provider of moving and shipping in and out of Phuk et Thailand.

We provide storage in a state of the art clean, secure, storage facility located centrally in Phuk et. www.bigmovephuk et.com, 081-797-5377.

PETS FOR ADOPTION Motorbike for sale

R1200RT BMW 200k ms 2 yrs warrant. From BMW Thailand as ( new). Extras inc BMW GPS B28,000, Tourteck engine protectors B15,215, BMW bik e cover B7,300, Gps B34,200. Valued at B1,334,465. Four months old with special color. Only B1,150,000.

First to see will buy, k ieranpmadden@hotmail.com , 096 924 4661.

Small toy poodle

Small toy poodle for adoption to a animal loving family who lives in Thailand.

Contact Sherin.peace@gmail.com for adoption enquiry.

OTHER RESORT FOR SALE/ LEASE

Resort for sale lease any o er consider! I want go sailing again!!, Address : 67/ 18 Soi Sermsuk Rawai Phuk et, bigasail@samart. co.th, Contact +66 ( 0)86 9401860.

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OTHER Office Sp ce L

PROPERTY FOR SALE for

n

For Sale

Industrial over lock er. Whitehouse Brand. 3 Thread. Brand new never used.

Full tool k it. Bargain at 12,000 Baht. Call Sandi 087 264 0778.

Roo

Fire sale

7 shop houses for sale, 20 meters from Chalong round about. On the way to pier for Sale. 25 Million, k ieranpmadden@hotmail.com, 096 924 4661

et

House For Sale

e ch Front L n

for

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Grand Boat Plaza – House for Sale/ Rent

e

New detached villa with modern style in Heart of Phuk et Town with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 2 car park s. Spacious open living and dining areas with high ceilings. Q uiet location surrounding with nature, secure with CCTV and 24hrs security service, large communal swimming pool and clubhouse. Closed to major department stores such as Central Festival‚ Tesco Lotus, Big C, International schools and hospitals.

Contact 095 2577 998, allabouthk t@gmail.com

Living area 450 sq.m, Land 800 sq.m. 1st floor: Living room, Master bdr with en-suite bth, Kitchen, Seaview terrace, Pool, Carpark. 2nd floor: 4 bdr with bth, 2nd living room, Office. 19.5M, oliver@thurmanngroup.com, 087 877 2320.

r n ne

e

On

Living area 160 sq.m. Land 200 sq.m. Fully luxury furnished. Open plan living room with k itchen, Private & Peaceful area, Security gate estate, Gym. 8.9M, oliver@thurmanngroup. com, 087 877 2320.

PROPERTY FOR SALE L n For S e

House for sale

O t t n n

for

e

3 bed/ 3 bath, Living area 370 sq.m, Land 600 sq.m. Located at the 4 Star Residence.

Spacious living quarters, open plan living, dining areas, gourmet k itchen, private pool. 14.9M, oliver@thurmanngroup.com, +66 ( 0)87 877 2320.

et che ho

e

Living room 2 double bedrooms 1 fitted furniture and en-suite fitted kitchen office bathroom carport garden Land 188sqm, house 75sqm. 2,000,000, Khun Peter, Baan Pleunjan 2, Paklok, Talang, lowprofile@mail.com, 086 905 1406.

e

one NO

t

e ch

o

e for

e

West coast Phuk et Great Location, Spa, 7 Bedroom, 7 Bathroom, all with k itchens.

Rent or live with good income. 5 minutes walk to Kata beach. ขายของได้ 9 MB or O er, Khun Arreerat, nalumana2000@yahoo.com, k ataari@yahoo.com, 086 595 8512, 081 970 4638.

An ph

of

e

o

e

th

Land 162 sqwa. Large Pool/Jacuzzi-3 Bed-4 Bath-Office-2 Storage Building-Alarm System and much more. Reduced 22MB to 18 MB for uick Sale. mrgeo curry@ yahoo.com, Si +6681 970 8896 TH/ENG, Geo +6681 854 0061 ENG.

OCEAN IE

LAND

ALF RAI

S

This beautiful block is ready to build on.It has a sealed entry on a sealed road. It has power connected. Water available and a safe title.Kamala 6.75 million Baht. Call our rep on 093 578 2281 or contact owner direct via email yoty30@hotmail.com.

The

e Do nto n S e/Rent

1 Bed ( 35sqm) & 2 Bed ( 60sqm), fully furnished, pool view. Near Central, BIS, Big C, Lotus, Siriroj hospital, Darasamut School, Thai Hua School ( Close to new Central Embassygood investment). Swimming pool, fitness & library. Rent:15,000-25,000 THB/ month and 35,000-45,000 THB/ month.

Panattaporn.c@gmail.com, 093 639 4654.

Oce n Front L n

3.5 Rai with 90 meter of water frontage, opposite of Yacht Haven marina, 800 meter away on Phangnga side. Public road, electricity, water and ready to build. For sale direct from owner, only 19.5 mill Baht. Montha , 081 343 0777.

Oce n Front

Brand new, fully furnished, 3-4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 10-meter infinity swimming pool, beautiful view. For quick sale only 19.5 million baht. Guaranteed rental 8% per year. Person : Montha , Phone : 081 343 0777.

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PROPERTY FOR SALE ht

In Thalang area 2.5 Rai beautiful, flat land with access road, Chanote title, only 5 minutes from Thanyapura ( PIA International school). sk .thanya@ gmail.com, 081 737 8624.

Good location in Chalong area 3 Bedroom 2 Bathroom, 200 sqm House on 800 sqm plot Including furniture, 084 745 5546.

S e Se

e

Located in Rawai soi Samak i3 2 bedroom 2 bathroom 1 Laundry room 1 storage room Living area 160 sq.m, Chanot title 280 sq.m. 3.2 MB., Rico9963@hotmail.com, 083 640 9041

14 RAI Beach front Phuk et,Phungnga Close 5-7* hote,Chanode title,90 meters of water frontage More than 100 m wide beach&small piece of land close to the beach 25MB/ RAI, Ms.Pam, phuk etmyhouse@gmail.com, 089 8688868

Ch on

for

5 Rai Nice sunset sea view Perfect for resort Hill side at Mai Khao beach, Julius_ schuster2001@ yahoo.de, 087 267 1192.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

h

e

Large Villa with Pool and Garden In Phuk et, Rawai/Nai Harn, Land size: 1’700 m2, build up area 400m2. Private sale, no agents please.

36 MB, JasminConsulting@gmx.net.

Office Space Laguna - Plaza del Mar Fully Furnished offices 4 Office Suite plus boardroom Rent entire unit or individual office 080 045 4474.

S ACIO S

ED RA AI ILLA

Beautiful home in 1,038sqm gardens.Three en suite beds, guest house, 9x4m pool, maid’s room.

Living space 320sqm. Private access. Email : alangath@gmail.com , Phone : 087 273 0141.

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PROPERTY FOR SALE Luxury 4 Bed Pool Villa Rawai

Beautiful 4 Bed Villa on large 800 SM land plot in Rawai/Nai Harn area. 260 SM of enclosed living space. Large sala with Pool Bar. Established tropical garden and 60 SM Pool. Private guest house.2 Car Park. Price : 11.8 Million Baht , Email : Keowee15@gmail.com.

House For Sale

Located in a quiet Soi near Kathu waterfall, is a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom house with court yard and car port. With a Chanote Title & 48 Talang Wah (approx 200 m2), Price : 3500000.

Steven Joyce. Kathu 086 120 6934. go2spoon@yahoo.com

Kata Seaview Condo For Sale

New 1 bedroom with great sea and sunset views! 44sqm. Leasehold with foriegn freehold available. Swimming pool, sauna and clubhouse. Flexible furniture options. Great management and rental program, 082 254 0760.

Land For Sale

Located in Kathu over looking the Cable Ski is a nice block 54 Talang Wah on a Chanote Title.

Soi Namtok Kathu, Price : 2400000. Steven.

Joyce. 086 120 6934 .go2spoon@yahoo.com

Townhouse for sale. Chalong.

Townhouse 150sq.m, 2 storey, 2 bedroom, living room, kitchen, 2 balcony, 2 bathroom, office, parking. Fully furnitured. Chalong circle, Price: 3700000, Contact: Mariya, mvs97@yandex.ru, 0822751146, Fax: 0918053725.

Beautifull Classy Villa

his very beautiful modern villa has it all – sparkling salt water pool, 3 huge bedrooms, 4 baths, maid quarters. Fully furnished, secure estate close to the beach. G4S alarm system. Relax and enjoy all the hard work that has been done.

A must see. Call 081 719 4688. Prima Villas.

House for sale heart of Patong

Two beautiful European style homes next to one another in private Soi Minutes from Jungceylon shopping center. First home 100 sq mt of living space with a double carport two bedrooms open living space Second home 80 sq mt one bedroom furnished Both homes will be sold together or separate First home 6,500,000 Bth Second home 5,500,000 Bth Both 11,500,000 Bth Grate value position investment, Price: 6,500,000, Contact: pino.ellul@ yahoo.com, +66 (0) 84 858 1917.

Land Cherngtalay Bangjo 530sqm

Close to Layan Hill Estate, great location, 4 km to Bangtao beach, laguna, Villa Market,Tesco Lotus, Ready to build 1 or 2 pool villas, Price: 3.3 ML, kwansucha@hotmail.com, 0944246142.

Relaxing place villa near PIA

Exceptional 4 Bed & 4 Bath (en suite) & 1 Rai land for sale only 10 MB. 1 Storey 300 sqm. pool 10X5, Sala, filters and automatic gates., Contact: Tanya, geta909@gmail.com, 083 506 8345.

1/2 RAI OCEANFRONT LAND

Fantastic 825 sqm. plot with 25 m. ocean frontage on Coconut Island in beach resort. Electricity/ Water available, ready to build. Super Views.

Just 200 meters from Phuket. 24/7 Free Boat Taxi Only 7.5 m. THB ! claudstrey@gmail.com, 0867479292.

PROPERTY FOR SALE 3 BR. GREAT SEAVIEW CONDO

BARGAIN HUNTERS ! 3 BR/3 BATH Condo,164 sqm.. New Renovated,Top Condition,Fully Furnished. Foreign Freehold Title. Best unit at Belair Panwa. ONLY 5.95 m. THB, claudstrey@gmail. com, 0867479292.

Villa for sale North Chalong area

Beautiful quiet location close to International schools and other amenities. Reduced from 7.9 m to 7.2 m. Price includes furniture. Call 089 868 5143.

Perfect Business in Karon

Shophouse 5 story with profitable, spa massage business and apartment. In perfect condition and very good location. Include Thai Company, Price: Reduced from 19 to 16 Mil., ghfsphuket@hotmail. com, 086 271 8254.

Beachfront House

4-Bedroom house on semiprivate beach available for sale and rent. Can easily be divided into two separate and identical properties. The rental/sale can also include a self-contained 1-bedroom bungalow, Price: 18.2 MB, Rent 110,000 THB, Alex Seago, home@thaivillaboutique. com, 087-8923876.

House in Karon for Sale. Hard

to find 3 bed room , 3 bath room house for sale in the perfect location near Kata & Karon beach, well maintained with a salt water pool, Price : 16,000,000, Narrisara (Tic), 7/8 Patak Soi 10, Karon, g-a-coates@ hotmail.com, 0991642991.

Sea view land in Patong

gmail.com, 089 967 5373.

The Last Piece of Sea View Land on Prime Location in Patong, just 500 m. from Patong beach, 1.3 KM. to Jungceylon Shopping Mall, Contact: Karuna, kpattarawalee@

Waterfront Condominium

The Cleat Condo, residence project in Krabi Boat Lagoon Marina. Price 3-9MB, size 37119 Sq.M., 1 or 2 bedroom, marina view. For rent/sale. marketing@phuketpropertytrip.com

Laguna - Luxury 1 Bedroom - Go

Renovated: new kitchen, wood floor and air conditioning. Surround sound system, semi furnished. Price includes Laguna Golf Membership and Privilege Card., Contact: Giulio Santoro, phuket3203@gmail.com, 084 247 1632.

Ocean View Land Kamala

Half rai 797sq.m. cleared and leveled, power connected, sealed road, MUST SELL 6.75million. For ENG 090 492 3101 THA 093 768 6694.

Laguna townhouse for sale

On Laguna golf course with 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths plus guest suite/maid’s quarters. 2 car garage, covered outdoor living area. Jacuzzi and pool. Golf memberships, walk to club house. Shuttle service to Laguna facilities. Fully or partially furnished – less than 20MB., phuketmusic@yahoo.com

Karon Hill - Super Deal

SEAVIEW CONDO at Karon Hill for sale at a real bargain price,only 6.95 m. THB. Foreign Freehold, 102 sqm.,great seaview,furnished,4th floor.Direct from owner, Price: 6950000, claudstrey@gmail.com, 086 747 9292.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Patong sea view land

Located in Patong with the size of 1200 sqm. Selling price at 10.5 Million THB, with a chanote certificate (allowed to construct any sort of project). Also, the land is devided in three parts of chanote, and can be sold separately with a negotiable price range from the selling price of 10.5 M THB, Mr. Fernando Parrella. Contact: parrella.fernando@ gmail.com or 092 949 9697.

Pool Villa Patong 7.6MB

Beautiful Freehold German built detached home. 3 bed, 3 bath, Euro Kitchen, open plan,+ garage. Full furn. Close beach & Shopping Ctre, Khun Oscar, Email: ozoskr@hotmail.com , Phone: 087-8931753.

LAND FOR SALE CLOSE TO THE SEA

Land for sale close to the sea Bang Tao Marina Hotel 108 rooms. Land 1.5 Rais 28 MB. Contact: Mr. Choochart Ubolsak, 061-2613486.

PROPERTY FOR RENT Chalong Villa for rent

Living area 450 sq.m, Land: 800 sq.m. 1st floor: Living room, Master bdr with en-suite bth, Kitchen, Sea view terrace, Pool, 2nd floor: 4 bdr with bth, 2nd living room, Office. 90,000/month/year., oliver@ thurmanngroup.com, 087 877 2320.

Amazing Sea view Penthouse in Rawai

FOR RENT Amazing Sea view Penthouse in Rawai.

360 p ํ anoramic breathtaking views of Chalong bay, mountain view and big Buddha. Two bedrooms, 310 sq.m of spacious living area and balconies. Please contact Izzy 086278 8300 or Danai 090 170 0429. propertysales@serenityphuket.com.

Spectacular sea view Penthouse

Located in Serenity Resort, Rawai. Fully furnished two bedrooms 318 sq.m of spacious living area & private roof top.Contact Danai, propertysales@serenityphuket. com, 090 170 0429.

Surin Andaman Apt - 2 beds

100 sqm w 2 beds, close to Surin & Bangtao beaches. Common Pool.

Fully furnished with AC, fans, internet, cable TV. Short term possible.

24,000 THB, 081 273 1740.

House for rent - Near Pah-klok

Long term, quality furnishings, near Heroines Monument, 3 bed, 2 baths plus office. Good garden. THB35,000 per month. Call 087 878 5804.

PATONG: 1 and 2 Bed Apartments

2-Bed/2-Bath & Studio for rent. Balcony. Full A/C. Western Kitchen. Modern furnished. All Extras. Fast WIFI free. Ouiet Location & well maintained.

Email : khunrei@gmail.com , Phone : 084 185 8536.

Patong Tower Condo

1 or 2 bedroom corner apartment 76 sqm. 270 degree beach & mountain views, 9th floor, kitchen, 2 balconies. Rent 39,000 baht per month, or buy for 9.5MB. Contact: John, Patong: jstuder@ loxinfo.co.th, 081 080 8831.

Office/Shop for Rent

Ground Floor space with excellent positioning on Chalong Pier Road. For more information, please call 081 416 4177 or 076 381 341.

CHALONG BEACH FRONT LAND

Direct beach front land for rent. Long and short term. Area 2400 sq meter with beach front of 40 meter, Contact: Mr. Narin, narinpga@gmail.com, 081 826 9390.

thephuketnews

36 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

that’s the squid fishing eet using p owerf ul lig hts to attract this other amaz ing creature. . .

And this one is called calamari on your hotel menu.

Sq uid is a f avourite f ood world-wide and the lig hts you see in the distance are comp eting with all our larg er predator fish for this delicacy of the deep . There are over 30 0 dif f erent sp ecies of sq uid and the local Sea Gyp sies k now exactly which one to p ut on their hooks to catch specific “bottom” fish such as snapper, g roup er, etc.

When I used the word “amaz ing ” I p rob ab ly should have used “b iz arre” , as sq uid have a b eak , eig ht arms and two methods of p rop ulsion, one of which is j et-p ower.

It is b oth p redator and p rey and uses its ab ility to chang e colour to b oth hide and hunt.

When attack ed this weird wonder can even sq uirt “ink ” in the f ace of an ag g ressor b ef ore j etting of f , and I have it on g ood authority that some species also “ y”.

This month I received no fishing reports, which I found surp rising as my p ersonal exp eriences on M e n a 1 were

first class, if not exceptional.

O n the 18 th, we landed a sailfish, which the boat crews all ag reed must b e a local record at 4 0 + k and 2 m f rom the tip of the b ottom j aw to the centre of the v in the tail, “the correct (IGF A) way to measure billfish”. (Pictured) The 19 th and 2 0 th were also very p roductive with a sail, k ing mac, and a f ew tuna also f ollowed the next day b y three sails. Let’ s k eep our fingers crossed that the new commercial fishing regulations continue to show benefits, if that is the reason f or the return of the b ig p redators and not the chang e in climate.

A man goes into Mr Moo’s O cean Sp orts on Chao F a East R d and ask s f or a rod and reel for his wife. Mr Moo rep lied, “We g ive a 15 p er cent discount to P GF C club memb ers, b ut we don’ t do trade-ins” .

Merry Whatsit a Happy N ew Y ear, k eep yer lines tig ht and yer rods up . Arr Arr Arr (pirate for Ho Ho Ho)

l ing fish warning ahead CAST AWAY

Jimmy Stewart info@fishinginphuket.com

D

ust last ee imm landed a g sailfish m from the tip of the ottom a to the centre of the v in the tail

ecemb er continued to see some storms desp ite the tourism chap p ie’ s claims that it’ s now hig h-season, p roba b ly a b etter term would b e the “K ite B oarder’ s Windy Sp ring ” .

I am ig noring Christmas as it is now p olitically incorrect in my country to mention the term “Christmas” in case I of f end someone, so I have decided that instead of mentioning anything Christmas related, I thoug ht I would write about bait fish, the abundance of which is the main reason why the Andaman Sea is nick named “The N ursery of the Indian O cean” .

F irstly anyone who has ever swab b ed the deck s or lay sunb athing on the b ow of any b oat of f P huk et, must have seen the amaz ing F lying F ish, which ab ound in most trop ical and sub -trop ical waters.

I was surp rised to learn

that there are over 4 0 sp ecies of F lying F ish, some with f our wing s, j ust lik e a b i-p lane.

These fish, although not found on P huk et menus, are a main stap le with our larg er p redator fish, from Marlin to Dorado and also f ound in many f oreig n restaurants.

It is also the national fish b ird of B arb ados, b eing on their stamp s, coins and can also b e f ound in most of eating e stab lishments.

The sad thing is, due to p ollution, F lying F ish no long er f req uent B arb adian waters and this in turn has created a lot of f riction b etween Trinidad Tobago and Barbados, when their fishing eet went into Trinidadian waters in search of their f avourite delicacy, which they had inadvertently chased away.

Thai fisheries take note, there should b e a lesson there somewhere as thousands of locals lost their F lying F ish related b usinesses.

The other main source of f ood in the Andaman Sea is sq uid and many tourists visiting P huk et wonder what all the lig hts on the horiz on are when they first arrive. Well,

o hai s ingers ma e op GOLF A SI A N T O U R STA R S Thong chai J aidee and K iradech Ap hib arnrat of Thailand and India’ s Anirb an Lahiri end 2 0 15 in the top 5 0 of the official world golf ranking, which comes with coveted invitations to the Masters in Ap ril.

The 4 6 -year-old Thong chai, who won his seventh Europ ean Tour title and p osted eig ht other top 10 s this year, j ump ed to a career hig h 2 8 th p osition in the world to cement his rep utation as one of the b est Asian g olf ers in the g ame.

K iradech will earn a dream

Masters debut after moving up to 38 th p osition on the rank ing s, up b y nearly 10 0 rung s f rom where he started the season.

The b ig -hitting Thai b rilliantly won twice on the Europ ean Tour in China and Scotland in addition to nine other top 10 s around the world.

Two rung s b elow K iradech is newly crowned Asian Tour N o. 1 Lahiri, who triump hed in Malaysia and India this year and also finished tied fifth at the P GA Champ ionship to reinf orce his stature as one of the g lob al g ame’ s rising young stars.

The tenacious Indian will return to Aug usta, venue of the

iradech phi arnrat year’ s op ening maj or, f or the second straig ht season af ter mak ing h is deb ut last Ap ril.

Thong chai, the only man to win three Asian Tour O rder of Merit titles, said “I’m very p roud of my achievements.

F inishing so hig h up in the world rank ing s mak es me very hap p y. I have work ed very hard with my coach and my g ame was very consistent this year, e sp ecially my p utting .

“I want to k eep imp roving

Jimmy FishinginPhuket.com

ound for Masters and k eep p laying g ood g olf next year. I’ m also very excited to play in my fifth Masters next Ap ril as to me, it’ s the b est tournament in the world. ” The 2 6 -year-old K iradech said “I am so happy to end the year in the world’ s top 5 0 . I g uess winning twice this year help ed me achieve this g oal and I hop e to k eep moving up in the rank ing s and hop ef ully b reak into the top 30 , top 2 0 and top 1 0 i n time to come.

“I also cannot wait to p lay in the Masters as I have heard so much g reat thing s ab out this event and the g olf course.

“I have always watched the Masters on TV and it will b e a dream come true to tee

up in the tournament with Thong chai and Anirba n. ” Lahiri, 2 8 , said that three Asian Tour memb ers in the world’ s top 5 0 was yet another endorsement of the rising standards in the reg ion.

“Starting out the year, finishing in the world’s top 5 0 was one of my main g oals and I’ m delig hted to achieve this targ et, ” said Lahiri, who also earned his 2 0 16 P GA Tour card throug h the Web .

Com F inals.

“It’ s also f antastic to see Thong chai and K iradech f eaturing in the world’ s top 5 0 which is a g reat ref lection of the streng th of the Asian Tour. ” B a n g k o k Po s t

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

SPORT 37

Christopher Hudon, Amanda Hudon and Zach Pedonti, Americans on vacation over Christmas from Florida, pose before running the 5.8k Fun Run portion of the 2nd Phuket Night Run last Saturday night in Phuket Town.

Hundreds take part in 2nd Phuket Night Run RUNNING

T

he 2 nd P huk et N ig ht R un took p lace b etween 10 p m and midnig ht last nig ht (D ec 2 6 ) , of f ering runners a rare g limp se of O ld Town f rom the saf ety of a route directed b y local p olice.

F rom 9 p m, a diverse crowd of locals, exp ats and tourists numb ering more than a thousand g athered at the drag on statue in f ront of Q ueen Sirik it P ark and assemb led into their resp ective categ ory g roup s.

D ep ending on colour, which corresp onds to dis-

tance and course, runners were launched in a stag g ered f ashion b etween 10 : 30 and 11p m.

R unners chose b etween 3. 5 k (p ink ) , 5 . 8 k (orang e) , or 11. 2 k (g reen) , with their shirt colour indicating course and

distance. The routes p assed K hao R ang hill, the O n O n Hotel, and the historic clock tower, with more than a thousand runners tak ing p art, including g roup s of f amilies, schoolchildren and local b usiness op erators.

B 5 0 of each entrance f ee (B 30 0 ) was donated to the runner’ s choice of charity, either orp han children or sup p orting the elderly in local charity-run f acilities.

Phuket VNEA Pool League Standings

Week Five

Name

Round Score Wins wins +

Games Losses Score Differplayed ential -

Buriram United win 5th Thai FA Cup title FOOTBALL B uriram United made history last week end when they outp layed b itter rivals SCG Muang Thong United 3-1 in the F A Cup title showdown to lif t their f if th trop hy of the year.

Goals f rom Andres Tunez and K o Seul-K i on the either side of half -time set the tone of the match and when J ak k rap han K aewp rom f ound the net ag ain f or B uriram, the writing was on the wall f or Muang T hong U nited.

B uriram went into the match seeking their fifth piece of silverware of the season af ter having cap tured the K ing ’ s Trop hy, Leag ue Cup , Thai P remier Leag ue and Mek ong Club C hamp ionship t itles.

The Mek ong Club Champ ionship is a reg ional comp etition in which B uriram edg ed B oeung K et Ang k or of Cambodia -0 in the final in B ang k ok last Sunday. Muang Thong had more than one reason to win the crown, b ut they f ailed. The K irins had finished second behind Buri-

ram in this year’ s leag ue and they were also anxious to end their b arren run ag ainst their op p onents f rom the northeast.

Muang Thong , sk ip p ered b y Teerasil D ang da and sp earheaded b y Mario Gj urovsk i, were without susp ended Sarach Y ooyen and also lef t D atsak orn Thong lao on the b ench.

B uriram United were at f ull streng th with B raz ilian duo of Gilb erto Macena and D iog o Luis Santo leading their attack . Macena p layed his last match f or the club yesterday.

Macena and D iog o were q uick to g et on with their j ob as they comb ined in the first minute to force Muang Thong g oalk eep er K awin Thamsatchanan into action to save a header f rom D iog o.

The match q uick ly turned into a hotly contested ba ttle and p layers f rom the two sides took turns in committing f ouls.

Muang Thong United did mak e attemp ts to g et the b etter of the B uriram def ence.

B esides the trop hy, B uriram were rewarded with the winners’ p urse of B 5 million.

B a n g k o k Po s t

TEAM STATS NORTH 40

957

273

144

47

886

345

3

Hangover Master Bankers Off Course Tan Khun Tor Khao LHM Asia

23 21 19 19 18 8

1131 1098 1038 1012 1122 822

72 76 55 64 75 33

144 144 144 144 144 144

72 68 89 80 69 111

981 1120 1159 1166 1129 1286

150 -22 -121 -154 -7 -464

1061 993 872 836 809 805 776 0

81 65 71 59 54 42 44 0

128 128 112 128 112 112 112 0

47 63 41 69 58 70 68 0

838 947 809 989 769 889 911 0

223 46 63 -153 40 -84 -135 0

1124 1088 1061 997 883 986 966 848 418 0

97 87 82 69 65 65 63 33 15 0

128 128 128 128 128 128 128 128 128 0

31 41 46 59 63 63 65 95 113 0

773 715 725 941 882 984 1025 1125 1201 0

351 373 336 56 1 2 -59 -277 -783 0

4 5 6 7 8

TEAM STATS SOUTH 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Reality The Dragons The Genius Team Ocean Team White Sheep Millionaire Bar Fly Spicy Girls

31 23 22 16 15 14 9 0

TEAM STATS TOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The Target Masters Hollywood Naimeung Team Black Sheep Team 198 The Kata Dragons Pen In WTF!!

Class Act Hustlers Genius B

35 35 24 24 21 16 13 9 3 0

Class Act Media is proud to be a sponsor of the Phuket VNEA Pool League @thephuketnews

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS Run: #1560 Saturday, January 2, 2016 Run Start Time: 3:30pm Run Start Time: 3:30pm Hares: J.C. & What-A-Rat Location: Mosquito Lake Directions: Headed north from Phuket Town on Thepkasattri Road carry on North approx 800m past the Izuzu showroom then turn left HHH. Follow the road approx 2.5km to Mosquito Lake and turn right HHH into the laager site.

Headed South from Heroines roundabout, for safety purposes take the second U-Turn at the Isuzu showroom and work to the left lane as you head back north. Turn left HHH onto the road leading to Mosquito Lake.

Continue as above.

Bus Pickup Schedule: Patong @ Expat Hotel: 2:00pm Kamala @ Black Cat’s Bar: 2:30pm More info: phuket-hhh.com

   

  









 





 

144

97



104

1231



1230

34



38

Judge & Jury



Orange Corner

2

     

1

  

Proud to be the appointed supplier of windows and doors to: The British Ambassador to Thailand Bangkok.

The German Honorary Consul, Phuket.

The Australian Honorary Consul, Koh Samui

Office : 076 311 379 Eng : 087 061 7631 Thai : 081 539 2031

38 SPORT

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Phuket footy fury in 2015

he rise and fall of the island’s t o pro clu s

A

FOOTY

t the start of 2 0 15 , P huk et had two rep resentatives on the national sp orting stag e, f or b oth the 11-a-side (outdoor) and 5 -a-side (indoor) versions of the g ame. While a larg e p ortion of the f an b ase of P huk et F ootb all Club cross-over with P huk et United F utsal Club , 2 0 15 would p rove to b e one a year in which f ans were f orced to sp read their loyalties thin since the F ootb all Association of Thailand – the g overning b ody of b oth p ro f ootb all and f utsal in the k ing dom – decided to run the two leag ues concurrently unlik e p revious years when the resp ective schedules overlap p ed.

hu et

’s all time leading scorer de i erlin left vies for all Photos: Steven Layne

hu et

announced that Cherng talay Mayor Ma-ann Samran has b een ap p ointed the new P resident of the club , who will hop e to reb uild the sup p ort b ase and utilise talent and p layers f rom P huk et’ s amatuer f ootb all circles.

T h e Ph u k e t N e w s understands that the op erations b udg et f or a team in D ivision 2 can rang e b etween B 4 mn to B 2 0 mn p er season.

Die by the sword

Starting in March, P huk et F C, whose mascot was a R onin, a Chinese samurai character, were contenders in the 2 0 team Y amaha Leag ue O ne, the second-tier Thailand national leag ue. Under the administration and finance of the ata Group f or the third straig ht year, the club ’ s b udg et was rep orted to b e ab out B 6 0 million, and was used mostly to f und a new coach, and lineup of p romising p layers. F ew p layers returned f rom last year, including J ap anese Centerb ack , Y usuk e Sato, B raz ilian wing er Andres Lop es, as well

rought together fans of all ages oung and old

as Southern Thai midfielder, Alef P oj i, and def ender Samsen N ima, also f rom the Southern reg ion of the k ing dom. The rest were all f resh b lood, b roug ht on mostly b y Song yot “D aeng ” linsrisuk from his old club P attaya United.

And thoug h The R onins g ot of f to an imp ressive start enj oying a b rief stint near the top of the tab le, a lack of p oints (and f an reinf orcement) on the road, coup led with

Phuket un-United

several disap p ointing losses and draws at home, ensured that P huk et F C would end up b eing one of six teams to b e relegated after finally finishing in lowly 18 th of the tab le come D ecmeb er. Sub seq uently, the club’s financial life blood, ata Group finally threw in the towel, with its P resident P amuk e Achiriyachai P isit announcing his decision to step down and hand the reins over.

O n D ecemb er 2 8 , it was

Meanwhile, P huk et’ s p ro club f or f ive-a-side indoor f ooty – or as it is f ormally k nown internationally, f utsal – P huk et United would p lay their third straig ht year in the 12 -team elite F utsal Thailand P remier Leag ue. R eturning to the Andaman P earl f rom last season were most of its orig inal line-up including B raz ilians “Action” J ack son Santos and Eduson “Gug u” Silva, as well as na-

hu et United rought on uttiporn ladcharoen tional stars, ittipan Sonsuwan, Cheamsri P uang sri, Thanak orn P iyap richayut and Thanak orn P enp ak ul, with a f ew new p romising p layers who j oined the sq uad later in the season.

Namely, Suttiporn ladcharoen and P atchaya Srimanta.

F an sup p ort remained strong throug hout the season and the Andaman P earl always maintained a decent rank ing , rarely f alling out of the top -5 .

At one p oint, the P earl were top of the tab le af ter manag ing a historic draw at home to reining champ s Chonb uri B lue Wave.

However, b y the end of the season, the club were finally unab le to outdo their p revious season finishes of th and 4th place, respectively finishing in 5 th p lace overall.

D esp ite earning the rig ht to retain their p lace in the k ing dom’ s elite f utsal leag ue next season, club p resident

Super

Se7en DIVISION 2

DIVISION 1 PTS

#

5

15

28

12

1

12

1

1

2

1

5

1

7 Phuket Condos and Homes

4

8 Dolphins Bay FC

4

#

he ul s orange in ict a first loss eightloss lac in division

upon hailand

TEAM

PLD

W

T

L

1 TEFL Campus

6

6

0

0

38

32

18

12

2 Jumbo United

6

6

0

0

32

25

18

6

11

3 Phuket Condos and Homes B

6

4

1

1

25

15

13

21

13

7

4 Thailand Weightloss

6

4

1

1

19

9

13

3

14

-6

7

5 The Hulks by Power En

6

4

0

2

21

7

12

0

4

7

-20

3

0

1

3

7

-4

1

6 KB FC

6

3

0

3

15

-18

9

0

1

3

6

-6

1

7 The Sky FC

6

2

2

2

9

4

8

8 Shambala United

5

2

1

2

8

0

7

PLD

W

T

L

1 Kanchana Flying

6

5

0

1

16

2 Daohang FC

5

4

0

1

3 Naraya United

6

3

2

4 Pita Bar

4

2

5 Black Pearl FC

6

6 Blue Horizon

ROUND 6 RESULTS Division 1 Blue Horizon – Pita Bar

3–2

Black Pearl FC – Daohang FC

1–6

2–4

TEAM

GOALS DIFF

PTS

Phuket Condos and Homes B – RT Chalong Tower Condo

7–1

9 PWK. 108

6

2

1

3

13

-3

7

TEFL Campus – Friends FC

7–1

10 The Routes FC

6

2

1

3

14

-4

7

Almali FC – Charoenchai Foods FC

4–2

11 Almali FC

6

2

1

3

17

-8

7

KB FC – PWK. 108

2–1

12 Charoenchai Foods FC

6

2

0

4

12

-9

6

13 Samkong FC

5

1

1

3

15

0

4

KTEC FC – Shambala United

1–3

14 KTEC FC

6

1

0

5

13

-17

3

The Sky FC – The Routes FC

2–0

15 Friends FC

6

0

2

4

6

-16

2

Samkong FC – Jumbo United

1–5

16 RT Chalong Tower Condo

6

0

1

5

14

-17

1

0–1

Division 2 Thailand Weightloss – The Hulks by Power En

GOALS DIFF

1 – 10

Naraya United – Phuket Condos and Homes

Dolphins Bay FC – Kanchana Flying

Sup p achok e La-ong p het sold the club ’ s elite leag ue comp etition rig ht in N ovemb er to f ormer N onthab uri manag er Ton R ang san, who will reb rand a new club , somewhere Central Thailand.

According to sources inside the club , due to b udg et and p olitical constraints P huk et will most lik ely not b e ab le to f und a p rof essional f utsal club f or at least three more years.

“When the f inances are in order and the p olitical climate p ermits, a new p rovincial f utsal club would b e ab le to restart in the second division, ” the source said. Until then, or until Phuket FC confirm a Division 2 sq uad, P huk et f ooty lovers should check out the local amateur adult leag ue (see b elow) . O therwise, you can always tak e a drive to P hang Nga or rabi for some pro f ooty comp etitions.

–S t e v e nL a y n e

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

SPORT 39

PREMIER PREDICTIONS: ENTER NOW AT THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Van Gaal to fight on for United FOOTBALL

@thephuketnews

The overall competition winner receives 1 voucher staying 2 nights in a Prestige Suite including breakfast for 2 persons and a 30-minute spa treatment at Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, overall value THB 90,000.

The monthly competition winner for January will receive a B5,000 voucher to spend at Two Chefs

L

ouis van Gaal has vowed to fight on as Manchester United manager, but admits that the matter may yet be taken out of his hands by the club’s board.

The Dutchman, 64, has faced three weeks of speculation after a run of games that has seen United slip to sixth place in the Premier League table and limp out of the Champions League in the group phase.

Despite an improved display, they could only draw 0-0 with misfiring champions Chelsea at Old Trafford on Monday – their sixth goalless stalemate at home of the season – but Van Gaal said that behind the scenes, everyone at the club was pulling in the same direction.

“The environment (around the club) is making the crisis,” he said.

“Inside the club the players are willing to fight for every metre, the manager is willing to fight, the members of staff are willing to fight and the board is very confident in the staff and their manager.”

Speaking after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Stoke City, which was United’s fourth in a row, a subdued Van Gaal had suggested that he could elect to leave the club rather than wait for the axe to fall.

But he was defiant after the draw with Chelsea, proclaiming “I shall not resign” in a television interview, and explaining that he had raised the issue of resignation merely to demonstrate that the club did not hold all the cards with regard to his future.

He also said that he had walked out of a press conference prior to the Stoke game in protest at “lies” in the media.

MONTHLY SPONSOR

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3.

4.

5.

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OVERALL LEADERS 18 18 18 17 16

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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84 83 81 80 79

English Premier League 2015 - 2016

Manchester United’s Dutch manager Louis van Gaal leaves the pitch after the final whistle of the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on December 28, 2015.

AFP PHOTO / OLI SCARFF “That’s the reason I walk away in the press conference,” he said. “Not with a ‘stormy’ head or ‘angry’ head. No, I walk with a quietness because I want to make my point.”

United appeared to have rediscovered an element of vim in the early stages against Chelsea, with Juan Mata and Anthony Martial hitting the woodwork.

- Hiddink ‘worried’ -

Ander Herrera and Wayne Rooney also went close, while Willian might have conceded a penalty for handball, but Chelsea had chances of their own, David de Gea thwarting John Terry, Pedro Rodriguez and Cesar Azpilicueta, and Nemanja Matic blazing over when clean through.

For all his talk of fighting on, Van Gaal acknowledged that he will be powerless to do anything if United’s own-

ers the Glazer family and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward decide to remove their backing.

“I have said that Manchester United has a lot of confidence in (their) manager and I have not received that in every club,” he said.

“But of course I know that there are circumstances that a board has to decide to sack the manager. I’m looking always from my point of view and that can be not the right view.

“In this crazy football world that can happen every day, also with me. When it happens to Jose Mourinho, then it can happen with me.”

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink remains without a win after two games of his second stint in interim charge, the 3-1 win over Sunderland having occurred before he took up his functions, but he

has seen signs of progress.

“No win, but we have to look and consider the situation where Chelsea was or is and now we are three games (in) and what is important is the boys experienced a very bad half year and they have to lift it up,” he said.

“Starting with Sunderland and Watford (against whom Chelsea drew 2-2) and now, the team knows what to do.”

Chelsea are only three points above the relegation zone, but Hiddink, who revealed that Cesc Fabregas had missed the match with a high temperature, said that they were moving in the right direction.

“Of course I’m worried,” he said. “But I would have been more worried (if) there was a lack of confidence or a lack of ambition or lethargy.

That’s what I don’t see at the moment in this team.” AFP

Team

MP W

D

L

F

A GD Pts

1

Arsenal

19

12

3

4

33

18

15

39

2

Leicester

18

11

5

2

37

25

12

38

3

Tottenham

19

9

8

2

33

15

18

35

4

Man City

18

11

2

5

37

20

17

35

5

Crystal Palace

19

9

4

6

23

16

7

31

6

Man Utd

19

8

6

5

22

16

6

30

7

West Ham

19

7

8

4

28

23

5

29

8

Watford

19

8

5

6

24

20

4

29

8

5

6

20

19

1

29

9

Stoke

19

10

Liverpool

18

7

6

5

21

22

-1

27

11

Everton

19

6

8

5

35

28

7

26

12

Southampton

19

6

6

7

26

23

3

24

13

West Brom

19

6

5

8

18

24

-6

23

14

Chelsea

19

5

5

9

23

29

-6

20

15

Norwich

19

5

5

9

22

32 -10

20

16

Bournemouth

19

5

5

9

22

34 -12

20

17

Swansea

19

4

7

8

16

24

-8

19

18

Newcastle

19

4

5

10

19

34 -15

17

19

Sunderland

18

3

3

12

19

37 -18

12

20

Aston Villa

19

1

5

13

15

34 -19

8

WEEK 16 RESULTS Monday 26 December 2015 Stoke

2-0

Man Utd

Aston Villa

1-1

West HamShow

Bournemouth

0-0

Crystal Palace

Chelsea

2-2

Watford

Liverpool

1-0

LeicesterReport

Man City

4-1

SunderlandReport

Swansea

1-0

West Brom

Tottenham

3-0

Norwich

Newcastle

0-1

EvertonReport

Southampton

4-0

Arsenal

Sport

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

editor3@classactmedia.co.th

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016

Phuket United to take a three-year breather > page 38

Putting Phuket on the map Local youth squad to represent Thailand’s South in national tourney FOOTBALL Saroj Kueprasertkij reporter3@classactmedia.co.th

K M w a t

w

B

P

c

g

1

J

C

1

c

id s f ro m P h u k e t’s P lu k p u n y a M u n ic ip a lity S c h o o l a n d -D E N F o o tb a ll A c a d e m y ill re p re s e n t th e p ro v in c e n d th e S o u th e r n re g io n fo r h e s e c o n d tim e w h e n th e y o m p e te a t n a tio n a l le v e l in th e 9 th T h a ila n d S in g h a J u n io r u p , w h ic h ta k e s p la c e o n a n u a r y9i nB a n g k o k .

J u d g e s w ill s e le c t th e b e s t 2 te a m s f ro m 1 2 c o m p e titio n ro u n d s fro m a ll o v e r th e o u n tr y to c o m p e te a t th e nal sta e at rand Soccer ro s ta d iu m in L a d p ro w , a n g k o k .

T h e o n e -d a y to u rn a m e n t ill in v o lv e 1 2 te a m s d iv id e d

M-DEN squad look to make history next week in Bangkok.

M-DEN (left) usually do well in tournaments they compete in. in to fo u r g ro u p s , w te a m s in e a c h g ro w ill p la y a 1 0 m in u h e a d -to -h e a d , a n d a es each in the T h e w in n e rs o f e a

ith th re e u p . T h e y te m a tc h , p la y tw o rst round. c h g ro u p

w ill a u to m a tic a lly q u a lif y fo r the se i nal.

If th e s c o re is s till e v e n a fte r 1 0 m in u te s , th e te a m s w i l l h a v e t o do p e n a l t i e s , i n w h ic h th e d e c is io n w ill b e

ade ro the est o e.

T h e N a tio n a l C h a m p io n s w ill r e c e iv e B 2 0 ,0 0 0 c a s h p r iz e , r u n n e rs u p w ill re c e iv e B 1 5 ,0 0 0 a n d th e c h a n c e to atch an kok lass a leadin g T h a i p re m ie r le a g u e te a m ) in a c tio n , a s w e ll a s p la y a f r ie n d ly m a tc h w ith a c a d e m y le el an kok lass tea .

W in n e rs f ro m P lu k p u n y a M u n ic ip a lity S c h o o l jo in e d k id s f ro m th e u n d e r 1 0 s a n d

u n d e r 1 2 s s o c c e r te a m fro m M a s te r D e n a c a d e m y , a fte r h a v in g re c e n tly w o n th e S in g h a J u n io r C u p in S u r a t T h a n i inN o v e m b e r 2 0 1 5 .

D u r in g th e c o m p e titio n , a to ta l o f 2 4 te a m s fro m th e u n d e r 1 0 s a n d 3 2 te a m s fro m th e u n d e r 1 2 s c o m p e te d .

C o a c h D e n p h o n g L o n g th o n g f ro m M -D E N S o c c e r A c a d e m y , w h o tra in e d b o th th e P h u k e t ju n io r te a m s , s a id

th a t th is is th e s e c o n d c h a n c e to p la y a t th is le v e l. H e th in k s t h a t t h e r e i s m o r e h op e t h a n inp r e v io u s y e a r s . “ L a s t y e a r, w e s u ffe re d p ro b le m s w ith th e s iz e o f th e g oa l f r a m e , a s i t w a s t o o b i g fo r th e 1 0 y e a r o ld k id s . O u r g o a l k e e p e r w a s v e ry s m a ll a n d h e c o u ld n ’t re a c h a n y o f t h e h i g h b a l l s ,” C o a c h D e n e x p la in e d . “ T h is y e a r, th e s ta d iu m h a s b e e n c h a n g e d so w e c a n o n ly h o p e th a t th e g o a l f ra m e is m u c h s m a lle r a n d s u ita b le f o r t h e k i d s .”

T h e M D e n S o c c e r A c a d e m y h a s b e e n o p e n sin c e 2 0 1 1 a n dt r a ini nS a m K o n g .

T h e A c a d e m y h a s s e n t th e ir s tu d e n ts to c o m p e te a n d h a v e w o n s o m a n y m a jo r to u rn a m e n ts in th e S o u th , b u t h a v e y e t to c la im a n y n a tio n a l le v e l title s .

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