03-04-2015

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FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

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EVA BEACH STATES ITS CASE ON LEGALITY > PAGE 8

NIKKI BEACH: NO MORE ELEPHANTS

NEWS

Three rescued from flipped speedboat

LIFE

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ikki Beach Worldwide has announced that it will no longer use elephants as part of entertainment in parties after pictures of revelers riding on and hanging out with a baby elephant at Nikki Beach Phuket drew widespread criticism after they were posted online last week.

Faced with a barrage of criticism on Facebook and Twitter, and the launch of a “Boycott Nikki Beach Hotel ‘Puket’” Facebook page, the corporation, which has clubs in 11 countries, vowed that elephants would no longer be on the menu.

Nikki Beach pulled down the pictures, including one of a man riding on the back of the baby elephant, waving a beer can, and another of an “angel” riding on the back of a baby

elephant to deliver a birthday cake to Twilight star Kellan Lutz.

Lutz is, ironically, a poster boy for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or Peta.

But by the time the club had ditched the pictures, they had already been grabbed by the Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand, reposted, and widely shared by netizens who expressed disgust at what they saw as a form of animal abuse.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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PAGE 11

Tomorrow’s eclipse: What does it mean?

SPORT Alasdair Forbes execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

PAGE 3

Last Friday (March 27), Nikki Beach released a statement on Twitter which, although it apologised, also defended the club’s actions as being in line with Thai cultural norms.

“Elephants are a highly respected and regarded symbol of Thailand.

As a global company, Nikki Beach respects every country’s culture and traditions and as such, we fall into the normal behaviors in usage of elephants to represent their culture.

PAGE 29

Phuket sailors tackle Top of the Gulf

News 2

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Toothfish ‘pirate’ investigators wait for Bangkok judgment > page 5

3 commit suicide in four days

THREE PEOPLE DIED IN Phuket in the four days from last Friday to Monday (March 27 to 30), all apparently victims of suicide.

The first case was that of a 28-year-old woman found hanged in a rented room in Patong early last Friday.

Residents called police to say that they had found the woman hanging in her rented room behind the Naza Bar on Ha Sip Pi Rd in Patong.

Neighbours said they believed she had intended to kill herself; they had heard her arguing with her boyfriend about him chatting with other girls on Facebook and Line.

On Sunday (March 29) a 33-year-old man from Trang was found dead in his apartment, hanging from a beam in the bedroom.

Police learned that he had recently tried to get back with his wife, who had left him, but was rebuffed.

And the following morning a 42-year-old man was found dead, apparently from self-electrocution at a house in Chalong.

Called to the house, police were confronted by the sight of the man, hanging from a door handle by a length of electrical wire. The other end of the wire was plugged into an electrical socket on the wall.

Police learned that on Sunday evening the victim was scolded by his father about how he lived his life.

Family members woke up the following morning to find him dead.

Editorial: Page 10

No more using jumbos for fun – Nikki Beach

A big attraction for partygoers at Limelight Avenue will be Thailand alternative rock band Paradox. Photo: Sry85

Booze-free Songkran party for Phuket City P HUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand and government bodies have thrown their support behind a “No L” alcoholfree Songkran celebration at Limelight Avenue, on Dibuk Rd opposite Queen Sirikit Park.

The booze-free party will run from 5 to 9pm on April 13. Entertainment will include a set by Thai alternative rock band Paradox.

The owner of Limelight Avenue, Panee Koaysomboon, said the aim of the event was to provide a venue for teenagers to enjoy the festival while at the same time reassuring their parents that their children will be safe in an alcohol-free zone.

The organisers will also bar anything like coyote dancing, the organisers said;

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

anyone who wants to join the party should dress politely, in conjunction with the TAT’s current promotion of “Thainess”.

Uthit Limsakul, deputy director of the TAT in Phuket said, “We will have a spotter at the Limelight Avenue party who will choose those who dress in Thai traditional style. They will receive free travel packages.”

Pol Col Dr Kraitong Jantongbai, Superintendent of Phuket City Police Station, warned that anybody caught drinking or selling alchohol in the area will be fined at least B3,000.

Governor Nisit Jansomwong said, “Actually, the government doesn’t favour the selling or drinking of alcohol in any area [during Songkran], and provincial

officials are of the same view.

Limelight has made it clear that it will be alcohol-free.”

Col Kraithong referred to a Cabinet resolution of last Friday (March 27) that encourages people to follow eight guidelines during Songkran: 1. Dress politely – don’t dress in sexy outfits. If possible, dress in Thai traditional garment or local costume.

2. Don't allow the sale or drinking of alcohol in the area where your Songkran event is held.

3. When soaking other people, don't mix powder, ice, or foam with the water.

4. Don't use high-pressure water guns or other dangerous devices. The government favours the use of water bowls only.

5. Don't use pick-up

trucks to carry tanks of water into Songkran venues.

6. Contribute to an appropriate image of Songkran by avoiding impolite or unsuitable dancing or performances.

7. If there are other activities to promote Songkran Festival, organise them in accordance with Thai traditions.

9. Organisers should set a clear period of time for Songkran water play so as to avoid traffic congestion and crime.

Limelight Avenue is one of the two party venues in Phuket supported by the TAT. The other will be Songkran on the Beach in Patong, where the drinking of alcohol and coyote dancing seem unlikely to be barred.

Continued from page 1 We never intended to be disrespectful and/or offend anyone.”

The barrage of criticism continued and on Monday (March 30) the Nikki Beach corporate office in Miami Beach, Florida, caved in with an amended statement.

“To elaborate on our last statement, we would like to make it clear that we do not, have not and will never own an elephant.

“The elephant in the photo is from a reputable elephant caretaker who has no affiliation with Nikki Beach.

“With the above said, we understand that this has upset many of our customers and animal advocates around the world, so effective immediately, we will stop granting the requests for elephants at Nikki Beach Phuket.

“The Nikki Beach family will never stand for the mistreatment of animals.”

This statement seemed to cool tempers somewhat.

Boycott Nikki Beach Hotel ‘Puket’ commented on Monday afternoon, “So in case some of you haven’t seen.

Nikki Beach have issued this message last night! Although it maybe too little to late for this poor Ele, I hope they mean this and won’t be using elephants again.”

Phuket in recent years has seen increasing opposition to the use of animals for entertainment. Tiger Kingdom has come under fire after a customer was mauled, and there is an ongoing vocal campign to prevent a dolphin show, already built, from opening in Chalong.

FREEDOM! The Phuket Butterfly Garden and Insect World has closed after 20 years after it became increasingly hard for the garden to source food for the insects. At a delightful closing ceremony, children were invited to help release all the butterflies. thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

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Three saved after speedboat flips A FISHI NG BOAT CR EW had to come to the rescue of two Canadians and a Thai on Monday (March 30) after the speedboat they were on flipped in the sea off Krabi.

At around midday, Krabi Marine Police received a call from the crew of a fishing boat saying they had rescued those on board the sinking speedboat near Koh Dang and Laem Hang Nak and had taken the speedboat in tow.

They towed it back to Noparat Thara Beach, just north of Ao Nang.

The fishing boat skipper, Sattaya Sekson, 29, described to police how he had seen the speedboat, coming from the direction of Railey Bay, hit a big wave, flinging it into the air before it flipped over.

“We saw three people fall into the sea and they were struggling.

Within 15 minutes, our men had

helped to pull them aboard our vessel,” said the captain.

The three men from the speedboat – the Thai skipper and two Canadians, suffered minor injuries and were taken to Krabi Hospital as a precaution.

Police said that all those aboard the speedboat were safe.

However, they have contacted the owner of the speedboat to come in for questioning. They will also be checking the condition of the boat.

Officials battle with century-old land issue Nattapat Tuarob reporter1@classactmedia.co.th

rovincial officials on March 26 sat down to examine possible solutions to a land issue that has rumbled on for almost a century.

It involves some 700 rai of Royal land in Cherng Talay, just to the south of Laguna Phuket, some of it beachfront – and therefore potentially very valuable.

The issue began in 1920, during the reign of King Rama VI, when Thailand was still an absolute monarchy, all land belonged to the Crown and tin was the mainstay of Phuket’s economy.

There were some land rights, however, for ordinary people, who could be registered as occupying land in a system similar to today’s SorPorKor rights, though more flexible as to use and leasing.

In 1920, 202 occupants of a total of 704 rai were forced off the land by the provincial government headed by Governor Jamras Svasti-Xuto, Lord Krungsri Sawadikara.

The expropriated land was then leased out for tin mining.

Depending on how long

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they had occupied the land, the occupants received between 50 satang and one baht compensation per rai.

Today the land in that area is of course worth millions of baht per rai. In the case of seafront, it would be tens of millions of baht.

Dam rong Choothong, a senior officer from the Phuket Office of the Treasury Department, which now holds the land on behalf of the Crown, explained at last week’s meeting at the Cherng Talay Aministration Organisation offices, “The land was expropriated by the government and a concession given to a tin mining company.

“Once the mining concession expired, the land was supposed to revert automatically to the Treasury Department, which was then supposed to return the land to the original occupants.”

The mining concession expired 38 years ago, in 1977.

“When that happened,” Mr Damrong said, “the heirs of the original occupants complained to the government that the land had not been returned. Nine years later, on November 11, 1986, the Cabinet passed a resolution agreeing that all the land

should be returned to the original occupants.”

The occupants would qualify for Chanote ownership papers on the land.

“But the Treasury Department could not return the land because the original occupants were all long dead,” Mr Damrong explained.

“Then in 2000 the Cabinet agreed that the land should revert to the heirs of the original occupants.

“But the Department still could not comply because it requires an Act of Parliament to transfer ownership of Royal land to ordinary people.”

Vice-Governor Somkiet Sangkhaosutthirak asked, “Why does it need an Act for these people to get their land back? When they were forced to sell, no Act was required.

“This is depressing for the families who lived there before the mining concession was granted. When they want the land back, they have to wait for an Act to be passed.

This really hurts.”

Wan Muhamad Firdao, who claims one rai of the land and who represented the families at the meeting, said that he had been fighting this issue for a long time, and for years had been making

weekly calls to all the departments involved. The issue is currently ping-ponging between Phuket Province, the PM’s Office and the Office of the Council of State.

The task of the Council, which comes under the PM’s Office and is composed of “wise men” and law experts, is to examine proposed legislation to see whether there are legal or other problems that might stand in the way of implementation.

Mr Damrong explained, “The issue has been with the Council of State for interpretation since 2013 but nothing has been finalised because there has been so much political instability.

I think [the interpretation] should be completed within three years.”

V/Gov Somkiet replied, “I understand that the Council of State has plenty of issues to interpret but I would like the Prime Minister himself to address this issue directly because the locals feel that it has already consumed too much time and caused too much trouble.”

Once the Council of State has decided how the issue should be handled and an Act has been drafted enabling

it to happen, there is still another potential hurdle, V/ Gov Somkiet noted.

“We don’t know when it is going to finish but once the Council of State has come up with its view, the government has to put forward the Act for approval by the House of Representatives.

“But at the moment we have a Legislative Assembly [instead of a House of Representatives] so it may be necessary to study whether the Legislative Assembly has the constitutional power to pass the Act. If it can, that would be great news.

“In the meantime the families are in trouble because they can’t do anything with the land. They can’t sell it or get permits to do anything with it, so I would ask local authorities to help them as much as is within their power.

“For example, the municipality can allocate house numbers, so please do so.

Please be sincere and transparent and try to solve their problems as much as you can.

He turned to The Phuket News and said, “This is astonishing. This issue started long before I was born and we are still trying to solve it almost a century later.”

American has no record of entering Thailand

IMMIGRATION POLICE last Friday (March 27) arrested an American man after finding that he was living in Thailand illegally.

David Leon Powell, 53, was arrested in Saiyuan Rd in Rawai. Officers said they were checking the Rawai area for any immigration law breakers. They noticed Mr Powell acting suspiciously, so approached him and asked to see his passport, which he was unable to provide.

Mr Powell was taken to the Immigration police station so police could check his arrival record, but police said they have no record of Mr Powell entering the country.

The suspect was taken to Chalong police station to face his charge of living in Thailand illegally.

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Dead engine causes panic on Phuket flight A

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n engine failed on an Orient Thai Airlines Boeing 737-300 travelling from Phuket to Chengdu, China on Saturday (March 28), sending the aircraft plunging so abruptly that panic erupted among the cabin crew and passengers before the pilot recovered control and brought the aircraft in for a safe emergency landing.

Flight OX682 was carrying Chinese tourists home from Phuket when the engine failed, and the rate of descent was so steep that many passengers suffered from nosebleeds and fainted due to the sudden loss of altitude.

Some f light attendants reportedly began crying and

Orient Thai Boeing 737-300 Photo: Jakkrit Prasertwit oxygen masks were deployed, before the flight was stabilised and made an emergency landing in Kunming in southwest China.

Passenger Lixue Ku, 47, told the Daily Mail that people

were screaming and crying as they feared the plane would break apart in the sky or crash.

“I kept thinking about that [Germanwings] plane crash in France, and I was convinced

we were going to go the same way, but then the plane evened out,” he said. “Everyone was in shock, even the staff.”

Af ter t he emergency landing in Kunming province, most passengers were

transferred to another flight to Chengdu while others received medical attention.

The China Daily reported that compensation has not yet been discussed.

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German man injured by longtail propeller

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A GERMAN MAN IS CURrently in the Bangkok Hospital Phuket after being struck by the propeller of a long-tail boat while swimming at Karon beach on the morning of March 25.

At around 10:30am lifeguards rushed out on a jetski to help the man when they saw him struggling after being run over by the long-tail.

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The man, Rudi Dann, 53, was still conscious, and was brought back to the beach on the jetski and then taken to Patong hospital with a deep slice to the back of his head.

He was later transferred to Bangkok Hospital Phuket because of the severity of his wound.

According to lifeguards, the long-tail boat continued out to sea after the incident. The boat driver has since turned himself in to Karon Police Station.

11 illegal structures are to be demolish on Laypang Beach.

Illegal beach structures to be demolished in seven days Ekkapop Thongtub reditor@classactmedia.co.th

TH E OW N ERS OF 11 illegal structures built on public land on Laypang Beach were on Monday (March 30) ordered to demolish them within seven

days.

Bet wee n 10 a m a nd midday, under the command of Thalang district chief, Weera Kerdsirimongkol, 30 officials made up of Thalang volunteers, Cherng Talay police and Cherng Talay OrBorTor

posted the orders for the demolition onto all of the structures of the illegal buildings.

There were a total of 11 illegal buildings that received the notices including The Reggae Bar, Chun Cha Bar and Red Sun Bar. thephuketnews

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‘Pirate’ saga continues Nattha Thepbamrung & Tnyaluk Sakoot editor@classactmedia.co.th

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uthorities in Phuket are waiting for word from Bangkok on what to do with the alleged illegal fishing vessel Taishan, held at anchor off Phuket’s deep sea port since mid-March.

The ship pulled into Phuket and offloaded eight containers holding 182 tons of fish, labelled “grouper”. These were taken by road to Songkhla where they were to have been loaded onto another vessel for shipment to Vietnam.

The consignment was intercepted by Customs there, however, and after examination it was discovered that the fish were not grouper, but Patagonian toothfish, known in Thailand as “snow fish”.

“The 182 tons of snow fish are being held in Songkhla waiting for final decisions from authorities.

“If it is proved that the ship reported falsely that the consignment was grouper and not snow fish, the people who will be held responsible for this, including the ship’s captain

and the shipping agent (South Services Co Ltd) will have to pay fines before they may take possession of the the cargo and take it out of Thailand,” Pongpan Wongwuttisak, Chief of the Suppression Division of Phuket Customs Office, told The Phuket News on Tuesday (March 31).

“However, Customs officials are working only on the import certificate with the false details. The Fisheries Office are also working on the cargo itself and there may be further infringements of the law found, with further fines.”

Pol Lt Col Panya Chaichana of the Marine Police told The Phuket News, “We are supporting the operation led by the Customs Officials because we received a Purple Notice from Interpol.”

The Purple Notice in this case is aimed at tracking down and reporting on vessels suspected of being involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU, a fancy term for poaching).

The Taishan is believed to be the MV Kunlun with a new name. The Kunlun was chased for weeks over Antarctic

The Kunlun, photographed in Antarctic waters by the New Zealand Navy. Inset, museum model of a Patagonian toothfish. Photos RNZN and Nkansah Rexford waters by the New Zealand Navy and the pro-environment organisation Sea Shepherd, but neither was able to board it to confirm it had a cargo of Patagonian toothfish that had been illegally fished. Col Panya added, “Apart from the import certificate and the fish that are the responsibility of Customs and Fisheries officials, the ship was checked by Phuket Marine officials and the crew were checked by Immigration.”

South Services, meanwhile, has denied any wrongdoing. A company representative said, under condition of anonymity,

Lawyer dies in Satun smash A PHUKET LAWYER DIED IN SATUN on March 26 after crashing her car into an power pole.

Police and rescue workers arrived at the scene on the La Ngoo-Tungwah road in Satun’s La Ngoo district to find a wrecked Songkhlaregistered brown Nissan wrapped around the pole. Inside the vehicle police found the body of the driver trapped between her seat and the dashboard.

An ID card found in the wreckage identified her as 34-year-old Pensiri Klabjai, a lawyer from Rassada.

The crashed occurred on a sharp bend, and police theorised that Ms Pensiri either came into the bend too fast, or that she fell asleep at the wheel while driving.

Her body was taken to La Ngoo hospital

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Ms Pensiri wrapped the car around the pole. for autopsy and collection by relatives.

Although Ms Pensiri’s law practice was registered in Phuket, she spent much of her time on consumer cases in Trang and Satun.

“The Peruvian captain has already flown home and a new Indonesian skipper and crew are now in Phuket. The ship did not do anything wrong.

“Before I agreed to represent this ship I checked their certificates and the people on the ship and established that none of them were on any blacklist.

“I also checked the ship’s name and established that it was previously called the Funkau, not the Kunlun.

“The only problem is with the product in the containers.

Nothing appeared wrong or

weird about the online Customs registration. If it had, I would not have taken on this job.

“Now, we are waiting for Customs’ final conclusion about the ship.

“Now, it is just the [fish] that may be the cause of legal issues. But I am the agent for the ship, not the cargo, so I can’t give any opinion about that.”

Prosongsak Boonma, Head of Phuket Customs, said that the product certificate produced by the ship and its owners, a shelf company called Helvetic Celtic Alimenta SA, which has a registered address at a

lawyers’ office in Geneva, will be examined in light of Section 38 of the Customs Act of 2005.

This states, in part, “If any vessel arriving at a port is loaded with foreign goods intended for exportation or landing elsewhere within the Kingdom, the master shall make a statement of such goods in his report...

“Any infringement of the provisions of this section shall be liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand baht, and all goods not duly reported shall be liable to detention until so reported, or until the omission is explained to the satisfaction of the DirectorGeneral.”

This leaves the possibility that the cargo may not be returned to the ship or its owners.

Patagonian toothfish, which is served in restaurants under the swankier, if inaccurate name of Chilean Seabass, sells retail for about US$60 a kilo.

So the cargo currently being held by Customs in Songkhla could be worth as much as US$12 million, or B360 million.

The same amount of grouper would be worth about B60 million.

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PHUKET NEWS

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FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

Bike Week gets in gear THE ORGANISER OF PHUKET Bike Week 2015, Wittaya Singkalah, has announced that the 30,000 people expected to take part in the 21st edition of the event will bring some B100m of revenue into the region. The announcement was made at a press conference on Monday (March 30).

(See next week’s issue of The Phuket News for the full event schedule).

Two men arrested with large haul of kratom leaves TWO MEN WERE ARrested in Thalang on March 26 after police found they had in their possession a total of 44 kilos of banned kratom leaves.

Thalang police led by Lt Col Weerayuth Sithirattanakol first arrested Yorhard Arnati, 57, with 4.50 kilos of fresh kratom leaves in the bathroom of his home at Moo 3 in Pa Khlok.

The arrest of Yorhard came after police learned that Pa Khlok teenagers had been hanging out and taking drugs at his house.

During questioning by

police, Yorhard gave up the name of his supplier, Surasak Procksakul, 36, who also lives in Moo 3, Pa Khlok.

Police went to Surasak’s home, carried out a search, and discovered 750 bundles of kratom leaves weighing a total of 31 kilos, and also two bags containing another 8.50 kilos.

Yorhard and Surasak were taken to Thalang police station, Yorhard being charged with possession of a Category 5 drug, and Surasak faces a charge of possession with intent to sell.

Class Act Media is a sponsor of this event.

‘Absurd’ accusation kidnap hearing told A

judge in Palm Beach, Florida, is expected to decide next month whether a Florida man will be extradited to Thailand to face charges of kidnapping a fellow American in Phuket.

Shawn Abraham Shaw, 43, maintains he is innocent of the charges brought against him

by Thai authorities. His defence lawyer says the charges were laid after a business deal went sour.

The lawyer, Jason Kreiss,

also said his client feared he would not get a fair trial in Thailand since the country was now under a “junta military dictatorship”.

The alleged victim did not file a complaint until 40 days after the alleged incident in December 2013, Mr Kreiss told a hearing in Palm Beach, Florida.

Thai authorities sent a provisional arrest warrant to the United States in October last year.

The alleged victim, identified only by his initials in previous court hearings, was identified in the latest hearing as Antonio Accornero, the Palm Beach Sun Sentinel reported. He is a millionaire who divides his time between Las Vegas and Phuket, where he has a house in Kamala.

He alleges that Mr Shaw drugged his drink in a Phuket

nightclub, tied him up and drove him around before demanding US$3 million (B90 million) in ransom.

Mr Shaw has been in jail since he was arrested on November 26 last year at the Palm Beach condominium where he lived.

He and his lawyer say he is being set up by a powerful tycoon who has close connections to high-level figures in Thailand.

The two Americans first met when they worked out at the same Las Vegas gym, Mr Kreiss told the court. In 2013 Mr Shaw approached Mr Accornero about a potentially lucrative business venture that would involve cashing in casino chips that tourists took home, in exchange for a percentage of the takings.

They discussed the idea further when Mr Shaw and

his fiancée were guests at Mr Accornero’s home in Phuket in December 2013.

“This was a business deal that went sour; it’s a fabricated prosecution,” Mr Kreiss said.

In a sworn statement to Thai police, Mr Accornero said Mr Shaw held him captive overnight in a house in Phuket and they negotiated a US$3-million ransom – though he said he talked his captor down to US$2 million.

The money was to be paid when Mr Shaw returned to the US, he said.

Mr Kreiss told the judge it was absurd to believe that Mr Accornero was able to negotiate “an IOU on a kidnapping” while captive and supposedly under Mr Shaw’s complete control.

The lawyer also said it made no sense that the “terrified” victim failed to report the alleged incident to authorities for more than 40 days.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing last week, Mr Kreiss also questioned why the alleged victim had not participated in any of the extradition proceedings.

Assistant US Attorney Stephanie Evans, who is handling the extradition case for the State Department, told US Magistrate Judge William Matthewman there would be serious diplomatic consequences if the US did not honour the terms of its inter national treaty with Thailand.

The treaty calls for both countries to turn over crime suspects to face trial so long as the requesting country has enough evidence to file charges.

The judge said that if he agreed Shaw could be extradited, US Secretary of State John Kerry would then make the final decision on whether to turn him over to Thai authorities. Bangkok Post thephuketnews

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PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

Tour company ‘cheated of more than B1 million’ Nattapat Tuarob reporter3@classactmedia.co.th

he owner of a Phuket tour company has filed an embezzlement report with local police after a freelance sales representative acting on behalf of the company allegedly diverted more than B1 million in tour fees into his own pocket.

Thirty Thai tourists had complained to Diamond Tours and to the Tourist Assistance Centre at Phuket International Airport that they had arrived in Phuket to find that tours they had booked and paid for apparently did not exist.

Arinrada Sirirak, the owner of Diamond Tours, in turn complained to the Director of the Phuket Tourism and Sports Office (TSO), Santi Pawai, on March 25.

Ms Arinrada told The Phuket News that she had hired the freelancer to sell tours to islands such as Tachai and Phi Phi on behalf of Diamond Tours, receiving commission on any sales he

T

Ms Arinrada (right) with her mother, who is a sharholder in Diamond Tours. made.

When the freelancer first started selling the tours he did so in line with their agreement. However, after some time Ms Arinrada discovered that the freelancer had been soliciting customers through Facebook. Payments would come in by bank transfers into his own account.

Customers would be told they would be picked up from Phuket International Airport

but when they arrived, this did not happen.

They tried to contact the freelancer directly but to no avail.

Ms Arinrada said that the freelancer also ran a different scam, using fake vouchers in the name of Diamond Tour. He would sell tours to tourists, then pay part of the money received to a variety of operators – boat owners, guides and so on – and keep

233 Phuket prisoners to be released under royal pardon PHUKET PRISON WAS DUE yesterday (April 2) to release 233 prisoners who have received royal pardons from HM the King to mark the 60th birthday of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Most of the prisoners to be released are men – 208 of them – but 25 women will also be freed. They were expected to be let out at around 4pm.

Phuket Prison Commander Pichit Wannajit told The Phuket News, how convicts

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In the yard at Phuket Prison. are selected for a pardon.

“The prisoners who are considered first are those

who have been sentenced to a year or less, or those who have only one year of their sentences left.

“Then we look at a second group – those who have had their sentences reduced to a year [for good behaviour].”

Some prisoners will also have their sentences reduced, but will not be released.

Releases will take place around the country, with some 178,000 convicts being put back into society.

a profit for himself.

He told customers not to contact Diamond direct, as he had organised a “special price” for them.

After a while, one tour company contacted Diamond to say that the freelancer had not paid them. It was at that time that Diamond realised they were being ripped off.

By that time, Ms Arinrada said, she figured that the freelancer had pocketed

at least B1 million of money that should have come to Diamond.

Ms Arinrada said that the freelancer had admitted to cheating her but could not confirm exactly how much because he had also been “dealing” with other tour companies.

Ms Arinrada told The Phuket News that what the freelancer had done had nothing to do with Diamond Tours, which was blameless.

However, the company will help those customers cheated by the freelancer by offering them free transfers and also tours at contract rate if they re-book the trips directly with Diamond Tours.

Some customers have been willing to accept the offer, she said, but others have rejected it. Those people, she said, will have to wait until the completion of court action before they can expect refunds.

The police have issued a summons for the freelancer and are currently waiting for him to visit them.

7

India rocket debris found in Andaman, off Phuket DEBRIS FROM AN INdian rocket was discovered

by Royal Thai Navy personnel, floating in the waters off western Phuket on Saturday (March 28).

The debris came from a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India at about 8pm Thai time. The debris fell about 240km off Phuket International Airport.

At the tip of the PSLV was a satellite destined to be part of the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS- 1D), intended to bring India “closer to setting up its own navigation system on par with the GPS of the US,” according to the Times of India.

The Royal Thai Navy had previously warned fishermen, tour companies and other vessels about the potential for falling debris. There were no reports of damage from the space garbage falling to Earth.

Eakkapop Thongtub

8

PHUKET NEWS IN DEPTH

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

Eva Beach is legal: developers F

ollowing The Phuket News’ article on the confusion among developers and local officials about the rules for deciding what may and may not be built along the shores of Phuket (issue of March 13, page 8), the lawyers for the Eva Beach development have asked that we publish their view of the situation as it applies to the development.

The statement also calls for changes in the regulations so that further confusion does not arise.

The statement is reproduced in full, unedited. Here it is:

E

va Beach would like to explain and make the clear understanding to all readers in Phuket who have read the articles both from local newspaper and websites that Eva Beach has legally constructed the buildings in the Project by obtaining the legitimate approval from the provincial standing committee of experts’ consideration of the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) on 15th June 2010 and Phuket Governor, being the chairman of the committee,

Computer-generated aerial view of the beachfront Eva Beach development, from the project’s website. has signed on the approval letter to the Project on 16th July 2010. The committee was comprised of representatives from government agencies and private sectors I.e. Phuket Governor, Office of Public Works and Town Planning, Phuket Provincial Land Office, Government Marine Office of Phuket, Phuket Provincial Office of the Ministry of Natural

Resources and Environment (MNRE) and Rawai Municipality etc.

During the Committee’s meeting on 15th June 2010, nobody in the meeting, including the Office of Public Works and Town Planning of Phuket, disagreed or opposed to the IEE report or brought up that Eva Beach did not comply with the laws or any

regulations. Thus, the Office of Public Works under Mr. Wongsakorn Noonchukhan did not object anything in the report of Eva Beach Project, and the meeting accordingly passed the resolution to approve the IEE report of Eva Beach Project, then Rawai Municipality, who is obliged to, considered and issued for us the building permit According to the building control act B. E. 2522 and Enhancement and the Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act B.E. 2535 (1992), all done by legal process.

By obtaining the building permit, Eva Beach has legally proceeded the construction all along, the MNRE Phuket Office has also followed up the project construction after the IEE report being approved due to their policy and the officers did visit the project site for the inspection several times including the committee of Natural Resources and Environment of the Senate (the other government agency, apart from the ones who had attended in such meeting of approval), there is never an order to Rawai Municipality to withhold the construction of Eva Beach Project, consequently it points out that all government agencies did agree in the same way, is it possible that all government officers in all agencies did not act in good faith?

The real problem of this issue is the difficulty of the government officers to consider the IEE report of the projects situated near the coastline according to the existing laws or regulations, not only Eva Beach Project who has to confront with this problem, but Eva Beach has been severely affected by the individual who lost the benefit, trying to use

the laws and government officers as a tool, not as a good intention to act for the common interest as it was claimed.

Eva Beach believes that many projects which are situated near the coastline will understand and sympathize the government officers, who are obliged to act according to the laws; the current issue which is not yet settled and creates difficulty to the government officers and private sectors is To determine the distance of the coastline in each local area as the topography is varied, with or without sand or beach, some with rocks or mountain slope etc. The key variant which always changes from time to time is the tide level influenced by the daily wind and waves due to the radical and rapid changes of global environment and climate resulting to the broader beach area or accretion by the deposition of soil at the coastline in some areas, or there might be no remaining beachfront area caused by the seawater erosion, that’s why the coastline area can be always changed, so we cannot use only the Global Positioning System or GPS: a space-based satellite navigation system to determine the exact location.

When anyone requests the government officer to inspect how far from the site to the coastline in different time, it might be at time or lowest tide or highest tide, so the result will be different each other, even neighborhood areas. In addition, the notification of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment “territory and environment protection measure for Phuket province B.E. 2546 (2003)” gave the definition that “coastline” means the line designated for the benefit of measurement according to this notification

deeming the natural highest tide as the criteria. From the definition, there must be a government agency to take control and determine the distance from the coastline around Phuket Island to be in compliance with the said notification, so the Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO) of Phuket has initiated the project to inspect and pin the control traverse marks at the coastline around Phuket Island by evaluating the ordinary highest tide level from the statistics of the tide meter at Koh Taphao Noi (Phuket) measured station, Hydrographic Department under Royal Thai Navy for the purpose that the government agencies and officers can use as a reference for the distance of the coastline around Phuket Island. When POA completed the project, Phuket Provincial Office of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) sent a letter of request for the information of the control traverse marks to be used as a guideline for the consideration of IEE approval. After that, in the committee meetings to approve IEE reports for the any projects situated near the coastline, the committee of experts will refer to the control traverse marks made by PAO for the consideration whereas most people still do not clearly and correctly understand for the term of coastline.

Currently, the government agencies are still unable to accurately determine the distance to be generally accepted among all government agencies and private sectors, so this is an oppressiveness of the officers; they are obliged to perform the job but if there is any mistake, they have to take responsibility. We hereby would like to plead for the understanding and sympathy toward the duty of the officers that they had to be blamed and got in trouble. Anyway, Eva Beach will not intervene the consideration of the judge at the Regional Administrative Court; it should be followed by the procedure of the justice which is quite meticulous and containing a lot of facts and concerning to many provisions of laws, it’s hard to clarify in full details.

Lastly, Eva Beach believes that if there is the revision of laws and regulations to be coherent as a single criteria or guideline to perform the job, all parties will not get into trouble, the government officers can work pleasantly, nobody would like to corrupt upon the vagueness of the law without fear of what might happen. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

Locals push change at ‘elitist’ temple The water supply station in Srisoonthon.

Residents complain about lack of water

R ESIDENTS OF BA AN Karn Kayha and Baan Lipon on Tuesday (March 31) complained they had had no water supply since the day before and demanded officials solve the problem.

Local residents of Moo Baan Karn Hayha 2 in Srisoonthon told reporters more than 114 homes had been affected.

Many people, they said, have had no water for daily use and consumption and have had to buy large containers of drinking water for bathing in.

Residents said that the water supply is the responsibility of Srisoonthon Municipality and they want officials to solve the problem fast.

The current Phuket News poll asks whether readers are affected by the drought. To take part, go to the website and click the “Poll” button at top right.

Wet season still weeks away, says weatherman THE THUNDER STORMS in the north and centre of Phuket early this week do not signal the end of the long dry season, the island’s weatherman says.

The forecast officer on duty at the Thailand Meteorological Department Southwest, who declined to give his name, told The Phuket News on Wednesday morning (April 1), “We are still in the dry season. We expect the rains to arrive in mid-April or early May.” However, there are chances of more thunder storms before that, he said, resulting from unstable weather conditions caused by the meeting of warm and cold fronts.

“The storms will usually last around one hour. They happen every year around this time.”

In the next couple of days, thundery showers are expected in some parts of Phuket, he added. @thephuketnews

Eakkapop Thongtub editor@classactmedia.co.th

A

group of residents from Patong held a protest at Wat Suwankiriwong in Patong last Friday morning (March 27), demanding that the temple, which they saw as élitist, treat rich and poor alike.

At 9:45am more than 50 people gathered outside of Wat Suwankiriwong on Phrabaramee Rd, at the foot of Patong Hill, some holding signs saying “Bodies of Tsunami victims not allowed,” “Closing temple to take a nap”, and “Same treatment for rich and poor”.

Protesters said that the abbot of the temple had refused a local family’s request to have a nine-day funeral at the temple.

The protest came after family members of a dead woman posted comments on Facebook indicating that her family was scheduled to have a nine-day funeral at the temple starting on March 16, but that the abbot had told them to cut it back to seven days.

Upset, the family moved the funeral to another temple on March 18 and alleged on Facebook that they would have been treated differently if they were rich.

When the protesters arrived, the abbot, Phra Kroo Poetipanyakorn, was leading monks and believers in a religious ceremony for the eighth day of the fifth waxing moon.

Pointing fingers: Kathu District Chief Sayan Chanachaiyawong (mauve shirt) and Pol Lt Col Akanit Danpitaksan meet with the protesters.

The crowd waited until the ceremony was over and the abbot emerged from the building, backed by some 20 supporters.

The protesters gave the abbot a list of demands: 1. The temple must allow both rich and poor families to hold funerals there.

2. The temple must allow both rich and poor family members to enter the monkhood there and the fee should depend upon the family̕s financial position.

3. Everybody should be treated the same.

4. Spaces in the temple should be free for public use when necessary.

5. A temple forum should be set up to allow residents to discuss problems.

Kathu District Chief, Sayan

Chanachaiyawong, Kathu police led by deputy superintendent Lt Col Akanit Danpitaksan and representatives of the Royal Navy came to help negotiate.

Phra Kroo Poetipanyakorn agreed that both rich and poor families could hold funerals at the temple.

He also agreed that both rich and poor families could send family members to enter the monkhood at the temple,

free of charge, and that the temple area will be free for all residents to use.

With regards to the protesters’ demand for a forum, it was agreed instead that the temple will allow residents to appoint a representative to serve on the temple committee.

It took more than three hours to reach agreement, after which the protesters left, satisfied with the outcome.

9

Fishing boat checkpoint aims to curb trafficking THE PHUKET FISHERIES Office on Wednesday (April 1) launched a fishing boat checkpoint which is aimed at helping Thailand lift itself out of Tier 3 of the US State Department̕ s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, and also at combatting IUU – illegal, unreported and unregulated – fishing.

Sompian Chalothon, the Chief of the Phuket Fish Marketing Organisation (FMO) told The Phuket News, “This morning we checked about 15 fishing boats. There have been slight delays in the checking because it is the first day, but I believe it will run smoothly soon.

“Staff from the FMO are on stand-by 24 hours a day to receive reports of arrivals and departures of fishing boats [and check them].”

He added that around 4,500 crew work in the fishing industry in Phuket, mainly Burmese.

Phuket joins nearby Southern provinces Chumpon, Ranong and Songkhla, which already have checkpoints in operation.

Opinion 10 OPINION

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

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STEVEN LAYNE Managing Editor editor@classactmedia.co.th From the USA; BA in Communication Arts from Bangkok University International College; six years’ experience at Nation Junior Magazine, Bangkok Recorder, Phuket. net, Farangs.com and Phuket Gazette.

ALASDAIR FORBES Executive Editor 087 884 9964 execeditor@classactmedia.co.th From the UK; 40 years as a journalist and editor on magazines and newspapers in the UK, Middle East, Hong Kong and Thailand: Cheshire Observer, Chester Chronicle, Saudi Gazette, Gulf Mirror, Gulf Construction, Gulf News, Hongkong Standard, Asian Business (Editor) and Phuket Gazette (Managing Editor for seven years).

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DALIA HILMI Life Editor

Taking steps before it’s too late

W

ith an unusually high number of suicides in recent weeks, it raises the question of just how many depressed people there are within society.

Are there any warning signs?

What can we do to try and prevent this from happening?

Just this last week, there were three suicides in just four days in Phuket, which include a 28-year-old woman on March 27, a 33-year-old man on March 29, and a 42-year-old man on March 30. See page 2.

One case that especially shook the island was when 21-year-old British tourist Liam Colven shot himself to death at Thalang shooting range earlier this month. The taxi driver who drove from his hotel to the range said he showed no sign of stress in the taxi, but that he did hear him argue with someone before he got into the vehicle, which goes back to the

editor1@classactmedia.co.th Originally from Canada; BA in Sociology from the University of Birmingham in the UK and an MA in Online/Print Journalism from the University of the Arts in London. Three years experience for Britain’s third-biggest publisher, Immediate Media, as well as Bauer Media and InStyle magazine.

MATTHEW POND News Editor editor3@classactmedia.co.th Originally from the UK; Has four years experience as editor and reporter for Phuketindex.com magazine and website, and InPhuket magazine.

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EDITORIAL

first question: were there any recognisable signs?

When news broke that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz of Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 appeared to have deliberately crashed the plane into the French Alps, it shook the world.

So much so that people are now demanding to know why he was allowed to fly the plane after it came out on Monday (March 30) that he had suffered from suicidal tendencies several years ago.

Indeed it is essential that we don’t, however, allow what is said about one individual to shape the way in which we regard people who go through episodes of mental health problems. Commenting on the Germanwings incident, UK Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said he did not want to see people shut out of work because of mental health problems, but that it was for employers

to decide what requirements they ask of employees.

Finally, news of Robin William’s death to apparent suicide last year, was said to be a result of severe depression. It would be difficult to think that such a hilarious, soft-hearted human, was the subject of depression, and it really does pose the question of how someone may appear on the outside. Is it a case of addressing the illness more publicly? Or simply reiterate the importance of kindness?

What is certain is that more needs to be done to help those who are depressed and help them feel that their problems are not isolated.

If you or anyone you know is feeling depressed or is in need of mental health services, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand at their 24-hour hotline 02-713-6791/6793.

TOP 10 STORIES ON thephuketnews.com

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Three dead as tour bus crashes off Phuket hill Flight from Phuket suffers engine failure Phuket beach club lambasted over ‘party’ elephant American arrested in Phuket for staying in Thailand illegally Phuket lawyer killed in crash in Satun Woman found hanging in rented Phuket room Motor show ‘pretties’ overheat Culture Ministry Phuket tour company ‘cheated of more than B1m’ Female Phuket restaurant owner shot to death Court forbids ‘Furious 7’ release in Thailand

Visit thephuketnews.com for all the latest news

HAVE YOUR SAY Confused about expensive Thai autos Re: Phuket Motoring: Why some cars cost more in Thailand I have to disagree in part with some of the contents of the article. The article indicates that some Thai manufactured cars are of a similar price to the same vehicles in Europe. However, if you look at this from another angle, every small car manufactured in Thailand I have investigated is considerably dearer in Thailand despite being manufactured here.

Example 1: A Nissan March 1.2 E CVT has a selling price in Thailand of 464,000 baht. The exact same car, but called a Micra, is imported from Thailand to Australia and sells for AUD$17,803.00 drive away. (B17,803 x 25 = B445,075).

This locally manufactured vehicle is B18,925 dearer than the same car in Australia and registration costs etc have to be added.

Example 2: A Suzuki Celerio GL CVT has a selling price in Thailand of B439,000. The exact same car, is imported

from Thailand to Australia and sells for AUD$13,990.00 drive away. (B13,990 x 25 = B349,750).

This locally manufactured vehicle is 89,250 baht dearer than the same car in Australia and registration costs etc have to be added. Example 3. A Suzuki Swift GA CVT has a selling price in Thailand of B469,000. The exact same car, is imported from Thailand to Australia and sells for AUD$16,490.00 drive away.

(B16,490 x 25 = 412,250 baht).

This locally manufactured vehicle is B56,750 dearer than the same car in Australia and registration costs etc have to be added. Example 4. A Suzuki Swift GL CVT has a selling price in Thailand of B507,000. The exact same car, is imported from Thailand to Australia and sells for AUD$17,490.00 drive away.

(B17,490 x 25 = B437,250).

This locally manufactured vehicle is B69,750 dearer than the same car in Australia and registration costs etc have to be added. I have found that the variance between the Thai price and the Australian price for the same vehicle (imported into Australia from Thailand) can be as high as B150,000,

and keep in mind aussie prices are drive away. Thai on road costs have to be added. I’m really at a loss to understand how locally manufactured motor vehicles are more expensive than they are in countries they are exported to.

TigerAndDog

Reply from author: Although domestically produced cars are not subject to the huge import taxes, they are still subject to some quite hefty taxes, specifically ‘Excise Tax’, but also ‘Interior Tax’ + ‘VAT’. These taxes are seen as a way of collecting vehicle taxes upfront.

Other countries apply higher annual vehicle registrations fees, road taxes, etc. whereas in Thailand these tend to be comparatively low. The Excise Tax Rate is currently linked to engine capacity and fuel type though this is expected to change next year when it will be linked to CO2 emissions.

Regardless, these combined taxes on domestically produced vehicles can add around 20 - 50 per cent on-top of the price of a typical car.

Perhaps this goes some way to explaining the difference in price when compared to

Australia or Europe.

Richard

Lifeguards are life savers!

Re: No Phuket beach lifeguards from tomorrow Last week, at Nai Harn beach, I watched the life guards, rescue 7 people from the current, 5 were Thai and 2 Falang. I and my two sons were in the water when they blew their whistles to clear everyone out due to a rip. They are amazing risking their lives for others. They were totally in control and monitoring the beach all day. One thing for sure, we will not be swimming if they are not on duty.

Kcook Really disturbing that every year the life guards are gone to negotiate a new contract. The officials should know by now to negotiate the new contract before the old one runs out. Very disappointing work from Phuket officials, again. Life guards do an awesome job, saving many people’s lives. They deserve to be treated better than they are.

TinkerBell

Have an opinion? Comment on stories at thephuketnews.com thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

THAILAND NEWS 11

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

employees Pongpat, Kamnan Poh Airport to be monitored to get sentences cut C onvicted “Godfather of Chon Buri” and disgraced policeman Pongpat Chayapan are among 178,000 prisoners whose sentences have been reduced or ended under a royal pardon issued by His Majesty the King to mark Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s 60th birthday yesterday (April 2).

Drug convicts and inmates with poor conduct were not among those pardoned by a royal decree, which came into effect Tuesday (March 31).

Of the total 178,000 pardon receivers, 38,000 were released and the rest had their jail sentences commuted to varying degrees, said Corrections Department director-general Wittaya Suriyawong.

Among those to have their sentences reduced was Somchai Khunploem, aka Kamnan Poh, who had five years and eight months deducted from his 30-year-plus sentence. He, however, already is 78.

Somchai, the so-called “Godfather of Chon Buri’’ was sentenced to 25 years for

Tachai Island still Tachai THE DEPARTMENT OF National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation denied on Saturday (March 28) that the name of Koh Tachai would be changed to “Sirivannavari”.

Department chief Niphon Chotibal said that the name of the island off Thai Muang district in Phang Nga province remained the same.

He issued the clarification one day after Jeerasak Chookwamdee, director-general of the Fifth Conservation Area Administration Office in Nakhon Sri Thammarat province, said that HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana had renamed the island after being impressed by its white sandy beaches and crystalclear water.

Mr Niphon said that the princess had visited Tachai and other islands from March 22-26 for a nature field trip as she was interested studying marine and coastal resources.

The island derived its name from a local resident called “Tachai” who first discovered it.

The island is a popular destination for holiday-makers and divers as it includes the “Tachai Pinnacle” dive spot. @thephuketnews

Some 178,000 prisoners nationwide were granted amnesty by His Majesty the King on Tuesday (March 31). masterminding the murder of his political rival Prayoon Sitthichoke, village chief of tambon Samet in Chon Buri’s Muang district, at a wedding reception in March 2003. He was also given a jail term of five years and four months for corruption involving the 1992 sale of a site in Khao Maikaew forest reserve for use as a garbage dump.

Mr Wittaya said former

chief of Criminal Investigation Bureau Pongpat Chayapan, convicts in his criminal network and members of the Suwadee family also had their sentences reduced, except jail terms for convictions on lese majeste charges.

Prisoners who had less than one year left to serve, disabled convicts, and those suffering from illnesses that cannot be cured in prison and who have

Angry mob halts re-enactment AN ANGRY MOB FORCED police to call off a crime reenactment Monday afternoon (March 30) involving a man accused of beating his twoyear-old stepson to death.

Police on Monday took Anon Pimmoo, 29, to the site where he allegedly killed the boy at the Ua-arthorn apartment building in Min Buri.

Soon after arriving at the scene, more than 100 people gathered and began hurling abuse at Mr Anon. Police say they were forced to bundle him into a van and call off the reenactment for his own safety.

Mr Anon was arrested after CCTV cameras captured him

attacking the boy last Thursday (March 26) on the stairwell of the apartment, they said. Footage of the assault was posted on Facebook sparking outrage on social media. The footage showed a man kicking and hitting the boy on the head. Mr Anon allegedly admitted to the killing, saying he was drunk and became angry when the boy refused to do as he was told.

already served more than three years, or half of their jail terms, also were released.

The decree also covered prisoners with good conduct whose remaining jail terms do not exceed two years, prisoners over 60-years-old with less than three years remaining, and first-time offenders younger than 20 who have served at least half their sentences.

Bangkok Post

SUVARNABHUMI AIRport director Prapon Pattamakijsakul Tuesday (March 31) ordered its private security subcontractors to strictly monitor work and behaviour of their employees after a subcontracted worker was arrested for stealing money from a passenger.

Mr Prapon also urged all subcontractors to monitor the behaviour of their fellow workers to prevent a repeat of the incident, which brought fresh scorn on the airport when reports of the theft went viral on social media.

He urged members of the public who see inappropriate or illegal conduct by airport employees to call the 24-hour 1722 hotline of the Airports of Thailand.

According to a statement released Tuesday (March 31) a woman identified as Surasvadee Thompson filed a complaint with Suvarnabhumi airport police accusing Roemroek Thongjattu, an employee of Asia Security Management, a provider of aviation-security services hired by the airport, of stealing S$50 (B1,187) from her son's wallet after he placed his belongings on the conveyor belt to be scanned on February 1.

Roemroek Thongjattu, a Suvarnabhumi airport security staff, was arrested for stealing money from a passenger last month. Photo: from Facebook of หน แู หม่ม แจ่ม สุดา ทอมป ส์ นั She said Mr Roemroek stole the money while manning an X-ray screening machine for international passengers on the east side of the terminal.

An airport security camera caught Mr Roemroek stealing the cash. The 26-year-old native of Surin was fired on February 6 and is facing prosecutions by police, it said.

The statement was released after Ms Surasvadee posted an image of Mr Roemroek and a message criticising the disgraceful conduct by Suvarnabhumi airport staff on her Facebook page on Sunday (March 29) and her post was widely shared on the internet. Bangkok Post

12 ASIA NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

Singapore honours Lee with grand state funeral

T

housands of people braved heavy rains on Sunday (March 29) to line major streets in Singapore for a final farewell to founding leader Lee Kuan Yew, who received a rare 21-gun salute before a state funeral attended by world dignitaries.

Officials said more than 450,000 people paid their last respects to the 91-year-old, who served as prime minister for 31 years, before his public wake ended in parliament on Saturday night (March 29).

“It has been a deeply moving experience,” his son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, said in a Facebook post thanking the public for honouring the former leader, who died on March 23 after seven weeks in hospital.

Families turned up early to catch choice spots along the 15-kilometre procession route from parliament to the National University of Singapore, where the state funeral started at 2:00pm.

“We are here today as a family to witness this historic moment. As Singaporeans we may have our differences, but when it comes to a crunch we stand together. That is what Singapore is about and that is

The ceremonial gun carriage bearing Singapore’s late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew passes by during his funeral procession in Singapore on March 29, 2015.

Mr Lee’s legacy,” said teacher Joel Lim, 35.

Lee became Singapore’s first prime minister in 1959, when the island gained self-rule from colonial ruler Britain.

Singapore became a republic in 1965 after a brief and stormy union with Malaysia.

Lee stepped down in 1990 in favour of his deputy Goh Chok Tong, who in turn was succeeded by Lee’s son.

Shortly after midday, Lee’s dark brown wooden casket, draped in the red-and-white Singapore flag, left parliament in a glass case atop a gun car-

riage pulled by an open-topped ceremonial Land Rover.

It passed by landmarks associated with the Britishtrained lawyer’s 60-year political career.

Howitzers gave Lee a 21gun salute normally reserved for sitting heads of state, even though he was just an MP when he died.

Four F-16 fighter jets from the Air Force’s aerial display team, the Black Knights, done a formation known as “The Missing Man”, with one of the planes peeling away to signify Lee’s passing.

During the state funeral, sirens sounded for the nation to observe a minute of silence for their former leader.

Former US president Bill Clinton led the American delegation that also included former secretary of state Henry Kissinger, a close friend of Lee. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, South Korean President Park Geun-Hye, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Malaysian King Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah and Brunei’s

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah were among the leaders attending the funeral.

Singapore’s former colonial ruler Britain was represented

by Leader of the House of Commons William Hague, who earlier served as foreign secretary.

Lee is revered by Singaporeans for his economic and social legacy but criticised by rights groups for sidelining political opponents, muzzling the press and clamping down on civil liberties.

Singapore has one of the highest GDP per capita incomes in the world at $56,284 in 2014, up from a mere $516 when it gained independence.

Ninety per cent of Singaporeans own their homes, thanks to a public housing scheme launched by Lee, and the country enjoys one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

Its highly paid civil service is consistently ranked among the world’s most honest.

But development has created fresh problems, topped by a rapidly ageing population, making Singapore dependent on foreigners who now make up nearly 40 per cent of its 5.5 million population.

AFP

UN, Myanmar leader hail ‘historic’ draft ceasefire pact

President of Myanmar Thein Sein (left) shakes hand with Naing Han Tha (centre), leader of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team. Photo: EPA

MYANMAR’S PRESIDENT on Tuesday (March 31) signed a draft national ceasefire with armed rebel groups that the UN hailed as a “historic and significant achievement” as the country tries to end decades of civil war.

Reformist leader Thein Sein, who has placed a national ceasefire agreement at the heart of efforts to shake off the legacy of military rule, said an end to the fighting was within reach – even though unrest continues

in northern border areas.

“The people need peace, they desire peace and they expect peace,” he told representatives of 16 major ethnic minority armed groups at the draft signing ceremony in Yangon on Tuesday, adding that a full agreement could be inked in months.

“After that is signed, the road is open for political dialogue. This action will ensure the peace builders a place in Myanmar’s history,” he said

at the gathering.

His surprise appearance came after a breakthrough in talks was announced on Monday (March 30), with representatives from the rebels, army and government agreeing a tentative deal that sets out a framework for a countrywide ceasefire.

But the draft will only be officially signed after a conference of the ethnic armed groups, for which no date has so far been set. Bangkok Post

Violent crime against tourists and expatriates is generally rare in Malaysia. Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas

Malaysian sentenced to death for Brits murders A MALAYSIAN COURT convicted and sentenced a local fishmonger to death on Tuesday (March 31) for the murder of two British medical students last year, his defence lawyer said.

Zulkipli Abdullah, 24, was found guilty of stabbing to death Neil Dalton and Aidan Brunger in the city of Kuching last August after an argument in a bar.

“He was found guilty. The judge accepted the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses,” Zulkipli's lawyer Anthony Tai told AFP. The two victims, both 22-years-old, were students from Britain's Newcastle University who were on a six-week work placement with a local hospital in the city, located in Borneo island's Sarawak state.

Police have said the two students were found dead on the morning of August 6 following an argument with several local men that began in a Kuching bar.

Five Malaysian men were later arrested but only Zulkipli was charged.

Police had said earlier that the four others would not face charges but would appear as prosecution witnesses.

Zulkipli faces death by hanging.

Bangkok Post

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WORLD NEWS 13

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

Who should be punished, prostitutes or clients?

F

rench senators on Monday (March 30) started to debate whether the law should punish prostitutes or their clients, as France resumes a divisive discussion on how to crack down on the world’s oldest profession.

The legislation completely revises a bill passed by France’s lower house in 2013 that never took effect.

That bill would have repealed a 2003 law that made offering sex for sale a crime and would have instead pushed the onus on to clients, making them subject to a fine.

The draft legislation passed by the lower house, the National Assembly, two years ago made clients of prostitutes liable for a fine of 1,500 euros (B52,600) for a first offence and more than double that for subsequent breaches.

But under the revamped bill on the Senate floor from Monday, prostitutes would continue to face fines of up to 3,750 euros (B131,600) and two months in prison for selling sex, yet the previous provision of fining clients would be dropped.

Both versions of the legislation have drawn fierce opposition from sex workers who say they would simply push prostitution further

Sexual work union (STRAS) members gather to protest against a plan to penalize the clients of prostitution, on March 28, in Paris. PHOTO: AFP/Jacques Demarthon underground and make the women who earn their living from it more vulnerable to abuse.

Hundreds of prostitutes – many South American and Chinese, and many wearing masks – took to the streets of Paris on Saturday (March 28) to protest the proposed laws.

“Prostitution is legal in France,” said Franceline Lepany, who advocates for sex workers’ rights. “This

bill seeks to even further stigmatise prostitutes.”

Paying or accepting payment for sex currently is not, in itself, a crime in France. But soliciting, pimping – which includes running brothels – and the sale of sex by minors are prohibited.

“We must go after the mafia, not these women,” said Senator Esther Benbassa at Saturday’s protest. “We

Alps crash pilot had suicidal tendencies in the past THE CO-PILOT BELIEVED to have deliberately crashed a Germanwings plane into the French Alps was classified as suicidal “several years ago” but had appeared more stable of late, German prosecutors said Monday (March 30).

As investigators in both countries tried to zero in on a potential motive, it emerged that the first officer, Andreas Lubitz, was receiving treatment from neurologists and psychiatrists who had written him off sick from work a number of times.

However, doctors had recently found no sign he intended to hurt himself or others, said Ralf Herrenbrueck, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office in Duesseldorf.

Meanwhile investigators sifting through the wreckage and hundreds of body parts in the French Alps were forced to resume the hunt on foot as bad weather hampered helicopter flights.

“The teams will get to the site via the path that is already in existence,” said Yves Naffrechoux of the local mountain police.

Authorities are hoping to @thephuketnews

French soldiers patrol near the site where a Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed on March 24. Photo: AFP identify more DNA from the 150 people who died, as well as locate the jet’s second black box that should provide more clues as to the circumstances of the tragedy.

Forensic teams have isolated almost 80 distinct DNA strands from the shattered aircraft and have described the grim task as “unprecedented” given the tricky mountain terrain and the speed at which the plane smashed into the rock.

Investigators evaluating voice recorder data say copilot Lubitz allegedly locked his captain out of the cockpit and slammed the plane into a French mountainside last Tuesday (March 24).

The flight, en route to Duesseldorf from Barcelona, crashed at a speed of 700 kilometres (430 miles) an hour, instantly killing all on board. AFP

have taken a step backwards. And all this to give society a veneer of morality.”

- Fierce debate The move to decriminalise prostitution and put the responsibility on clients was inspired by similar legislation on the books since 1999 in Sweden.

France’s government argues the bill aims to prevent violence against

women and protect the large majority of prostitutes who are victims of trafficking gangs.

However, the legislation sparked a fierce debate in France over whether criminalising prostitutes’ clients would have the effect of reducing the sex trade.

Sweden’s anti-prostitution law, which exposes clients to possible six-month prison terms and incomerelated fines, has reduced street prostitution by half since it was adopted, but it is not clear how much of that trade has simply moved to the Internet.

Independent prostitute Josiane in Paris said penalising clients would be a boon for pimps.

“We’ve been talking about this for 18 months and they have had all that time to buy apartments,” she said.

“And those of us who work on the street, so that our clients aren’t penalised, will be forced to ask these pimps to rent us something,” she added.

There are an estimated 30,000 sex workers in France, more than 80 per cent of whom, according to the interior ministry, are from eastern Europe, Africa, China and South America. Bangkok Post

14 BUSINESS NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

Thailand ‘must improve its industrial ability’ THE GOVERNMENT HAS launched policies it believes will move Thailand up a notch in the industrial sector and enable its annual economic growth to surpass an average 4-5 per cent a year, says Deputy Prime Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula.

MR Pridiyathorn said that initiatives are underway to move Thailand to the next level of economic development.

“This is a period of action for the future. It is a period of building a base,” he said.

For decades, economic growth depended on exports and manufacturing. But exports have slowed and in the past four years annual GDP has not exceeded 5pc. Many Thai products face competition from neighbouring Asean countries.

“Our first strategy is to develop a new category of products, which will make us competitive,” MR Pridiyathorn said.

The Board of Investment has come up with a list of hightech product lines which will attract promotional privileges,

the deputy PM said.

For example, Thailand has advanced food supply chain capabilities. Now, promotional privileges will be given to the production of medical food with active nutrients.

It’s a similar story for the production of eco-friendly polymers and hygienic pulp and paper, the deputy PM said.

Thailand should also move from the production of eco-cars to the production of hybrid and electric cars, he said.

Production of normal spare parts will move on to production of high technology, security, and energy-conservation spare parts, which are needed for the production of hybrid and electric cars.

The government has come up with a list of new items to attract promotional privileges, which it hopes will attract more foreign investors.

The government has held roadshows in Japan to explain its promotional initiatives.

Many firms showed interest and started talks on where to head next. Bangkok Post

The business end of a pack of cigarettes, which will soon cost about B1 more. Photo Curtis Perry

New sports fund raises ‘sin’ taxes T

he retail prices of cigarettes, beer and liquor have been raised by around 2 per cent after the new sports tax took effect last Friday (March 27).

The retail prices per pack of cigarettes rose between B0.80 and B1 from B30-40 a packet on average, according to a report in Matichon newspaper.

Beer retail prices were

hiked by B1 to B1.20 baht a can or bottle.

Retail prices of cheap liquor priced at around B100 a bottle rose B2 a bottle. The prices for other types vary due to intense competition but liquor producers and importers have said they will pass on the tax to consumers soon.

Prices can be expected to rise when stocks of tobacco and alcohol taxed at the old

rate run out. The price hikes come after the gazetting of a new sports fund which will be supported by the money from the tax hikes.

Tobacco and alcohol taxes already fund the Thai Health Promotion Foundation to the tune of B3 billion a year and public TV operator Thai PBS to the tune of B2 billion a year.

The 2pc sports tax is calculated from the excise tax

the producers normally pay each year. Based on the latest figures, the hike should bring B3 billion to the sports fund.

The Education Ministry is also pushing for a fund to promote learning quality. If this push succeeds, tobacco and alcohol prices can be expected to rise a further 1.5pc, generating another B2-3 billion a year for education.

Bangkok Post

Govt moves to stop ‘leaks’ in aid PRIME MINISTER GEN Prayut Chan-Ocha has announced that all income earners in the country must register so that the government can ensure precisely that all government aid reaches those who are

genuinely in need of help.

Agriculture Minister Pitipong Phuengboon Na Ayudhaya said after a meeting of the cabinet that the PM had aired his concern that aid should reach the right people.

He said every time aid had been delivered, there was always feedback from people that it had not reached them.

He then came out with suggestion that all income earners be registered so that the government will know exactly who needs help.

The prime minister stressed that the registration was not aimed at collecting more tax from people currently flying below the taxman’s radar, but was intended purely to enable the government to know who needs state assistance, and where they live.

Registration must include ID and addresses so that aid will definitely reach them, Mr Pitipong said.

The PM wanted all people, not just farmers, but also vendors, merchants, traders and labourers, to be registered.

He urged the Interior, Finance and Agriculture ministries to work together to register all income earners by the end of the current fiscal year, which ends September 30.

This was to ensure that after the rice or rubber harvesting season, any aid scheme would be clear-cut, with no “leakages” of assistance funds, Mr Pitipong said. Thai PBS thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

BUSINESS NEWS 15

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

More Thai-Chinese guides ‘could solve rudeness problem’ THE THAI-CHINESE TOURism Alliance Association (TCTA) has urged the government, particularly local administration offices, to recruit more tour guides who can speak Chinese, in order to keep up with the increasing number of Chinese tourists who travel on their own rather than in tour groups.

The President of the TCTA, Kasian Wattanachawpisut, said that having more guides would increase the number of FIT Chinese viitors to Thailand, and the guides could also advise Chinese visitors on how to conduct themselves according

to Thai traditions and culture.

Repeated instances of Chinese tourists behaving in ways that offend Thais have been reported in the Thai press in the past year.

The TCTA earlier discussed the matter of ill-mannered Chinese tourists in Thailand with the Chinese Embassy in Thailand.

The embassy indicated that Thai officials could punish visitors who break the rules, just as they do with other nationalities, but urged the public to be understanding when it comes to Chinese tourists committing offences against etiquette.

NNT

Asia-Pacific air travel up 11.9pc ieebruary THAILAND MAY HAVE its aviation woes (see lead story, right) but aviation numbers in the rest of the countries in the region are booming.

Preliminary traffic figures from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) for the month of February 2015 show strong growth in both international air passenger and air cargo markets.

An aggregate total of 21.8 million international passengers flew on the region’s carriers in February, an 11.9 per cent increase compared with the same month last year, boosted by strong leisure travel demand during the Chinese New Year.

Measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), international passenger demand increased by 9.9pc, underscoring particularly robust growth in regional travel markets.

Traffic growth exceeded the 8.0pc expansion in available seat capacity, resulting in a 1.3-point increase in the average international passenger load

factor to 78.1pc for the month, in contrast to the general trend of slightly weaker load factors seen over the past year.

Commenting on the results, Andrew Herdman, AAPA Director General, said, “The timing of the Chinese New Year holiday period affects the monthly comparisons, but taken together, the first two months of the year saw an 8.2pc increase in international passengers carried by Asia Pacific airlines to a combined total of 44.3 million, buoyed by healthy demand to major holiday destinations in the region.”

Looking ahead, Mr Herdman said, “The demand outlook for Asian carriers remains broadly positive, supported by the benefits of lower oil prices.

Nevertheless, Asian airlines are having to carefully match capacity growth with actual demand, whilst coping with the effects of increased currency volatility affecting both costs and revenues.”

Asia Travel Tips

PM leaps to tackle flights ban crisis P

rime Minister General Prayut Chan-Ocha is to invoke Section 44 of the interim charter to deal with the recent partial prohibition of Thai-registered airlines to Japan, South Korea and China.

The premier’s decision follows a report that South Korea and China have joined Japan in effectively banning new flights by Thai carriers by implementing exhaustive safety standards. These will affect more than 150,000 passengers in April and May. Gen Prayut said the government is paying attention to the problem and he has to use his power under Section 44 to form a special panel to tackle the issue immediately.

The solution requires pushing ahead the restructuring of the Thai Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), making changes to the law, and allocating budgets, all of which would normally take some time.

With his special power under Section 44, the PM said he can give relevant orders for the changes immediately. “We need to act as soon as possible to solve the problems,” he said.

The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) recently announced it would not allow new chartered and scheduled flights operated by Thai-registered airlines into Japan, a move seen as a reaction to concerns expressed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) over DCA standards.

Gen Prayut said the ICAO had expressed concerns about the DCA for a long time, back when Thailand was handling 300,000 flights a year. Now, the number of flights passing through the country has doubled, to 600,000, yet the ICAO’s concerns have yet to be addressed.

Gen Prayuth: Politicians failed to address the problems. Photo AFP “What happened? There are only 12 DCA officers responsible for [all] the flights,” the prime minister said.

He said he could not blame the DCA chief since he has persistently raised the problems but politicians did not solve them.

“This is our mistake, and we have to concede that we violated the rules and we must find ways to address the problem,” Gen Prayut said.

DCA chief Somchai Phiphutthawat said airlines affected by Japan’s announcement during the long Songkran festival next month are Thai AirAsia X, Asia Atlantic and NokScoot.

Korean aviation authorities also told the three airlines directly about the ban on their charter flights, he said. Chinese aviation authorities have prohibited charter flights by Thai

AirAsia X, Orient Thai Airlines and Skyview Airways.

About 400 f lights and 150,000 passengers are affected by the ban, according to Mr Somchai.

Transport Minister Prajin Juntong said the DCA proposed a plan to deal with ICAO safety concerns on March 2 but the ICAO rejected it, saying the two-year time frame for solving it was too long.

As a result, the authorities have agreed to tweak the plan so the changes can take effect in eight months. The new plan will be proposed to the ICAO on April 7.

ACM Prajin admitted the government is concerned the ban will have a “domino” effect, with other countries also banning additional flights by Thai airlines.

He said the DCA explained its work to the JCAB on March

26-27, and will talk to Korean and Chinese authorities on Friday (April 3) and next Monday (April 6) respectively. It will also meet aviation authorities in Australia and Germany.

Meanwhile, Charoen Wangananont, secretary-general of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said Japan’s ban on Thai flights could result in a drop of at least 2,000 Japanese visitors to Thailand next month.

They earlier booked flights on Asia Atlantic Airlines and Jet Asia Airways, which have stopped flying their planes to Japan for fear the aircraft would not be allowed to fly back, he said.

The 2,000 does not include those on Thai Airways International’s chartered flights on the Bangkok-Komatsu and Bangkok-Hiroshima routes, which have also been suspended.

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16 WEIRD NEWS

THE BIG LIST Criminally laughable These masterminds know how to get the job done, especially against themselves.

A bad batch: W hen 53-year- old Juanita Marie Jones wants her crack cocaine, it better be strong – real strong.

Back in August 2007, the woman successfully (and criminally) purchased and ingested some crack. The problem is that it was too weak and she feared that the she had been ripped off. So, naturally, she called the police to get her money back. After officers arrive to the Rochelle, Georgia home in the United States, she explained to police the situation and was promptly arrested for possession of crack.

Face mask: Magic markers were (unsuccessfully) used in a robbery in Carrol, Iowa back in October 2009. The would-be culprits, 23-year-old Matthew Alan McNelly and 20-year-old Joey Lee Miller, were arrested after breaking into an apartment wearing black hooded sweatshirts and “masks” that were drawn on with magic markers. A witness spotted them and called police, who stopped them in their getaway vehicle a few blocks from the site of the robbery.

Big sleep: Burglar y is a tiring business, and it’s easy to fall asleep on the job. This is what happened last September in Sarasota, Florida when 29-year-old Dion Davis was rudely woken up by the housekeeper of the home he was still robbing. Davis had fallen asleep in the master bedroom next to a plastic bag full of the jewelry he was set to steal. When police arrived, the man was still sleeping and then snapped a photo of the snoozing bandit before he could learn that he was caught.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Japan official sacked over fake funeral claims civil servant who made up deaths, and even claimed he was going to the same person’s funeral twice, has been sacked in Japan.

Shigenori Natori was fired from his job managing public parks in Sendai, northeastern Japan, after taking 16 days of bereavement leave over a five-year period, supposedly because of the deaths of 12 relatives.

Natori, 60, forged documents using the names of people who were still alive, or who never even existed in the first place, a city official said last Friday (March 27).

But he was rumbled in January when he tried to claim time off for the funeral of an uncle. Bosses noticed they had already granted compassionate leave for

A

that man’s funeral.

“Since I had used up my paid holidays, I submitted documents for mourning leave. I’m sorry,” Natori said, according

to the city spokesman.

Natori was dismissed – weeks ahead of his retirement – and had his lump sum cut in half as punishment.

AFP

Butterflies stomped to death DOZENS OF KIDS stomped hundreds of butterflies to death during an event in Chengdu, China last Saturday (March 28).

A furniture shop in the southerwestern Chinese city held their event at a local park and invited families to celebrate. The shop had hoped that the butterflies, which would be released from ornamental boxes, would fly away with dozens of kids chasing after them in a joyous occasion.

Instead, the butterflies – which had been flown in from China’s Yunnan Province – could barely muster up the energy to fly away. Instead, almost all of them eventually fell on a stage that was setup for the event.

Porcupine unearths 1,400-yearold lamp Chinese media reported that the kids ended up stampeding the stage, stomping on the butterflies as their parents looked on. Event organisers would later apologise for the unfortunate incident.

A foreign newspaper, later recanting the story, said that the butterflies did not fly because they were in a much chillier foreign climate and did not have the strength to fly away.

Blood trail: In March 2004, Carlos Henrique Auad robbed a television set from a bar in Petropolis, Brazil and got away with it. Riding high on the successful robbery, the 29-year-old decided to try it again and, this time he had an audacious plan: he would careen down from the roof with a gun! Unfortunately, the gun went off as he fell through the roof and accidentally shot himself in the right foot. He promptly walked home where he was later arrested. Police had followed the blood trail that led to his home.

Fencing: In September 1989, Stephen Le and two juveniles were caught red-handed stealing from a pickup truck in Larkspur, California. The owner of the truck chased them and hailed a police car. As they were chased, Le and one of his accomplices climbed a fence to avoid capture.

But soon the two culprits noticed they had unwittingly climbed the wrong fence as it was the very same strucuture that surrounded the San Quention prison. Both Le and his accomplice were charged with auto burglary and trespassing on state property.

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

Would-be robber breaks leg, calls ambulance in Japan A HAPLESS ARMED ROBber in his 60s broke his leg while holding up a convenience store in Japan – and then used the shop’s payphone to call an ambulance, according to a report and police.

The inept thief tussled

with a 35-year-old store clerk after threatening him with a knife in Chiba, east of Tokyo, last Sunday (March 29).

The crook was disarmed in the struggle, which saw him fall to the ground and break his leg before hobbling out of the shop, the local

China Nippo newspaper reported.

In increasing pain and unable to get very far, the unnamed man limped back an hour later and used the payphone at the store to summon an ambulance, the paper said.

AFP

A PORCUPINE WHO dug his burrow at an Israeli site rich with ancient treasures unearthed a 1,400-year-old ceramic lamp, the Israeli antiquities authority said last Wednesday (March 25).

Archaeological “police,” on a routine visit to the late Roman and Byzantine site of Horbat Siv in central Israel looking for thieves, noticed a pile of dirt next to the entrance to a burrow.

There they found the lamp.

“Porcupines are excellent archaeologists who know how to dig,” Ira Horovitz, an antiquities official, said on the authority’s website.

“With the countr y having numerous archaeological sites, porcupines show up and build their shelters among underground remains. They push the soil expertly toward the surface, along with all sorts of objects.”

Despite the lucky find, the authority issued a humourous warning to Israel’s porcupines, telling them to “refrain from digging in archaeological sites without permission, which is a crime”. AFP thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

The very best of Thalang beauty

’ROUND THE WORLD

Couple sell everything to embark on world cycling journey > Page 9

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2

Goldie, Eka in mini music festival

8

2 CULTURE

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FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Princess pageant show displays island beautty

T Celebrating Chakri

T

his Monday, April 6 is Chakri Day, held to commemorate the founding “Father” of the current Chakri Dynasty, King Rama I. King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (March 20, 1737 to September 7, 1809). Known by his full Royal title as “Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramoruraja Maha Chakri Borommanat Phraphutthayotfa Chulalok” the King ascended the Siamese throne in 1782, after defeating a rebellion which had deposed King Taksin of Thonburi. He moved the capital from Thonburi, on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River over to the opposite bank, which marks the start of what is known as the Rattana Kosin historical period.

he fairgrounds next to the Heroine’s Monument last week were livened with lots of colour, sound and pristine, local beauty, as 26 lovely beauties vied for top honours in the annual “Tao Thepkrasattri Princess” beauty pageant.

Whoever said that Thailand’s most beautiful women come from Chiang Mai in the North, Ubon Ratchathani in the Northeast or Ratchaburi in Central Thailand – obviously have never attended Phuket’s beauty pageants.

And the crown of this year’s Tao Thepkrasattri Princess pageant went to Number 2, Ms Sirinpha Phabteja, who was gifted a handful of prizes and B10,000 cash; the first runner up was Number 12, Ms Kittima Yodsoi who took home prizes and B8,000 cash; the Second runner up was Number 4 Ms Rujira Nasawat, who took home prizes and B6,000 cash.

The people’s favourite vote went to Ms Number 7, Ms Jiraporn Pratip Na Thalang, who also received prizes and B6,000 cash.

The pageant, held on March 24, was presided over by Vice Governor Chamroen Thipayapongthada

as well as Mayor of Sisunthon, Worawut Songyot, who explained in a speech to a captivated audience, that the pageant is not only about picking a beautiful girl to

showcase Phuket beauty, but about honouring Phuket’s unique culture, dress, history and ancestors, for whose bravery Phuketians owe their lives to.

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HISTORY 3

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Elephants, tin and an awful lot of pirates Alasdair Forbes exeditor@classactmedia.co.th

They both rob and take people for slaves and transport them to Aceh and there make sale of them and Junkcelon often feels the weight of their depredations

In a painting dating from the late 17th Century a Dutch ship fires its guns. The pirates around Phuket learned to avoid such ships after being ‘burned… several times in the crackling fire of the Franks (farangs)’

@thephuketnews

P

huket was a very different place 400 years ago. The island and its surrounding coasts, indeed, the whole Malay peninsula, were thinly populated, lawless and wild during most of the 17th century.

A French writer on an expedition to Phuket in 1686 to check its suitability for a colony, reported that there were “but a few inhabitants on the island, perhaps six thousand persons adult and child, and the surrounding areas are even more sparsely populated”.

He wrote that there was “nothing beautiful, good, rare nor curious in this place”.

The people were “a little wild, or to put it in a better way, less polite than those in other areas of this kingdom of Syam…

“They apply themselves to nothing that is curious, they cultivate neither science nor art, their occupation consists solely in cutting wood, sowing rice, and digging the ground in order to find the entrails of tin which is the greatest wealth of the country”.

The most comprehensive descriptions by a Westerner were written by Thomas Bowrey, an early English merchant adventurer who traded around the Bay of Bengal between 1669 and 1688.

He wrote the first English Malay dictionary, and was the first Englishman in the east to describe the effects of marijuana after he and some shipmates drank Bangue, an Indian marijuana beer.

He describes spending one very stoned afternoon, “sweating profusely”, in a small, hot room, with some shipmates, four of whom “lay on carpets highly complimenting each other, each man fancying himself no less than an emperor”.

Another was “terrified with fear, wept bitterly all afternoon” and the last, “was quarrelsome, and fought with one of the wooden pillars of the porch until he had left himself little skin upon the knuckles”.

Bowrey frequently stayed in Phuket during his 19 years trading in the region. He described the island as “a very mountainous and woody country, not one tenth part of it is made use of more than by the wild elephants and tigers.…all the fruit this country affordeth is coconut, pantun, samcau and betele, save the wild calabashes that grow in the woods, an excellent food for the wild monkeys…some of them of a very large

stature with great teeth”.

The island was covered with thick jungle and many huge trees and giant bamboos, which Bowrey felt “are more serviceable than all the wood in the country besides”.

The coast of Phuket and the region were primarily inhabited by Malays, a “resolute…roughish, sullen, ill natured people”.

He wrote that the inhabitants of Phuket generally spoke Malay “from their intercourse with that people” and felt the Thais, or “natural Syamers”, were friendlier than the Malays, “for the most part a very civil good humoured people” who stayed inland and made up the main villages of Baan Don and Baan Lipon.

These two villages traditionally provided the local élite Siamese families who were often the island’s rulers, or at least formed the ruling council to any outside governor appointed by Ligor (the European name for Nakhon Sri Thammarat) or the King.

Provisions on the island were “not very plenty”, not many “Cattle or fowle”, although the governor did provide Bowrey with “henns ducks cocnuts plantains etc” and seafood abounded. The rice was excellent but “scarcely enough to subsist with the whole year”. Foodstuffs including rice, salt, butter and oil from “Gingalee” (Bengal), were brought up from Keddah.

“The whole island affordeth nothinge save some elephants and tinne, that are fit for transportation and tinne they have in abundance and were they industrious they might have tenne times as much”.

Bowrey mentions three ports on the island with “very excellent roads” (harbours), but the entrance to their rivers were very shallow, not afordinge more than seven foot”. He mentions one harbour as “Lippone”. Baan Lipon at the time was the main town of Phuket and seems always to have been in the interior of Thalang so he probably meant Tharua, as the port used to access both Baan Lipon and Baan Don in Thalang. The other was “Buckett” most likely Phuket city’s harbour today, and the last port he called “Banquala”, which he describes as being on the southwest coast and a safe almost landlocked harbour. This can only be Patong, and Banquala is probably where the road Soi Bangla gets its name.

Originally Soi Bangla would have been the path that led from Patong (palm forest) vil-

lage, which sat inland on the Klong near Wat Patong today, down to Banquala or ‘Bangla’ Bay. There was also a port called Bangklhi on the mainland just north of the Pakpra channel near Kokloi today. This was the port that serviced the mines of Takuatung and the western Phang Nga region.

The islands all round Phuket were the haunt of the ‘Salang’ sea gypsy pirates referred to by the 17th and 18th century Europeans as “Salateers”.

Bowrey noted they were a nomadic people, “great seamen” and “formidable” raiders. “The sailateers are absolute Pirates and are often cruiseinge about Jansalone and the Pulo Sambelon Isles near this shore. They are subject to no manner of government and have many cunninge places to hide themselves and their men of warre prows in upon the maine of the Malay shore”.

The salateers plagued Phuket. In the 1720’s, a Scottish merchant captain, Alexander Hamilton, wrote that “between Mergui and Junkceylon … the sea coast is very thin of inhabitants because there are a great numbers of … saleteers who inhabit the islands along the sea coast. They both rob and take people for slaves and transport them to Aceh and there make sale of them and Junkcelon often feels the weight of their depredations”.

These Salateers, however, mainly avoided European trading ships armed with cannon and grapeshot. A Persian traveller in the 1680s wrote, “They have many ships, small boats and dinghies which they … stationed in certain places for the sake of robbery and capturing helpless travellers.

“As soon as they catch sight of a ship they pursue it and open fire once they are within range. They will struggle to capture a ship as long as their life’s soul remains within them.

“They will attack any vessel except one which belongs to the Franks (Farangs) as these pirates have already burned themselves several times in the crackling fire of the Franks”.

Adapted with permission from A History of Phuket and the Surrounding Region by Colin Mackay. Available from bookshops or Amazon.com. See also historyofphuket.com

4 EDUCATION

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

KIS opens Year 10

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

From left: Cherish, Nicola, Kannika and Kylie

A

pproaching the end of its third year of operations, it’s proving to be an exciting and busy time for Kajonkiet International School (KIS) staff, students, administrators and parents.

KIS is pleased to announce the opening of its Key Stage 4 programme this coming school year, with a lot of other good news to report.

To learn more, The Phuket News sat down with Ms Nicola Chokkuea, Head of Primary and EYFS Deputy Director (Academic), as well as Cherish Trakarnboonchai, Deputy Director (Non-Academic) and Kannika Krabeetong, Head of Business Administration.

First and foremost, the school is excited to announce that from this August, the school’s pioneering class will become the piloting Year 10 class, and continue as the school’s first Year 11 class next year.

For those not familiar with the British schooling model, Year 10 and 11 are equivalent to the high school freshman and sophomore years in the US, or 15 and 16 years old, respectively.

“When we started three years ago (2011) we only went up to year 6, or 11 years of age, or up to Key Stage 2,” explained Cherish.

Nicola added, “We decided to open it

stage by stage to ensure we – the teachers, curriculum and facilities – were ready, and so that our children are moving up with us. We feel that this is the best way to make a winning, solid school, and that there are no gaps.”

“If you open a whole school at once, you’ve got children coming in late in their development from elsewhere, and you don’t know what they’ve done previously. So we’ve done it stage by stage for a strong foundation for the school.”

She noted that the certification and licensure process began before the school even opened, in 2010.

“We started by applying for a license from the British Council in Bangkok, which validates that the curriculum is what we say it is,” noted Ms Kannika.

She explained that obtaining the BC license was a necessary step since the school wasn’t going to use the Thai curriculum. But before the school would be allowed to open, or offer any new programmes, it needs approval from the local educational authority – the Phuket Primary Educational Service Area Office (PPESAO).

Likewise, when it opened Key Stage 3, the school had to apply for a license from the BC and PPESAO, and has just completed the process for Key Stage 4, awaiting one final visit from PPESAO reps later this month.

“While the BC validates curriculum and assessment tools, the PPESAO examines the entire school operations, verifying that all the facilities, teaching staff and materials are up to standard,” explained Ms Nicola.

“Now that we’re in Key Stage 4, the students will be doing their IGCSEs (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations next year,” she added.

The school plans to offer 26 IGCSE courses initially.

Nicola explained that under the IGCSE curriculum model, over the course of two years most students will take 10 courses, including the core requirements for English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

The other electives include advanced courses and special interest subjects such as Travel & Tourism, Drama, Music, Art and Design, Design and Technology, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Global Perspectives, Accounting, Economics, Physical Education, History, Geography and Religious Studies, for example.

Unlike other curriculum models, in which students study a subject for only 8-10 weeks before moving on, the IGCSE coursework facilitates an effective twoyear frame for students to master subject material.

The IGCSE will be followed by A-

Year 9 (10-to-be) Art class. levels, or Key Stage 5 – Year 12 and 13 – which KIS is looking forward to implementing in due time.

Onwards and upwards

Meanwhile, the school has been busy getting accredited.

As part of the initial process, The Office of Private Education Commission (OPEC) visited KIS on March 17 to assess the school’s overall operations.

The school achieved an outstanding 99.5 per cent score out of 100.

OPEC will now pass on their findings to ONESQA (Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment), which all schools in Thailand have to go through.

ONESQA is due to visit KIS in May. Concurring with Thai accreditation, KIS has also initiated accreditation with the CfBT (Centre for British Teachers), one of four world-recognised international accreditation bodies.

As part of the process, Nicola, as Deputy Director for Academics, along with head counsellor Kylie Millar – who was nominated as lead evaluator for the accreditation process – have been attending special CfBT preparation conferences in Bangkok, and the school anticipates an initial visit by CfBT to happen by the end of the current academic year.

HeadStart welcomes OPEC:

HeadStart International School recently welcomed a team of 40 school administrators and teachers from the deep south of Thailand. OPEC (Office of Private Education Commission) recommended the REO (Region Education Office) to visit HeadStart. The meeting was held in the library. The focus of their visit was to see how the school have developed from home school to a successful international school within a few years. The school management team gave presentations about teaching and learning as well as an assembly by Year 7 students.

BISP teens look ahead

W

ith only a few months left before graduation, the Year 13 students at Br itish International School, Phuket (BISP) recently took a moment to ponder the seriousness of the future.

For more information about BISP, visit bisphuket.ac.th thephuketnews

6 HEALTH

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Fish out of water Kim White kim@mindbodyyogasystem.com

This month I suggest we celebrate the Thai New Year with a fun water cleansing ceremony in Matsyasana...

1

H

ello and welcome to April! This is such a fun time of the year here in Thailand. With the approaching of Songkran I thought it would be appropriate that we focus on an asana that is inspired by water. What better asana than Matsyasana, also known as the fish pose.

It is the Thai New Year this month, which is traditionally celebrated with the use of water which symbolises the washing away of negative and old energy, in preparation for the new solar calender.

The Matsyasana is a depiction of Matsya, a divine being, found in Hindu mythology, that saved mankind from a universal flood.

The open position of the head and neck in this pose is a great way of opening the communication channel and bring focus to the throat chakra.

So this month I suggest we celebrate the Thai New

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

2

3

Year with a fun water cleansing ceremony in Matsyasana and begin the new solar year with renewed communication and open expression!

Let’s look at the benefits of the Fish pose: Stretches your hip flexors and intercostals (muscles between the ribs) Relieves tension in your neck, throat and shoulders Stretches and tones the front of your neck and your abdominals Stretches and stimulates the organs of your belly and throat Strengthens your upper back and the back of your neck Relieves stress and irritation Improves posture Therapeutic for rounded-shoulders, asthma, spasms in the bronchial tubes, and other respiratory issues 1 Lie on your back, your legs are straight and firmly pressed together 2 Place the palms and your bent elbows on the mat 3 Inhale and lift and fill the chest

with breath 4 Exhale and roll your shoulder blades back and arch your back stretching your neck back and letting the crown of the head rest on the floor. (If you are new to this pose and find the head back position difficult, place a block or a folded blanket under your middle back, see Photo 1) 5 If you are comfortable with the elbow position, rest your crown on the floor, tongue of the roof of your mouth and raise your palms above your head (Photo 3) 6 Hold for 30 seconds – 1 minute 7 Inhale to bring your chin to the chest and exhale to lower your self back down to rest on your back, breathe steady and repeat the asana again.

Please be safe this month, drive safe and be aware of your surroundings!

Enjoy songkran and happy stretching.

See you next month!

Metta, kim oxo

Water blessing for Songkran.

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

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

PEOPLE 7

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

How the governor sees it MEET THE GOVERNOR Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

I

n this “Letter from the Governor”, Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong talks about his main priorities on the island right now, including water, fire, wild animals, Chinese tourists and beaches: First, on water shortages. At this time, it is important that we are all well organised and ensure that water supplies are enough to meet the Phuket people’s demands. The residential sector have the greatest needs, especially with a lot of new communities, including condominium and housing sub-divisions, popping up.

So, we have to manage water in each locale to make sure there will be enough.

The dry season not only means water shortages, but also poses other potential hazards – fire, for example We have to beware of fires because Phuket is really hot right now. I ask all residents to be extra careful when handling dry and flammable materials.

Next, I want to talk about beach management.

The beach management started at 0 in Phuket, and everything was banned.

But I managed to allow to have umbrellas in special zones, which vary at each beach depending on the geography of each.

I think tourists need umbrellas for relaxing, but we didn’t allow sunbeds on the beach because they take up a lot of space. So, 10 per cent is enough for relaxing. If sunbeds were allowed too, then they would need to occupy too much space, and it wouldn’t be much different from before.

We need to help each other and work together, I know that is hard.

Some tourists want the same as before, but the rules have changed. They can’t smoke or drink beer and leave beer bottles and caps on the public space.

Tourists must heed to the rules in their own country. So, this is our country, why can’t we respect the rules here?

What would you do think if you were governor and had to clean up the beach which is full of beer bottles and caps.

And then I said, Phuket beaches are beautiful, but it’s not true.

@thephuketnews

It is time to preserve and clean the beaches together. Even if some think ‘it is too strict’. We aren’t strict. The law clearly states that “making [and selling] food and smoking on beach is not allowed”. It is the law. We must enforce it.

If I don’t for the Phuket people, then who will?

Just drinking [non alcoholic beverages] and snacks are allowed. But Som Tum and grilled chicken, for example, are not snacks. These rules are to preserve the beach.

[Note from editor: The Public Health Act of Thailand does not actually ban “eating” but rather “selling” and “disposing” of food rubbish on public land.

However, the local government is asking for cooperation from people not to “eat meals” on public beaches to prevent the chance of rubbish accumulation. Interestingly, much of the rubbish found on the beaches not only comes from Thai food vendors, but includes packaging and wrappers from “snacks” likewise] Tourists must respect the rules and laws in their country. Then, they should understand and respect our rules, too.

I hope that vendors will understand it. We can’t just use beaches too much without giving any breaks. Beaches need to be taken care of. And, Phuket tourism’s well-known product is the beach.

Why don’t we preserve the beach?

Forget everything about who owns what on the beach or how long sunbeds have been there. Our beach management has been overlooked for quite some time.

I don’t use emotions to govern, but facts and statistics. And, the beach management is not just my idea. I work together with Phuket police, local organisations, tourist police, Tourism Author-

ity of Thailand Phuket Office, the Tourism Ministry’s Phuket Office and 3rd Area Naval Command.

Wastewater is another issue Phuket is dealing with.

At Nong Han beach in Karon I’ve been informed about waste water issues. I went to check Karon’s municipality’s water treatment. The water I saw was not waste water, yet the sand is a black colour in some areas. Sometimes the waste water is more than the water treatment facility can handle. It is over loaded and [the wastewater can] spread to other water sources.

The facility there can only handle 6,000 cubic metres per day. Now, I told Karon Municipality to prepare to increase this up to 9000 cu/m with a projected completion date sometime be-

tween 2016 and 2017.

And, I don’t support anyone who wants to take photos with wild animals.

I am worried about diseases which might spread.

On security, we’ve injected B44 million into improving CCTV coverage, especially via the CCTV centre at Patong Municipality. Now the coverage area is a lot wider, and we can ease the monitoring of some areas.

As for complaints about Chinese tourists, it’s a matter of maintaining and developing country relations. It is not just Chinese tourists [who are disrespectful and inconsiderate to local customs], but others too. It is an issue that we have to explain to tourists, to better understand Thai rules and customs. We have to explain to them to understand, not just blame them.

We shouldn’t just focus on the nationality. Many of them won’t know Thai culture or Thai rules. Please don’t judge them so quickly. If they know the rules and culture, they will not break them. So we must just present that we have rules which they should follow.

In conclusion, we have to work together on all these issues – step by step.

As time passes, things will get better.

People will accept things.

Everyone is like a watch, we all play an important role to keep things ticking, doing our duty fully. It is not just officials who play a part.

8 TRAVEL

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

An inspiring cycling journey Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

“O

ur dream is far from a common lifestyle. Who would be crazy enough to leave a comfy life to become, almost a wanderer? It’s hard to imagine, but we are a pure example” – this is a poignant statement from Paradee “Tan” Homwong and her partner, Aleu Ayxandri’s blog.

This extract is from “Diary of a world trip”, a personal log of a couples’ journey across the world. But their particular mode of transport is indeed the most fascinating part of their great story. A very rare and unique adventure. Read on to find out why...

Tan, from Thailand, and her partner, Aleu, from Spain, recently made a change to their modern and busy lifestyles. Having spent their days working long hours in the modelling industry, they decided to embark upon a more daring and unpredictable way of life:

Tan and Aleu pictured next to their all important bicycles. cycling around the world. Tan and Aleu both shared the same view, that they should leave behind their previous life and instead attempt to live without all their expensive and materialistic assets.

So they went ahead and sold their condominium as well as many of their other prized possessions.

Aleu said, “I have already sold my apartment. I have chosen to live life with only my bicycle. I am hoping that it may inspire a new generation that doesn’t primarily focus on materialism.

Tan cooking in the jungle.

“Salva Rodriguez is the man that inspired me. His way of living made me want to go ahead with this. That man changed my life.” Salvador, from Granada, Spain, made a similar journey back in 2006.

Tan explained, “We opened our minds to learn new things. This decision has made us feel alive. It was like we chose to face the world.”

The first part of their diary tells of how they began on November 18, 2014.

Their first destination was Doi Inthanon (the highest mountain in Thailand), Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province.

They shared their thoughts and explained how each place they visited was an enjoyable and enlightening experience. They discovered beauty, which one might not find so easily.

Tan added, “I was really impressed that we didn’t need to spend any money on water. The locals generously gave us water for free. The only bad thing was the road between Chumphon and Prachuabkhirikhan because it’s really dangerous for bicycles and motorbikes.

But we didn’t have a choice.

“I tried to save water wherever possible. But obviously we had to use water for cooking, for example in boiled noodles, rice porridge, canned fish and instant noodles. If we couldn’t get access to any food, then we had to eat beans, which we shared with each other.”

Once, the couple had to cook their food in the middle of a jungle, with only a candle as their source of light.

It wasn’t easy to find a place to stay, it was either under a bridge or in the jungle, a choice many will never have to

face.

Tan explained, “Once, we cycled up to Doi Inthanon and got really lost.

Honestly, I was so tired and I cried so many times.

“The food we had just was not enough so we went around searching for some fruit. Luckily, we came across some guava and Indian gooseberries.

The locals were so kind, they gave us food whenever they could.

“We spent around seven to eight hours cycling every day, so you can imagine how exhausted we were by the end of the day. Sometimes if I couldn’t get up, Aleu would rope my bicycle up to his.”

The North of Thailand is so different from any other part of Thailand. The couple came across a village, called Kii Nok (bird’s poo), not too far from the city, around 30 kilometres away. There is a tiny road that doesn’t allow any cars to pass through. There is no electricity, nor any construction. The whole road is decorated with trees, and full of nature.

On December 21, 2014, they finally arrived at the highest point located at Doi Inthanon National Park.

But, the excitement wasn’t over yet.

After they completed their cycling trip around Thailand, they proceeded to commit their vows to one another on their beautiful wedding day of February 11 of this year.

The next chapter of their world trip will begin in May. The couple are currently visiting Aleu’s family in Spain.

Once they have prepared all their necessary belongings, they will commence with their trip!

Tan said openly, “I am not familiar with living like this. I can’t believe we have even made it this far. I’m glad we are relaxing with Aleu’s family, we can rest and fully prepare ourselves for the next part of our journey. We will return to Thailand to continue with cycling, and ride all the way to Barcelona, Spain. The whole journey may take up to five years! After, we’ll probably take another break, try and earn some money and then continue to cycle around the rest of the world,” Tan explained.

Don’t forget to tune in in a couple months to see how the next part of their trip goes!

For more information or if you would like to support their trip, visit https:// www.facebook.com/diaryofaworldtrip

Aleu setting up camp in the middle of the jungle. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

TRAVEL 9

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

TV show wins prestigious award

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Photographer’s Journey, a 60-minute TV series on the community and geography of Thailand’s islands in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand has won an intermedia-globe Gdold Award at the World Media Festival, Tourism for Documentaries: Destinations.

The TV series, which was aired on the National Geographic Channel in 2014, was produced under a partnership between the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and National Geographic Channel Asia.

The three-episode TV documentary followed National Geographic photographer Ben Horton on an epic journey across Thailand to capture a unique perspective of some of the country’s beautiful beaches in Krabi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Surat Thani.

In each episode, Ben shared his thoughts and experiences as he captured the moments through his lens, and explored his personal idea of paradise in Phra Nang Beach, Railay Beach, Ko Phi Phi, Hua Hin and Ko Phangan. “Paradise, as a place could be equal parts geography and landscape, but one of the things that makes each place special and unique is its people,” Ben said in closing his journey.

Mr Thawatchai Arunyik, Governor of TAT said, “We congratulate the National Geographic Channel for winning

@thephuketnews

the award, a testament to the hard work and the creativity in presenting a captivating story of unique travel destinations through the eyes of an explorer and professional photographer.

We look forward to more successful collaborations with the National Geographic Channel in the future.”

As a winner of an intermedia-globe Gold, the programme is also nominated for an intermedia-globe Grand Award (best in each of the 13 main Festival categories) and eligible for the Grand Prix (best of all festival entries).

The World Media Awards Gala will be

held on May 6, 2015, in Hamburg, Germany.

The Beach: A Photographer’s Journey will be re-run again on the National Geographic Channel from June to July 2015 in order to publicise a fascinating story of Thailand’s beaches as well as way of life and its people to the world.

The World Media Festival is a global competition dedicated to recognising excellence in tourism- related content from all areas of the tourism business. www.worldmediafestival.org

10 ENVIRONMENT

Celebrate Songkran with turtle release

T

his Songkran, the Thai New Year, promises to be yet another fun-filled and memorable occasion at JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, with plenty of moments to cherish and traditional celebrations to enjoy such as the Songkran Long Drum Parade.

Songkran at JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa is also about giving back to nature, and this the resort does in a truly heart-warming way. April 13 will be an extra special day, with the Songkran celebrations coinciding with the 6th Mai Khao turtle release of 60 green

turtles and the welcoming of Tommy the Turtle – who was born in March 2013 without any eyes – to the new Marine Turtle Shelter & Education Centre planned to open in July 2015.

The annual turtle release is held on beautiful Mai Khao Beach in front of JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, in close cooperation with Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation and its partners. This year as always, everyone is invited to participate in this inspirational event that sees rehabilitated sea turtles released into the turquoise waters of Mai Khao Beach. Every B3,500 raised pays for the rehabilitation and release of one turtle, and includes turtle education and other fun activities on the day.

Located on-site at JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, the Marine Turtle Shelter & Education Centre is the latest development in the ongoing efforts to protect and conserve Phuket’s endangered sea turtles whom face mul-

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

tiple threats from commercial fishing, consuming or becoming entangled in ocean litter and being hit by speedboats. Resort guests and other visitors to the new center - to be run under supervision of the Phuket Marine Biological Centre and a Local Advisory Committee - will be able to interact with the turtles and feed them, clean the tank and learn about their lifecycle.

For those wanting to spend a few enjoyable nights at JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa in conjunction with the events on April 13, the resort is offering the Remarkable Songkran Getaway with Sea Turtles Release package.

Starting from THB 6,900 per room per night and valid for stays between April

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

11 and 15, 2015 it includes: Accommodation upgrade to a Deluxe Sala Terrace room Daily international breakfast for 2 Donation for the release of a turtle at the 6th Mai Khao turtle release Free entry to the Marine Turtle Shelter & Education Centre

Reservations

Book now at bookmarriott@marriotthotels.com or contact jwmarriottphuketresort.com or Tel: +66 76 338 000 Fax: +66 76 348 348. For more information about the foundation, please contact Khun Kittipan, Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation Manager, via email info@maikhaoturtlefoundation. com or call +66 89-733-8830

Revive yourself with the moonflower MEET

the natives Nattha Thepbamrung reporter3@ classactmedia.co.th

From clockwise: Fresh Chom Chan; stir fried Chom Chan dishes

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side from its beauty, the moonflower, or Chom Chan (Scientific name: Ipomoea alba) is quite well known for its physiological effects, namely, it is believed to make one’s excretory system run efficiently.

It also benefits your body hugely by providing essential nutritients, such as Phosphorus, Iron and Vitamin B, which helps to protect the body from anemia, jaundice, and not to mention, it can help to heal the body from hemorrhoids and also strength-

en the heart.

The name Chom Chan [which means “watch the moon” in Thai] refers to the time when flowers bloom, which is always in the evening. Young flowers can be eaten fresh or cooked, for example in a stir-fry dish, or added to a bowl of soup, for a little sweetness.

It can be easily planted in your garden in Thailand as Chom Chan can grow loosely in soil in hot and sunny temperatures.

After 2-3 months, Chom Chan flower will start budding.

LOOKING FOR THE BEST

PROPERTY DEALS IN PHUKET *FIND THEM ON PAGE 17 thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

METAPHYSICS 11

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Signs from the sky

Is there an important message in the coming ‘blood moon’?

THE GLOBAL SCALE

Steven Layne editor@classactmedia.co.th

This will be the third of four blood moons, with the final to occur on September 28, this year.

For some, it’s a sure sign of the times – the end times that is ...

T

omorrow evening (April 4) sky watchers – in the western part of North America, throughout the Pacific Ocean, East Asia, Australia and New Zealand, – will have the opportunity to witness a rare total lunar eclipse, when the moon will appear to turn “blood red” as the Earth casts its fiery shadow over it.

Here in Phuket, and the rest of the Kingdom, the moon should redden in the eastern skies between 6:57pm and 7:03pm, and will be visible with the naked eye, barring smog, clouds or haze.

To find out why the moon turns red during an eclipse look up “Rayleigh scattering”.

What makes this blood moon rare is that it is part of what astronomers call a Tetrad, when four consecutive blood moons occur in two years. This will be the third of four blood moons, with the final to occur on September 28, this year.

For some, it’s a sure sign of the times – the end times that is.

I know what many of you are thinking – we just cleared the so-called “end-of-theworld of 2012”, so why should anyone care to entertain the notion that the end may still be nigh?

But before we continue with this thought, I need to set the record straight about 2012, and the so-called Mayan prophecy, which was really not a prophecy at all, at least not in the apocalyptic sense

An Awakening

(Top of page) The first blood moon of the current tetrad, April, 2014 in California. Photo: Tomruen (Below) The Mayan Calendar didn’t have an end date, but a re-start date. Photo: El Comandante

The prediction that the world would end in 2012 was nothing more than an imaginative idea, a fantasy if you will, that greatly got misconstrued by the media and ultimately Hollywood.

Yes, the Mayans did have their own calendar, with its major “long count” cycle concluding on the (Gregorian calendar) date of December 21, 2012, which also coincided with the Winter Solstice that year, and a number of other intriguing planetary alignments.

our planet really believe the world will end soon, and certain signs shall be testament.

Sign of the Times

Pastor John C Hagee. Photo: Christians United for Israel But let it be known, no Mayan scriptures ever suggested that the world was due to end on that date.

Simply put, the Mayan calendar is a circle, much like a common wall clock. When the end of one time cycle ends, a new cycle begins. In other words, what happens after 11:59, when the wall clock reaches the end of its 12-hour cycle? Simple, a new cycle begins at 12:00.

For the Mayans, December 21, 2012 can be compared to 11:59 – but of a much bigger clock, ending a 144,000-day cycle which they called a baktu. If anything, Mayans believed that this particular cycle transition (taking place on December 21, 2012) was to signal a new “age of awakening”.

And considering all the revelations our societies have experienced since (think WikiLeaks, Snowden, 9-11, the Disclosure Project, Mars and Antarctica, among them), and continues to experience every day – perhaps the Mayans were on to something.

I don’t know about you, but I certainly feel more “enlightened” and conscious these days.

End or Beginning?

Back to the impending end of the world as we know it; we look to the prevailing Abrahamic religions that dominate much of the planet – Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

Many of us who come from countries whose society is based on one of these three religions grew up indoctrinated to the idea that “someday soon”, we should prepare for “the return of ...”.

Who? For the Christians, “Judgment Day” is to be brought by Christ; for the Muslims, “Yawm ad-Din” by Allah; and for the Jews, “Acharit hayamim” will be signaled by anas-of-yet unnamed Messiah.

Whoever it is, they are supposed to resurrect the dead and bring redemption to our wicked world, by the will of “God”.

Without getting too caught up in eschatology, the point is that many people on @thephuketnews

Which brings us to the Blood Moon Prophecy. Championed by Christian ministers John Hagee and Mark Biltz, the prophecy is based on biblical references to the so-called “end-times”, as referenced in the Book of Joel, “the sun will turn into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the … day of the Lord comes.”

Let us ignore the fact, if only for a minute, that Hagee cashed out with a bestseller out of his research in Four Blood Moons, and entertain some of his compelling findings.

Hagee points out that during the months coinciding with the previous tetrads since the time of Christ, major events have occurred that greatly changed the destiny of the Jewish people, all of which were initially tragic, but ultimately ended in triumph.

For example, during the most recent tetrads in 1967/1968 (Reunification of Jerusalem with the Six Day War), 1949/50 (1949 Armistice Agreements) and 14931494 (Spanish inquisition followed by the “discovery” of the New World, which is the largest homeland of Jews today).

And now, with the emergence of ISIS and the age-old conflict between the Judo-Christian order and Muslims boiling to levels comparable to the Tetrads of 795/796, 842/843 and 860/861 A.D., it does make one wonder whether the outcome in coming months will be “apocalyptic”.

Reality check

Okay, back to reality – the one of logic and reason.

I personally don’t believe that some “holy Messiah” is going to come down from the clouds righting all the world’s wrongs (unless he/she would be an enlightened alien race leader who has come to slap sense into certain power brokers).

But civilisation as we know it on our planet may very well be facing eminent doom – if not as a climactic result of persisting ancient holy wars, then certainly from resource mismanagement, coupled with overpopulation, mass-consumerism, a rapidly changing climate and incompetent leadership failing to employ necessary preservation policies.

Meanwhile, much of the world continues to ignorantly, if not voluntarily, accept and consume perilous things such as “invisible” radiation, industrial fluoride, genetically-modified products and other scientifically-verified toxins, all the while being over-occupied with glitter, glamour, selfies, vanity and what religious people might call “wickedness”.

But I can’t end this article on such a hopeless note. After all, I am among millions of others who have started to awaken and realise that there is so much more to live for – humanity does have a justified will for preservation, and now is the most precious present. Rather than prepare to die, let’s plan to live.

How about you – is this planet and life worth living for?

12 TECHNOLOGY

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Jay Z leads stars in rebranded Tidal streaming service

R

ap mogul Jay Z on Monday (March 20) launched the rebranded Tidal music streaming service with major star backing, hoping to shake up the growing industry through high sound quality and artist control.

With veiled swipes at streaming leader Spotify, Jay Z brought out musicians including Madonna, Kanye West and electronic duo Daft Punk, who will all be equity partners in the new Tidal.

Jay Z earlier this year bought Tidal, which markets itself to audiophiles, by spending US$56 million for its Swedish-listed parent company Aspiro.

At the announcement in New York, singer Alicia Keys hinted that some musicians could choose to release material exclusively or early on the artistowned service.

“Tidal is dedicated to cultivating a sound business enterprise that promotes the health and sustainability of

our art and our industry around the world,” Keys said.

Other artists who will be shareowners in Tidal include Jay Z’s wife Beyonce, rocker Jack White, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, rapper Nicki Minaj and R&B singer Rihanna.

The artists signed a declaration to the sounds of Radiohead, the British experimental rockers who along with Taylor Swift have accused Spotify of devaluing music through meager payouts to artists. Spotify has rejected the accusations, saying that it is a rare source of growth in music sales and has paid out US$2 billion toward artists since 2007.

Streaming – which allows users to play unlimited on-demand music online – has quickly shaken up the industry, narrowly edging out CD sales in revenues last year in the United States.

Spotify, also from Sweden, says it has 60 million users with 15 million of them paying – usually $9.99 (B300) a

month.

Unlike Spotify, Tidal does not offer a free service and is generally twice as expensive, at US$19.99 (B600) a month, although for the relaunch, it also offered a more basic US$9.99 (B300) service. Tidal streams at 1,411 kilobytes per second – well above the 320 for premium subscribers of Spotify, which offers even lower levels for free users.

The difference means that Tidal offers higher sound quality for audiophiles with advanced sound systems – but that casual listeners using simple laptops or smartphones may face slower connections.

In an interview with Billboard magazine, Jay Z acknowledged that some music labels were nervous about the project but described it more as a “record store” than a new record company.

Spotify already has a range of rivals including US-based Rhapsody and Google Play.

Paris-based Deezer, which is strong

TOP CONSOLE GAMES THIS WEEK:

in Europe, last year entered the United States as a high-end-only service which, like Tidal, uses FLAC rather than more common MP3 files. Meanwhile, Apple is also getting into streaming with the purchase of rap mogul Dr. Dre’s Beats. Apple reportedly plans on expanding Beats, a headphones company, into an entirely new streaming service.

Tidal entered the United States late last year and operates in 31 countries, with six more to come this year including Australia and Germany. AFP

TOP MOBILE APPS THIS WEEK

1

Bloodborne

PS4

6

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D

3DS

1

Flipboard (News)

iOS, Android

2

Battlefield Hardline

PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC

7

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

3DS

2

Google Now (Search)

iOS, Android

3

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection

PS4, Xbox One

8

Evolve

PS4, Xbox One, PC

3

Pocket (Bookmarks)

iOS, Android

4

Final Fantasy Type-0

PS4, Xbox One, PSP

9

Grand Theft Auto V

PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC

4

Sunwrise (Calendar)

iOS, Android

5

Mario Party 10

Wii U

10

Dying Light – Be the Zombie Edition

PS4, Xbox One, PC

5

Modern Sniper (Game)

iOS, Android

Russia announces plan to build new space station with NASA

R

Located 500 m From Jungceylon

ussia announced initial plans to build a new orbital space station together with NASA to replace the International Space Station (ISS), which is set to operate until 2024.

Russia and NASA recently agreed to keep operating and financing the ISS until 2024, but future joint space projects have remained in doubt, as relations between Russia and the US have plunged to post-Cold War lows over the Ukraine conflict.

“We agreed that the group of countries taking part in the ISS project will work on the future project of a new orbital station,” the head of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency, Igor Komarov said, quoted by Interfax news agency.

Komarov made the announcement flanked by NASA administrator Charles Bolden at Russia’s Baikonur launchpad in Kazakh-

NASA astronaut Steven Swanson (left) trains with cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov (center) and Oleg Artemyev (right) before their March 2014 launch to the space station. Photo: AFP stan.

The Russian space chief said the project to build the new station would be “open” and could include countries that are not currently involved in the ISS. Russia had threatened to pull out in 2020 but said earlier this year it would keep up its role until 2024.

Roscosmos and NASA “do not

rule out that the station’s flight could be extended,” Komarov added.

Last Friday (March 27), a spacecraft launched successfully carrying Russian and US astronauts to the ISS, two of whom will spend a historic year-long term on board in an experiment to study the physical effects of long-duration space missions. AFP thephuketnews

FILM 13

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, FRIDAY,APRIL APRIL4,3,2014 2015

Dazzling, dreamlike Cinderella FILM REVIEW Parisa Pichitmarn Bangkok Post

CINDERELLA

Cinderella is a costume enthusiast’s dream come true, with the supreme baddie the best-dressed of them all.

STARRING: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgård, Holiday Grainger, Derek Jacobi, Ben Chaplin, Sophie McShera, Hayley Atwell, and Helena Bonham Carter DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh RUNNING TIME: 113 minutes

I

n a star-making turn on the silver screen aided by fantastic costume design, Lily James brings Disney’s animated classic to life.

Good old storytelling and a bit of magic is what Disney does best (and should stick to). Let’s all just sit back and be dreamy-eyed for a change – everything the Mouse House has churned out with a try-hard dark twist was terribly bland and forgettable (ahem, Alice In Wonderland) – or, in Maleficent’s case, like watching an hour-long ad for Angelina Jolie.

Cinderella, the latest animated film to be zapped into live-action, is straightforward, but charming at the right moments. So much is done right simply by not transforming everything into a computer-generated wasteland or turning Helena Bonham Carter into an outlandish kook. She may be playing the absent-minded fairy godmother, but her crazyness is bottled away in this one – and all for the better.

Set in a fanciful land in the 1800s, the palaces channel a flowery Versailles, and Cinderella’s lush country home is filled with trinkets her merchant father brings back from around the world.

Yet, it’s a “small” and unstrategic kingdom, too, signalling certain implications on how the Prince must choose his future bride. Unlike Disney’s 1950 animated film, we’re given a long look into Ella’s life, pre-rag days, before she becomes the world-recognised Cinderella.

There are moments of genuine heartbreak. What fills in the void are Ella’s marvellously ridiculous stepsisters (played by Holliday

T Grainger and Sophie McShera) and her pouty yet uber-glam stepmother, Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett).

Cinderella is a costume enthusiast’s dream come true, with the supreme baddie the best-dressed of them all. The rich colours and dark jewels add up to impeccably create Blanchett’s character, regal, broody, vampy and cruel. AcademyAward-winning costume designer Sandy Powell really nails it with this movie. The spectacular costumes – which, except for the stepsisters, are never too garish – will surely become icons to be talked about for years.

Little CGI was needed for Cinderella’s most magical scene, thanks to Powell’s spectacular blue gown that Cinderella wears to the ball. The leading lady is dressed to enchant, with thousands of crystals in her hair and bedecking her gown that look anything but gauche and gaudy. When she twirls in her whirlpool of pearly blue smoke (made of silk crepeline), all eyes are glued to the screen to take in how wonderfully her dress cascades and flows on the dance floor. It’s a simple but breathtaking scene, one that soars thanks to the chemistry between Cinderella, the Prince and the dress.

It is Lily James who shines the brightest. From a chipper flapper that never hesitates to talk back to her upper-crust fam jam in Downton Abbey, James’ on-screen persona gets a downgrade when she trades in her aristocratic hat for soot and somewhat of a pushover personality.

Yet Cinderella isn’t cloying, and the natural vivacity James brings to the screen – and this old story – is a breath of fresh air to the character.

Bangkok Post

US BOX OFFICE TOP 10 Film

Weekend

Gross

Film

Weekend

Gross

1

Home

$52.11M

$52.11M

6

Kingsman: The Secret Service

$2.97M

$119.34M

2

Get Hard

$33.80M

$33.80M

7

Do You Believe?

$2.31M

$7.21M

3

Insurgent

$21.54M

$85.85M

8

Run All Night

$2.18M

$23.80M

4

Cinderella

$17.04M

$149.55M

9

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

$2.12M

$28.07M

5

It Follows

$3.81M

$4.55M

10

The Gunman

$2.04M

$8.80M

@thephuketnews

Roadblock lifted for ‘Fast and Furious’, but saga not over he Civil Court lifted its ban on showing action film Fast and Furious 7 and the movie will open Kingdomwide on April 1.

Major Cineplex tweeted on its official account that the film starring Vin Diesel and the late Paul Walker will motor into cinemas as scheduled on April 1. The court last week halted all cinema screenings of the film because of a parallel suit – a breach of contract claim filed by Sahamongkol Film against its martial arts star Panom “Tony Jaa” Yeerum, who has a bit part in the film.

Sahamongkol Film International founder S om sa k “ S i a Ji a n g ” Techa rat a napra ser t , filed the Civil Court suit through his attorney, Suwat Apaipak. Sia Jiang claims that Jaa signed an extension of his first 10-year contract which allegedly ties the actor to the studio until 2023.

However, Jaa claims the contract was sent to his old address and that it was signed by a

family member, not him.

Jaa has been estranged from his family due to many disputes and says the contract is not valid.

Sahamongkol demanded US$50 million (B1.6 billion) with 7.5 per cent interest in the injunction that would’ve blocked the film from Thai cinemas.

The studio claims that the amount is restitution for all the money they invested in Jaa over several year, including a B26 million payment made to Jaa over a film – Ai Noom Gangnam (A Man Will Rise in English, which was set to co-star Dolph Lundgren) – of which only 20 per cent was ever finished.

Instead, Jaa and Lundgren went off to complete a separate action film, Skin Trade, which is set to open in Thai cinemas on April 23.

The court’s cancellation of the injunction will make the film available to all cinemas.

Story written with additional reporting from Bangkok Post

14 ENTERTAINMENT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Xana to host mini festival

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

British legend DJ Goldie to take the stage for good causes Dalia Hilmi editor1@classactmedia.co.th

U

K music legend Goldie will be taking to Xana Beach Club’s stage for a music festival “Music is My Life” on Saturday April 11th, and all for a good cause.

Originally from Jamaican, Scottish heritage, Clifford Joseph Price, otherwise known as Goldie is a talented British electronic music DJ, artist, and has even had many roles in film and television. He is well known for his innovations in the jungle and drum and bass music genres. His first studio album, Timeless, released in 1995, entered the UK Albums Chart at number seven.

He previously gained exposure for his work as a graffiti artist, having travelled all across America and Europe, showcasing his unique and artistic pieces through various exhibitions.

Music is My Life started last year as a tribute to fellow DJ Josh Ezelle who sadly passed away last year. He left behind his 1-year-old son Christian Ezelle. The festival is inspired by the DJ, who lived in Asia for 12 years and filled up dance floors around the world with his gifted ear and unwavering lifelong passion for music.

Goldie has teamed up with #1 Hit soul artist from Canada, Eka, who will be per-

forming alongside him on the night. Eka, a close friend of late Josh, says she felt compelled to put something together.

“Josh had an undying truthfulness with what he was playing. Not only has the festival been set up to raise money for his child, but music is a powerful way of connecting people together,” Eka told The Phuket News in an interview held together with Goldie earlier this week.

Goldie said, “This is the latter part of my career. Music has been very good to me as an individual. So it was important for us to do something positive and give back. We’ve tried to various things, such as setting up a football match in Rawai, working with the BISP and more.

“When he [Josh] was tragically taken from us, it was even more important to celebrate the love he had for music.”

Goldie explained how the underground music scene is popular among the expat scene.

“This is where music takes the forefront and takes precedence over everything.”

“Music is My Life epitomises what’s true and honest. There’s this kind of value and honour in music. It’s off the beaten track,” says Eka. Goldie tells how pleased he is to be here in Phuket, having officially relocated and settled with his wife in Kamala.

“The place is really developing, although there is a village mentality, it shows it’s taking the right time to evolve

better. People actually have the time to really appreciate good music.”

Josh was one of the pioneers in the early days of the Bangkok club scene.

Many people knew him and his music. He was one of the original Bed Supperclub DJs. “Sometimes all people have to cling to is music. It’s a type of language, it’s soothing and resonate. The festival has been organised for us to play music to people that really enjoy it, and especially raise money for a good cause,” Goldie explained. Interestingly enough, it has been said that his album Timeless helped popularise drum and bass as a form of musical expression.

“It’s a real privilege to use our gift to play to others, and be honest with our music,” Eka said.

Goldie described his musical sound as “thoughtful funk”, which will compliment Eka’s R’n’B soulful voice perfectly.

Having spent most of her life between music and fashion, Eka says that going back into music in her 30s has been uplifting, and she did it for all the right reasons. She plays at many of the island’s fabulous high-class hotels and events.

Indeed the festival is sure to be a spectacular and emotional event, particularly since the name of the festival is in honour of the talented DJ himself. Josh was frequently asked by his mother to have a fall back career in case it all goes wrong, to which he responded that there was no

need, “Music is my life”.

This is Goldie’s first major performance in Phuket and this special event is dedicated to music lovers from all walks of life, with the best DJs and musicians on the island, including special sets by DJ Krypto (Blow/Seduction), Tommy T (Sound Wave Sundays), James D (Evil Twins) and Wii (Xana Resident DJ), sharing a dedicated performance to celebrate music that is honest and true to their souls.

Join forces with the island’s best musicians to raise funds for the young lives living at the Koh Sireh Orphanage and for Christian Ezelle.

Entry Fee: B500 including one welcome drink and donation to Koh Sireh Orphanage and 1-year-old Christian Ezelle’s College Fund.

Beachfront Cabanas, VIP sofas and cocktail tables are available. The party starts at 9pm till late.

For table reservations, please contact info@xanabeachclub.com

Latest tales in the rich and famous AMIGOVIA Whitney Mitha whitneymitha@yahoo.com

T

he annual “I heart Radio” music awards took place Sunday, March 29 in Los Angeles, California and were hosted by actor Jamie Foxx.

The “Innovator” award was won by Justin Timberlake, he gave a lengthy but heartfelt acceptance speech and notably thanked his pregnant wife and “best friend” Jessica Biel at the end of his speech. He has been scrutinised in the past for not mentioning her in his speeches.

Big winner of the night was hands down Taylor Swift. She looked absolutely stunning as she accepted three awards on the big night. The awards were for Song of the Year, Artist of the Year, and best lyrics. Congratulations Taylor!

The night was filled with awesome musical performances by everyone from newcomer Megan Trainor to living legend Snoop Dog. The performances are definitely worth youtubing.

Moving on

Mariah Carey has moved on from Nick Cannon to Brett Ratner. Who? Yeah that’s what I said! He is a film director and also directed two of her music videos in the past. She was said to be upset that her ex husband Nick has seemingly moved on, so is this a revenge fling or the real thing? Brett was seen making out with a mystery girl on the same yacht he wooed Mariah on days earlier. Sketchy.

Are they dating?

Taylor Swift, the once boyfriend butterfly has been

solo for a while but is that about to change? She has been spotted cuddling with world famous DJ Calvin Harris at a Kenny Chesney concert, food shopping together, and she has attended a few of Calvin’s concerts recently. Are they dating or making music together?

Or both...

Whitney is an American living in Phuket, writing about the latest gossip and trends in pop culture.

Read more from Whitney onWordpress and Facebook (search: “amigovia”) and follow her on Instagram @Amigovia.

thephuketnews

16 ISLAND SCENE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Francesco, Mazen and Silvia

FINALS OF VNEA POOL LEAGUE PHUKET

Kamal and Randy

A night of ferocious pool-playing took place last Sunday (March 29) as the finals of the VNEA Pool League Phuket crowned a new Thailand champion at Tazmania Pool Lounge in Patong. The winners won a trip to Las Vegas to compete in world championships.

Live 89.5s Jason Wilder (far left) gives out prizes during the raffle

C.S. Nel and Live 89.5s Tim Shaw

BAREFOOT FILM BRINGS HOLLYWOOD TO PHUKET

Scott Toon (far left) and Tina Hall (far right)

IWFS MEETS FOR FIRST 2015 DINNER

A fundraiser for Barefoot – a film that is set to take place entirely in Phuket – was held at Home, Bed, Bar, Kitchen restaurant in Kamala on Thursday, March 26. Dozens came out for the Hollywood-style affair. For more information on the film, visit thephuketnews.com

Brian Connelly and Graham Haslam

Jim Newport (director), Les Nordhauser (producer) and John Underwood (producer)

The Phuket chapter of the International Wine & Food Society (IWFS) held its first dinner for 2015 at the Aziamendi restaurant at Iniala Beach House, located by the shores of Natai Beach, just 20 minutes north of Phuket International Airport.

VILLA MARKET OPENS THIRD PHUKET BRANCH A plethora of goodies were enjoyed by mouths, stomaches, ears and eyes at the grand opening party for Phuket’s third Villa Market branch, located at Boat Lagoon in Koh Kaew, on March 27. The night featured a spectacular party catered by dozens of esteemed F&B product reps offering samples of premium imported and locallyproduced food items, highlighting just a small sample of what is now available at the upscale super market.

Na-Ranong family thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

ISLAND SCENE 17

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Steve of Seduction, Jason Beavan, GM of Class Act Media; and Lynne Miller (far right).

CLASS ACT MEDIA THANKS CLIENTS WITH SUNSET CRUISE Dozens of Class Act Media’s advertisers were invited to a special sunset cruise, sponsored by Wahoo, on March 28. Revellers enjoyed a beautiful sunset as well as special beverages and more.

Live 89.5s Jason Wilder, Champ and Gary Crause

LIVE 89.5 TAKES OVER DOCK BAR AT RPM FOR DRIVE ON LIVE Everyone was all smiles during the outside broadcast of Live 89.5s “Drive on Live“ show at the Dock Bar in Royal Phuket Marina last Friday (March 27). Host Jason Wilder had everyone in stitches as he spun the tunes and talked to callers and guests.

Tiya, Class Act Media sales manager; Ae of Qatar Airways and friend.

CENTRA ASHLEE GIVES BACK TO CHILDREN Khun Phakapol Yawaluk General Manager of Centra Ashlee hotel in Patong, and the management team visited the Baan Loong Pitak foundation on March 27, to host a lunch and donate stationeries, toys and appliances for the kids.

(Center) Kamonwan Leelarujiwong, Jonson’s sales manager.

JOHNSON GETS NEW LOCATION

Oil, Donna Toon, Shelley and Karen

SIP & SHOP WITH THE GOOD SHEPHERD

CONSTECH 2015 IN BANGKOK Constech Bangkok 2015 took place last Sunday (March 28). The annual exhibition is a showcase event for companies in the construction and hardware sector. @thephuketnews

Cheryl, Michelle and Maggie

The Good Shepherd, a Phuket-based charitable organisation, held their “Sip & Shop” event at The Pavilions, Phuket in Layan on Saturday afternoon (March 28).

Johnson Health Tech celebrated their 10 years anniverary by bringing their fitness showroom to Phuket. The company specializes in design,production and marketing of award winning fitness equipments. Johnson Health Tech officially openned their brand new location last Friday (March 27) on the Bypass Rd in Rassada across from Keehin.

The exclusive party kicked off with an acousic jazz band, introduction of Johnson Health Tech overview, LED performance dance show, finess fashion show and after party with DJ Station. Managing Director,Daniel Lai and Phuket Representative,Raywat Arreerob presided over the opening ceremony.

18 EVENTS

FRI

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM invites you to experience “Laguna Market on First” in the park at Laguna Grove by the beautiful lagoon. Enjoy a variety of goods from food stalls, clothing, home décor, arts and crafts, music and performances, dining area and much much more! Next Market on Sunday 5 April at 5pm with concerts by Lula and Klear!, Contact Ms. Julalak Srijun, Destination Marketing, julalaks@lagunaphuket.com, 076-362300 Ext.1408.

3 APR

The competition at 9pm Expat Sports Bar at the Expat Hotel Soi Taipan Patong.

See map at www.expathotel.com

Thanyapura Superkidz Triathlon 2015

Imagine yourself sitting 50meters above sea level and gazing out over an amazing sunset whilst sipping on a Ginger & Lemongrass Martini and enjoying the unique sophisticated city lifestyle ambiance of Phuket. Every Friday ‘All you can Eat’ Tapas and more with free flow of selected beverages at 1,390 Baht net from 7 – 10pm. Get 30% discount on selected beverages from 5.30-6.30pm everyday. Located at Vanilla Sky Bar, Cape Sienna Hotel-Kamala Call 076-337300.

Participants will be divided into Junior [6-8 years], Intermediate [9-12] and Senior [1318] categories, the triathlon event will give young athletes the chance to experience the world class sports facilities at Thanyapura including its 50m Olympic standard outdoor pool with biking and running routes set within the surrounding nature of Khao Phra Thaew National Park. Register online at www.thanyapura.com, This event is proudly sponsored by Class Act Media.

Suk Singpatong + Sitnumnoi For THB 499/-nett.

All you can eat

Indian Curry Night on Fridays Come to Navrang Mahal in Karon Sea Sands Resort & Spa for an authentic Indian Feast every Friday in Karon Beach. Try out our delicious naans, mutton vindaloo, chicken tandoori, dal makhini, butter chicken, samosas, lassis and many more mouth-watering dishes. For only 499/- nett and special reduced prices on drinks, 076-286464 Ext 4.

SAT

4 APR

Live Seafood & Jazz Sunday Brunch at Banyan Tree Join Banyan Tree’s indulgent LIVE Seafood Sunday brunch featuring lots of LIVE Canadian Lobsters, Tiger prawns, freshly shucked Oysters, Wagyu rump and Foie Gras. Meander from one live cooking station to the next, and don’t forget to leave room for cheese and dessert. With live Jazz music and a kids club, starting at B2,800++ per person including free flow of selected beverages. Advance bookings are highly recommended, Contact 076 372 400. fb-phuket@banyantree.com

Pool Competition at Expat Sports Bar

FRIDAYS WINE & TAPAS

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Every Saturday night, Num Noi Singpatong, the head trainer and owner of Singpatong + Sitnumnoi gym in Patong Beach, hosts an elite fight series “Suk Singpatong + Sitnumnoi Saturday fight night” at Patong Boxing Stadium (Sai Nam Yen Road), where top international and Thai fighters compete. Visit pattongboxingstadium.com for more info. Contact 087 628 2719. Proudly supported by Class Act Media. Remark: Free transportation in Patong, Karon, Kata areas when requested in advance. Proudly supported

by Class Act Media.

SUN

Kata – Karon Beach Race Mini Marathon 2015 by Club Med You all are invited to join this free event : Kata-Karon Beach Race Mini Marathon 2015. The race will take place on Sun-5 April 2015, 4.30 am at Nong Harn Park, Karon. All runners will collect the number and singlet on Sat-4 April 2015 at 3pm7pm. Free running singlet is limited only for the first 500 pre registered runners. For more info contact Education Division Karon Municipality 076 330 478. Proudly supported by Class Act Media.

Celebrate Easter Sunday at Les Diables Join us for the very special family day. A sumptuous Easter Buffet for all the family with a Very Special Chocolate Easter.

Dessert Buffet, Easter Egg Hunt and other games for the kids with Great Chocolate Prizes. THB 1,250 Per adult includes 1/2 a bottle. Kids THB 595 with free flow soft drinks. Book now - Peter 081 935 0454 or Toon 089 481 7852.

Traditional Sunday Roast Angus O’Tool’s Karon Beach Lunch or dinner served from 2pm. Your choice of either roast beef, chicken, loin of pork or leg of lamb served with roast and boiled potatoes, three fresh vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. Only B320 per person which includes a free glass of house red or white. Opposite Centara Karon Resort. See otools-phuket.com

5 APR

Phuket Walking Street Phuket Walking Street, “Laad Yai” is a Village & Community Development Potential Project (SML) of the “Old Phuket Town Community” in Laad Yai, Phuket Town. The visitors can enjoy the Old Phuket Town atmosphere which benefit to the local economic growth in the Old Phuket Town community. Open every Sunday from 16.00 - 22.00 Hrs. For more info visit facebook.com/phuketwalkingstreet or contact: 089 474 5253.

Proudly supported by Class Act Media - The Phuket News, Novosti Phuketa, Live 89.5 & The Phuket News TV.

CASUAL BBQ SUNDAY BRUNCH AT THE POOL BAR

BBQ at Expat Hotel

Laguna Market on First - Sunday 5th April 2015

Time 8pm, Expat Sports Bar, Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong. www.expatsportsbar.com

Come join Laguna Market and shop for the best Phuket has to offer! Laguna Phuket

Enjoy our sumptuous brunch featuring a lavish spread of international delicacies with a variety of live stations, roasts, a casual seafood BBQ, freshly shucked Fin de Claire oysters, a pasta station, wood-fired pizzas and a children’s food corner plus our free flow selected beverage stations. With pool access and a Camp Hyatt kids club, starting at 1,500++ THB per person. For more details and reservations, call 076 231 516 fnb.phuhp@hyatt.com

Celebrate Easter at Kata Rocks Celebrate Easter Sunday Brunch at Kata Rocks with your beloved friends and family, enjoy a wide selection of local and international delights in a festive buffet spread (THB1,600++) including a special dessert counter and Easter eggs. Reservations are recommended: dining@katarocks.com 076 370 777.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

EVENTS 19

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

MON

6 APR Toastmasters Phuket

Aqua Fitness Aqua Fitness classes offer you something different to “high impact” sport but the results, however, will amaze you! Aqua fitness can increase muscle tone and improve your breathing, circulation and heart rate as well as help you to reshape your body: slimming your waist, toning your chest, firming your buttocks and strengthening your back. It’s also an excellent weapon against cellulite!

Aqua Fitness classes are held on Mondays at 17:00 and Wednesdays at 11:00am.

Please go to www.santosaphuket.com ot find us on facebook, Santosa Wellness Center, 076 330 600.

TUE

7 APR

Zumba in the Jungle We do not consider Zumba a class, it is a fitness party! Making exercising fun, the dynamic Latin-based dance workout has taken the fitness world by storm. Vibrant and energetic, an hour of serious cardio passes by in such a flurry of colourful smiles, that it doesn’t feel like exercise at all! Join us at Santosa, where the formidable Geti Pici transforms our fitness pavilion into a fit-party! To book this class, or to find out the other Zumba class times, please go to www.santosaphuket.com or find us on facebook, Santosa Wellness Center.

076 330 600. Patak Rd, Kata.

WED

Looking to develop speaking and leadership skills? Ignite your career? Join Toastmasters Phuket and start making yourself a leader today! Invitation only. Contact joannetoastmasters@gmail.com for more info.

THU

9 APR

Aerial Yoga–Unique to Santosa The fluid, gravity-defying twist on yoga shows how we can learn to fly whilst relieving compressed joints and re-aligning the body. The practice uses graceful, trapezelike movements which sometimes seem like acrobatics. A wonderful way to do inversion poses, aerial yoga really is an innovative fitness trend, and Santosa are extremely proud to be the only center in Phuket offering suspended movement in every direction along with stimulation of the organs, muscles and bones. To book this class, or to find out the other Aerial yoga class times, please go to www.santosaphuket.com or find us on facebook, Santosa Wellness Center. 076 330 600. Patak Rd, Kata, colleen@santosaphuket.com

SAT

11 APR

Live 89.5 Phuket Super Sixes on 11 & 12 APRIL 2015 Cricket Festival this Songkran by Phuket Cricket Group(PCG). Hosting once again “Live 89.5 Phuket Super Sixes”cricket tournament on 11 & 12 April 2015 at The Alan Cook Ground “PLAY FOR FRIENDSHIP”. Cricket sixes is the shortest format of the game compared to the 50 overs & 20/20 cricket matches played worldwide.

Everybody can play this short format of game. Like us on FB : Phuket Super Sixes, Contact Kash, hi_fashion1@yahoo.com, hi_fashion1@yahoo.com, 0850685719.

SUN

12 APR

Rainbow Pool & Foam Party Sunday, April 12, 2015. 3-10PM At Air Rooftop swimming pool at Centra Ashlee Patong. For reservation contact 081 171 0143 / 076 349 800-7 https://www.facebook.com/centrabarandrestaurant/photos, saleschp@chr.co.th

MON

13 APR

SUN

19 APR

Phuket Pride Week 2015 Phuket Pride Week 19th-26th April 2015.

This event was started in 1999 and is the only Gay Pride Festival still being held in Thailand. “Freedom To Live” is the theme for the week of FUN & Celebration with over 12 events being held around Phuket. All are welcome: LGBT community, straights & the undecided, to join in celebrating Pride week and raising monies to help fight HIV infections in Phuket. , Contact Phil Crown, Ban Patong, Phuket, Thailand 83150 , phil.thailand@googlemail.com. Proudly supported

by Class Act Media.

THU

30 APR

8 APR Thanyapura Songkran Sports Camps

The Good Shepherd Craft Shop

Phuket Bike Week 2015

Opens every Wednesday from 10AM to NOON and every Saturday from 9AM to NOON. We have a wide and wonderful selection of handicrafts such as educational toys, dolls, puppets, paper art, greeting cards for all occasions, Novelties like tooth fairy pillow, and many more. All proceeds go directly to The Good Shepherd mission. More info visit www.thegoodshepherd.info/shop/ reginatudor@gmail.com, 083 104 0788.

PHUKET BIKE WEEK 2015 - The biggest motorcycle event in Asia. Celebrating the 21st anniversary. This event expects to gather over 10,000 motorcyclists and 50,000 visitors from 30 countries, which will take place in Patong Beach on 11th -13th April 2015 and in Phuket Town on 17th-19th April 2015. Visit our website http://www. phuketbikeweek.com/ or call 076 352 069, sumon@ridethailand.com, 081-6919346, Proudly supported by Class Act Media.

@thephuketnews

Join us for a fun-filled Songkran Camp running for 2 weeks from April 13-17 and April 20-24. Enjoy a variety of skill improving sports sessions led by professional coaches from Swimming, Tennis, Triathlon to Multi-sports for all levels in a safe and friendly environment. Choose your convenient timing by the hour, half day or full day schedules. Rates range from 2,000 – 6,000 THB per week, depending on the sport, skill level and hours. For more information, please contact reservations@thanyapura. com or call 076 336 000.

Phuket Unesco International Jazz Day 4th Edition 2015 On behalf of Phuket City Municipality. MMC presents Phuket UNESCO International Jazz Day Celebration at Music Matter. Open to the public at 8 PM at Chanacharoen Road near Ocean Mall Phuket City. Main events featuring Music Matter Collective, Phuket local, Intl jazz, blues group & artists. For more info please call 089 588 2347.

20 TIME OUT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Crossword by Myles Mellor & Sally York Across 1. How many provinces of Thailand have names beginning with the letter P? 2. On the standard keyboard, which vowel is the odd one out?

3. Which Rock ’n’ Roll guitarist was famed for his Duck Walk?

4. What is the old name of Astana, capital of Kazakhstan?

5. In the movie Citizen Kane, who are what was Rosebud?

Answers below, centre.

SUDOKU

1. Body of verse 5. Bench-clearing incident 10. Short wave?

14. Steady 15. Protein particle 16. Mishmash 17. “Funny Girl” 20. Cunning 21. Cake-toppers 22. On fire 26. Lace tip 28. Batterer 29. Kind of film 30. Lunch meat 33. Cotton fabric 34. March time 36. Cheer up 38. “Cleopatra” 41. Extend 42. ___ Clinic 43. Math ratio 44. A little bit of work 45. Buckets 47. ___ Scholar 49. Illegal offer 50. Most like a ghost 51. Deep down

19. Summer cooler 22. Current amount 23. Security provider 24. Scattering 25. Astound 26. Film material 27. Fawning 30. Binary compound 31. Squares things 32. Least Down 35. Retire from mil. service 1. Fall off 37. Disinfectant 2. ___ green brand 3. Galley need 39. Clio and Tony 4. Grinder 40. Languidly 5. Barbecue offering 46. Sleeps late 6. Start with while 48. Be undecided 7. Songbird 49. Coffins 8. Crag 51. John, abroad 9. “Mourning 52. Kashmir clan Becomes 53. Ginger cookie Electra” 54. Bit of sweat playwright 56. Flutter 10. Put forward 57. Danger signal 11. Joie de vivre 58. Butt 12. Echo 59. Singer DiFranco 13. Some London teens, in the ‘60s 60. Nov. honoree 61. Dolly, for one 18. Flatten 54. Coal container 55. “Julia” 62. Ice cream thickener 63. Best 64. All over again 65. Drops off 66. Simpleton 67. Bit

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s Pop Quiz: 1. 14; 2. A – it’s the only one not in the top row; 3. Chuck Berry; 4. Akmola; 5. A sled.

GOT YOUR NUMBER

ISLAND VIEW

80

Percentage of single women, according to a survey, who say they do not have enough romance in their lives.

5-8

Age, in months, at which babies begin to develop a sense of right and wrong.

19

Vertebrae in a flamingo’s neck (humans and giraffes both have seven).

3

Rate, in inches per year, at which Australia is moving towards Asia.

703 million Estimate of the dollars spent

by Americans in 2015 for Valentine’s Day gifts. For their pets.

Source: Uberfacts

Koh Kala, the small island off Layan Beach, from the air. Photo by Tanyaluk Sakoot Got an unusual or particularly beautiful picture of Phuket?

Email it to editor1@classactmedia.co.th

This week in history ■■ April 3, 1860

The first s u c c e s sf u l United States Pony Express r un, from Saint Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, Califor nia, begins.

■■ A p r i l 4 , 1968 Martin Luther King Jr is assassinated

by James Earl Ray at a motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

■■ April 5, 1614 In Virginia, Native American Pocahontas marries English colonist John Rolfe.

■■ April 6, 2011 In San Fer nando, Tamaulipas, Mexico, more than 193 bodies are exhumed from several mass graves dug by the ciminal gang Los Zetas.

■■ April 7, 1827 John Walker, an English chemist, sells the first friction match, which he had invented the previous year.

■■ April 8, 1820 The stat ue k nown as t h e Ve n u s de Milo is d i s c ove r e d on the Aegean island of Melos. It is bought by t h e Fr e n c h Ambassador to Turkey, which is why it is now in The Louvre in Paris.

■■ April 9, 2005 Charles, Prince of Wales marries Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at Windsor’s Guildhall.

Source: Wikipedia thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

PROPERTY 17

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/livephuket

Property FR 100 OM M E BE TER AC S H!

www.livephuket.com

T EA

GR ON

TI CA LO

@thephuketnews

18 PROPERTY

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FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

@thephuketnews

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

PROPERTY 19

20 PROPERTY

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

@thephuketnews

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

PROPERTY 21

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 23

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

HEALTH

MARINE SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENT

PRODUCTION SERVICE

GUARDIAN SERVICE

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

STORAGE 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

ELECTRIC

STORAGE

MARINE SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

PACKAGING

REMOVALS

ADVERTISE HERE

@thephuketnews

24 CLASSIFIEDS

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Jobs

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/thephuketnews

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @thephuketnews

classifieds@thephuketnews.com

Client Liaison Positions Available We are now recruiting experienced Client Liaison Staff for our offices in Phuket. This exciting role involves dealing with our clients on a face to face basis here in Phuket with the potential of travel elsewhere in Thailand.

Housekeeper wanted- live in Housekeeper wanted to live in Kata. Must love dogs and have some knowledge of english. Ideal position for couple. Call on 080 690 5248 or email lil@ladolcevitare.com.au, Lillian Dinic , Address : 31/3 Soi Plakjae Kata Phuket.

Web Project Manager Senior DEV

Bitsiren is looking for a talented senior web developer with a positive and “can do” attitude to join us and work in a fun and creative working environment!

BitSiren offers a competitive compensation package including: 5 day work week, work permit, paid vacation, health insurance and social insurance contribution. For more information please visit http://www.bitsiren.com/ about-bitsiren/career/senior-web-developer.html

Data Entry Administrator Data Entry Admin Staff required for Phukets leading property agent, LivePhuket the exclusive property partner to The Phuket News. Must have the following qualification for this position. - High vocational certificate or Bachelor’s degree graduate in any related field - Good command of MS Excel - Hard-working, self-disciplined, and positive working attitude - Ability to handle multiple priorities and meet deadlines - Can work from Monday to Saturday (every other Saturday) - Must have excellent English reading and writing skills. Contact Paul Trayman, Kamala, 092 474 6157, Email paul@livephuket.com Join an International Team, Princess Yachts Phuket is hiring 1 Position Urgently: Marketing Assistant; good English, good knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite, basic Photo and Video production and Website, Thai national Please call Rico Stapel at: 086 690 0444 and send resume to rico@princessyachtssea.com

If you have the following qualities then please apply to set up an interview; ● Good command of written and spoken English OR Chinese ● Great Interpersonal Skills and Personality ● You are Motivated and Confident ● You have experience working in Client Liaison / Customer Service

Full training will be provided and the position is only open to Thai Nationals If you would like more information please contact us using the details below

Interconcierge Co., Ltd. 62, Lagoon Road, Cherngtalay, Thalang, Phuket 83110 E-mail: hr@inter-concierge.com

TELE SALES WORK FROM HOME

Are you looking for a Nanny?

Earn up to 3,000 - 5,000 baht/day. International organization specialized in holiday rentals listing is expanding to new areas of interest. The ideal candidate is a responsible and diligent person with experience as a telemarketer or in sales. Good English and excel skills are essential.

Thai or foreigners can both apply. We offer: full training, telephone and email support, high commissions, Email: recruitment@holiplanet.com

Job Wanted!!! If you are looking for someone who can look after your child, pets or house when you plan to get away at night or during the weekend, Pls contact Email : jj_icu@hotmail.com, 081 476 7570.

Animal caregiver WANTED Starting 1st March, full time, caring for sick animals, dog walking, grooming, medicating & running errands, some overnight & weekends expected, experience with animals a must, please send resume to : jellinecastro@ yahoo.com

Excellent THAI CHEF Looking for an excellent Thai Chef to work abroad. I am looking for an excellent Thai Chef to work overseas in Sri Lanka at a new Thai Restaurant. Would require to speak little bit of english but what I am looking for is a really good chef who can make Authentic Thai food. Will provide great salary and accomodation. Please contact me on suranga.sd@ gmail.com to discuss further.

The Terminal Phuket Vacancies for property sales reps

1.Sale English,Chinese,Russia (Good commission)Have experience in line of Sale 2.staff at booth for Property(17,000 + Lunch + Commission) Can communicate Good English, Kaew, kaew@agtropical.com, 094 807 3434.

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', 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’.

Full Time Public Relations/ Marketing manager Responsibilities :

● PR and marketing of our products & services ● Identifying sponsorship opportunities & liaising with event organizers ● Building relationships with local organizations, government & private companies

Qualifications:

● Thai National ● Excellent personal skills ● Good command of English ● Experience in PR/Marketing in print media or radio would be an advantage but not essential ● Existing relationships/network of contacts in Phuket an advantage ● Own car & ability to work flexible hours and attend events during non-work hours

We offer:

● Competitive salary & bonuses depending ● 5 day work week – (Monday – Friday 8.30 am – 6 pm) ● Friendly work environment & excellent progress opportunities ● Time in lieu policy for any overtime hours worked Interested candidates are invited to send application with full resume in English indicating qualifications, experience, expected salary with recent photo via email to hr@classactmedia.co.th or fax your resume to 076-612-553

Class Act Media Co., Ltd.

99/7 Moo 1 T. Kathu A. Kathu Phuket 83120 Tel: 076 612 550-2 ext 100 Fax: 076 612 553 www.thephuketnews.com

Phuket Sirinath Property & The Terminal Phuket Sales Staff 2 (2 years Experience) Marketing 1 (3 years Experience) Accounting 1 (5 years Experience) A & S Supervisor 1 (10 years Experience) M & E Engineer 1 (10 years Experience) HR, Naiyang Beach, k.taksakorn@ gmail.com, 076 327 590.

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', Phuket’s leading English radio station ‘Live 89.5’, Phuket English TV 'Phuket News TV' and a host of publications & services including ‘The Phuket Colouring book’ & ‘Phuket Ticket Master’.

SALES REPRESENTATIVES Qualifications:

Assistant Branch Manager 20 K

We are hiring!!!!! Both positions for our new branch in Phuket and to be part of our energetic team. Excellent commission & benefits. Email info@thailandpooltables. com, 20,000 THB per month, Ying.

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', Phuket’s leading English radio station ‘Live 89.5’, Phuket English TV 'Phuket News TV' and a a host of publications and services including ‘The Phuket Colouring book’ & ‘Phuket Ticket Master’.

RADIO/TV REPORTER

● Works well under pressure and has a will to succeed.

Class Act Media is looking for a writer/reporter for our radio and TV teams. They would need to have good English-speaking skills and will be writing and reporting news and information on Live 89.5 FM and Phuket News TV. We have a small team of local and international staff.

We offer:

Qualifications:

● Thai or Expat. ● Excellent communication and negotiation skills in Thai and English. ● Highly motivated self-starter with a positive attitude.

● Competitive salary, bonuses and travel expenses. ● A friendly work environment. ● Social 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

● Good english writing and speaking skills ● Full time position with flexible working hours ● Presenting radio news and information ● Some TV news reporting

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

thephuketnews

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CLASSIFIEDS 25

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

Buy&Sell

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/thephuketnews

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @thephuketnews

BOATS & YACHTS 33/F Gulf Craft W/A

Two suzuki 225 HP outboards - only 300 hours, custom made RIB-dinghy with small outboard, engine electronics and hydraulics, ray marine GPS/radar/depth sounder, many extras. 3,850,000. THB, 089 873 3713.

4.1M/40HP RIB, 09/2014 AS NEW! BOUG HT IN SEPT. 2014,14HRS O N LY! SUZU KI ENGINE+BOAT UNDER WARRANTY (SUZUKI PHUKET).

BIMINI+TRAILER+TUBE COVERS. 0935840565 (RUS/ ENG) 0987086632 (FR/ENG, 350,000 THB,)

Silver Princess Yacht PC530

A 53 ft Power Catamaran by Silver Princess Yachts.

Beautiful design, compact yacht with space & modern interior. Dimensions: 53 ft length, 21 ft beam, 4 ft draft, 50 passengers, 22,000,000 THB, Sonny, 669 8810 5024, www.silver-princess.com, sonny@silver-princess.com

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Restaurant Khao Lak for Sale

Large profitable restaurant. 1.6 mio THB, ONO Central location, high turnover, includes all furnishings, website.

Extra income from shops on premises, good TripAdvisor reviews, Price 1.6 mio THB, anders@siamthaihouses. com, 0848470577.

Bangla bar for sale Newly refurbished and fully fitted out sports bar. Cheapest rent in Bangla road area. 3 year renewable contract. Great business opportunity, Contact Steve, stevepearcergj@ hotmail.co.uk, 089 587 0819 (EN) Patong Nightclub for Sale Newly devel-

oped Nightclub in Patong on Bangla Road.

A turnkey operation with a fully fitted light, sound system and bars. Long renewable contract available. Serious enquiries only.

Brokers welcome. Contact Steve, stevepearcergj@hotmail.co.uk, 089 587 0819 (EN)

One of a kind retail space

One of a kind retail space for rent!! Road front building, 36-50 SQM price from 12 to 16,000 THB per month. Call now 085 797 0005.

For Sale Navy Bar In Font Of Playschool 1.3M. O.N.O Key money paid until Oct 2015 Info: playschoolphil@yahoo.com, Phil, Tel. 081 083 3231.

Restaurant & Bar For Rent A long established fully equipped Restaurant with Bar for Rent in an excellent location on Nanai Rd, Patong.

The 105 M2 premises includes a fully equipped Kitchen, Restaurant and Bar with ample seating for 50 customers and excellent parking facilities., Peter Wesche, info@phuket-besthomes.com, 081 892 8526.

FREEDOM BAR FOR SALE

Good situation (Middle Line 4) Fully Equiped chairs fridges TV alcohols 1 YEAR Contract (End February 2016) 1,4MB [Value 1,8MB] 093-575-1969 afternoon, 1400000 THB, thai-pascal@hotmail.com, 093 575 1969.

Sale Double Shophouse Kathu 3 storey with six large rooms,

large shop/office on ground floor. Rooms fully furnished with cable TV and internet access. Car park available. 14.5 MB, Paul, Email: info@expathotel.com, 081606-5772.

RAWAI RESTAURANT FOR QUICK SALE Rawai Restaurant for quick sale. Big area with parking and Big garden. Rental B200,000 per year with long lease. Price reduced from B1,500,000 To B 980,000 Tel: 089 646 7176 Email:big_redchili@yahoo.com

For Sale Playschool Bar AGOGO Bar

4.5M. O.N.O Key money paid until July 2015 Same Owner since 2004 For Info: playschoolphil@yahoo.com, Phil, 081 083 3231.

CAR FOR SALE

TOYOTA Fortune 2006

7 seats, Black, Family car, Petrol 2,982cc Blue book, Service history Toyota Pearl, 160,000kms. AUTOMATIC transmission, golfguru2005@yahoo.co.uk, 076 615 827.

2012 Toyota Fortuna 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, Phuket, glawre123@gmail.com, 0898668825.

Nissan Teana 2.5Lt

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

2011 Ford Fiesta ‘S’ For Sale Ford Fiesta “S”

2011 model. Auto, 5 door, red, non smoking vehicle, 2 new tyres and belt. Travelled 39,000Kms - no accidents. 10 months registration and 7 months insurance left. Serviced

by Ford, books available. Blue Book available. Excellent condition inside and out. 1 farang owner from new. Located in Karon/Phuket, 375,000 THB, 084 842 0340.

Mitsubishi Pajero Sports

Mitsubishi Pajero Sports 2012, A1 condition, 14,000 KM, Silver Colour. 950,000THB Eng: Ph. 0993614582 Thai: Ph. 080 383 3060.

TOYOTA Fortune 2009

7 seats, Silver, GPS video, Family car Diesel 2,694cc, Blue book Service history Toyota Pearl 78,000kms.

AUTOMATIC transmission, golfguru2005@yahoo. co.uk, 076 615 827.

Nissan Teana Special 6 cyl

Nissan Teana Special 6 cyl November 2013 17000 Km New price 1.700.000.THB Price NOW 1,100,000.THB, Maurice, Email: Maurice.phuket@gmail.com, 099 302 7071, Thai: 090 163 2140.

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

MOTORBIKES FOR SALE 2012 Kawasaki ER-6n

14,000km including new Diablo Rosso Corsa tires, tail tidy, pegs, turn indicators, Power Commander V and Bags-Connection tail and tang bags. Must sellleaving Thailand, acetrack@me.com, 086 120 0413.

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE CAMERA baby car seats for sale BAKLONG Car Seat - Very good condition, suitable for newborn to 25KG. Prices are THB 4,000 per seat, buy both for only THB 7,000. Call 086 479 7471.

COMPANY FOR SALE Company for sale - Owner retiring Well known 12 year established company specializing in sales and rental of containers, site/sales offices, Porta Loos as well as Self Storage. Customer base includes Tesco Lotus, Laguna, Marriot, Boat Lagoon and many more. Enormous potential for expansion and expor t. A conser vative value of company assets exceed 11MB which is included in the sale price of 14MB. Call Gordon 081 892 4804, www.safewayasia.com.

@thephuketnews

26 CLASSIFIEDS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

BUY & SELL IN PHUKET

List your classified now at thephuketnews.com COMMUNITY

PETS FOR ADOPTION Neo and Cookie We are 15 weeks

old. We are very sweet with people and can get along easy with other dogs too!

We hope you are the one who can give us a home. We will protect your house and love to cuddle. We already got some basic training. If you are interested in us you will get 2 dog training lessons for free.A dog is often happier when they have a friend around. These are best friends, so it would be best if they can stay together, Diana Koster, info@phuket-dog-resort.com, 083 599 6017.

Missing Quincy

Missing our dog Quincy, Airdale terrier, male, black and brown coat. He got lost on the 31st of december in Patong,3000 Baht reward, 0870912798.

OTHER 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, Contact Simon, simonbrutonclay@ yahoo.com.au, 090 492 3101.

Inexpensive land plots / commercial property

Inexpensive land plots on east coast of Phuket for sale, 0.3 - 8 rai, some with a sea view (Bang Pae, Yamu Hills). Direct sale by owner. Price starts from 500 000 THB. Commercial property: two-storey building: 50 rooms, 13 bathrooms, 3 kitchens, 4 rai land plot, 7 min from airport.

Nicely renovated. Can be a hospital/school/ commercial/residential property. 35 mln baht, Lana, lana.phuket@gmail.com, 080 27 16 484, 090 870 7773.

FOR QUICK SALE Sea-View Land & Luxury Villa project in Kamala including architect plans & building permit for 9 villas, 4000m2 sale only THB 30 MB, MIO, pupillopascal@gmail.com Call:088 768 0942.

Beautiful land plot for sale very convenient located in a secure estate with underground electricity less than 10 mins from Phuket International Academy, Airport, Tesco , Naiyang beach, Grand AoPor marina in a peaceful foreigner community, Chanote title,1100sqm, flat land with fences around, mountain view , ready to build, good investment. For quick sale direct from owner only B3.5 mln., Montha, 081 343 0777, montha_phuket@yahoo.com Land for Sale Phang-nga

18 rai Land with Rubber Plantation for sale In Thayu, Phang Nga. 600,000 baht/rai Tel: 086 276 0041 Owner.

CALLING THE DOG LOVERS OF PHUKET

Soi Dog are looking for dog lovers in Phuket to come and spend time with our 300+ street dogs in residence at our shelter in Mai Khao, North Phuket. We need volunteers to help socialise and walk our dogs - as this is fundamental in preparing our lovely dogs for adoption in Phuket and around the world. Whether you can spare one day a week or can come every day, we would love to have you help our dogs. Volunteering at Soi Dog is an amazing experience and may well change your life. For more details, please email Diana at volunteering@soidog-foundation.org

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

SPORT

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

27

Phuket FC ready for strong Pattaya United FOOTBALL JP Mestanza editor2@classactmedia.co.th

Phuket FC will take on Pattaya United on Saturday (April 4) at Surakul Stadium. Kick off is at 7pm.

FOOTBALL

For more information, visit phuketfootball.com

FUTSAL Steve Layne editor@classactmedia.co.th

In Division 1, TT Boys (black) win 3-1 against Daohang, promoting them to the top half of the table. Photo: Karl Ward

DIVISION 1

Black Dragon FC 2 – 0 Vintage FC

DIVISION 3

Two Chefs 1 – 2 Shakers FC

Healthy FC 4 – 10 Naraya United

DIVISION 2

Novotel 4 – 3 Shambala United

USSR 6 – 5 Phuket Condos & Homes B

Phuket Serenity Villas 1 – 4 Thailand Weightloss

Talon FC 2 – 2 Irish Times

ConF 9 – 0 Jugqrue FC

Zaleng FC 5 – 4 TEFL Campus

SUPER SIX SOCCER: Season 9 Division 1

vP

W

D

L

F

1

Pita Bar Phuketeers

6

5

0

1

29

9

15

2

Phuket Condos & Homes

5

4

0

1

25

11

12

3

Blue Horizon

5

3

0

2

16

0

9

4

TT Boys

5

3

0

2

19

-1

9

5

Daohang

4

2

0

2

14

3

6

6

Shakers FC

5

2

0

3

15

3

6

7

Sam Kong FC

2

0

0

2

4

-5

0

8

Two Chefs

6

0

0

6

13

-20

GD Pts

0

11

18

Division 2 1

Black Dragon FC

8

5

3

0

19

2

TEFL Campus

8

5

2

1

19

5

17

3

Irish Times

6

3

2

1

23

12

11

4

USSR

6

3

1

2

18

2

10

5

Zaleng FC

8

3

0

5

25

1

9

6

Phuket Condos & Homes B

6

2

1

3

13

-3

7

7

Vintage FC

8

1

2

5

17

-15

5

8

Talon FC

8

1

1

6

20

-13

4

51

35

22

Division 3 1

Naraya United

8

7

1

0

2

ConF

8

6

1

1

40

20

19

3

Thailand Weightloss

6

4

0

2

18

4

12

4

Phuket Serenity Villas

8

3

3

2

26

8

12

5

Novotel

8

3

0

5

26

-7

9

6

Shambala United

8

2

1

5

27

-7

7

7

Jugqrue FC

6

0

2

4

14

-25

2

8

Healthy FC

6

0

0

6

14

-28

0

@thephuketnews

he island’s pro fivea-side footy outfit, Phuket United, kicked off the 2015 Futsal Thailand Premier League in electrifying form on Saturday (March 28) night, shutting out Surat Thani FC 2-0.

Having anticipated the season start on the back of a 7-month break, Phuket fans were hungry for the action, and would be satiated only two minutes into play with a goal by Brazilian star, “Action” Jackson Santos – the club’s leading scorer for the previous two seasons.

The next and final goal came on 16 minutes by the Andaman Pearl’s Phuchong

T

Pita Bar Phuketeers 8 – 3 Phuket Condos & Homes

Team

taya United player and current Phuket FC defensive midfielder Moussa Sylla will be called upon to provide assurance on defense.

Last season, Coach Daeng’s style gave teams fits early in the season but Pattaya just barely avoided relegation with a 14th place finish in Yamaha League-1.

This season, with the help of former Phuket FC striker Anusak Laosangthai, Pattaya

United have turned in some impressive performances, including a 5-1 trouncing of Samut BTU and a 2-0 win over PTT Rayong.

Still, both teams enter this game with identical records.

It will be up to a strong and fast Phuket defense to keep up with speedy Pattaya strikers like Anusak.

Class Act Media are proud media partners with Phuket FC

United open 2015 with win over Surat Thani

Phuket Super Six League: Season 9, Round 8 IT’S A CLOSE RACE TO the top for all three divisions as Pita Bar Phuketeers finally take the lead over rivals Phuket Condos & Homes in Division 1. Meanwhile, Black Dragon FC leapfrog TEFL Campus as they take over the No.1 spot in Division 2 with their win over Vintage FC. Division 3 remains largely the same with Naraya United and ConF staying on top at No. 1 and 2 respectively.

I T WOU L D SE E M A S though Phuket FC Coach Songyod “Daeng” Kinsrisook knows Pattaya United well, having roamed their sidelines for all of last season. The simple fact that Coach Daeng even lasted an entire season with the team is rare in Thai football.

But these aren’t your 2014 Dolphins and Saturday’s match we will finally get to see if all the hype over this year’s Pattaya team is warranted.

The match, set to kick off at 7pm at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town, will most likely be a see-saw affair with tons of action on the wings. Coach Daeng’s counter-attacking style, which so far has served Phuket FC decently will no doubt be in effect. Surely former Pat-

Phuket’s Tanakorn Piyapreechayut (right). Photo: Looktal Charoensrihatna, and though bot h sides ha d cha nces throughout the rest of the match, the score remained

in favour of the home team through to the final whistle.

It was Surat Thani’s first professional match in two

years, as the club opted for a break last season in order to raise finances after it, along with many other FTPL clubs, struggled to pay player salaries at the culmination of the 2012-2013 season.

The win puts Phuket in a comfortable third place position out of 14 teams this year.

Phuket now head to the capital to take on Samut Prakarn on April 4, before breaking for Songkran holiday.

The Andaman Pearl resume play with a big match at home, against FTPL reigning champions, Chonburi Blue Wave on Saturday, April 18.

To be played at the 4,000-seat Saphan Hin Sports Centre, the match kicks off at 7pm.

Class Act Media are proud media partners with Phuket United

28 SPORT

Laguna take victory over Patong team

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Photo: Michael Way

CRICKET Owen Pringle editor2@classactmedia.co

W

hilst the Aussies battled the Kiwis in the ICC World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Patong Cricket Club battled Laguna Cricket Club in the Phuket 40-Over League at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) in Thalang last Sunday (March 29).

Patong’s Raju Seemant and Imtiyaz Mustaq opened the batting with Seemant caught by Laguna’s Damien Clowes for 2 off the bowling of Iqbal Malik.

This bought Justin Swart to join Mustaq. They formed an 86-run partnership before Swart was dismissed on 28

by Manish Sadarangani.

Stuart Hamilton was next and scored 78 before being dismissed by Sameer Khan.

Waseem Bhatt was on 7 runs when Hamilton was bowled

by Sadarangani 16 runs. Patong, 4/143 in the 26th over.

Other notable mentions include a partnership by Van

Imtiyaz Mustaq bowls. Photo: Michael Way Blerk and Desmond (47) taking the final score to 211 after 40 overs.

Bowling for Laguna, Iqbal Malik, 7 overs, 2 maidens, 1/21, Arif Mustaq, 8 overs 1/32, S Soton 2 overs 0/28, Sameer Khan, 7 overs 1/46.

Sadarangani, 8 overs, 1 maiden, 2/39, Ali Khan, 8 overs, 1/38.

Laguna came out to bat

with Sadarangani (12) opening the innings with Malik (6), who was then followed

by Mustaq (22) Sameer Khan was next and was bowled by Pao the following over for a first ball duck.

Big hitting Ali Khan was the next batsman and was on 2 when Sadarangani was caught by Anthony Van Blerk.

Captain Stuart Reading looked comfortable with Khan before playing the ball onto his stumps ( 8).

Soton joined Khan in the 14th over and made a 50-run partnership. Soton made 10 runs before being bowled

by Bhatt.

Clowes joined Khan and negotiated 13 balls before Bhatt bowled him for a duck.

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

Khan continued to play some big shots, with 3 fours and 4 sixes before being bowled by Imtiyaz Mustaq for 49 runs and Laguna finishing on 127 runs PCC bowling, Waseen

Bhatt, 7 overs, 3/26, Imtiyaz Mustaq 4 overs 2/22.

Patong sent Laguna into bat for their 2nd innings in an attempt to gain an outright victory. The equation 13 overs, take 6 wickets.

M Sadarangani opened with Sameer Khan batting well until the 11th over, when Khan was bowled by Seemant for 43.

Seemant struck again in the same over dismissing Malik for 2.

Arif Mustaq was stumped

by Van Blerk the following over by I Mustaq for a duck.

M Sadarangani was not out 48.

Patong bowling figures in the 2nd Innings of Laguna, Mustaq, 4 overs 1/18, Bhatt, 4 overs, 0/20, Seemant, 2 overs, 2/27 and Neil Quail, 1 over, 0/15.

The next match at the ACG will be on April 5, with Thalang playing against Island Cricket Club at 10am.

There will be a six a side cricket tournament held at the ACG over the Songkran Festival on April 11–12. Any interested players can get further information from the Patong Cricket Group website www.acgphuket.com or https://www.facebook.com/kishore.sadarangani?fref=nf.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

Phuketians to tackle Top of the Gulf SAILING

A

sia’s largest multi-class racing regatta will take place in Pattaya April 30–May 14 attracting a record participation of more than 700 sailors, and many of them from Phuket.

The 11th edition of Top of the Gulf Regatta, set to take place at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club in Pattaya, will welcome 250 boats and their race teams.

Four-time winner Scott Duncanson of the Ao Chalong Yacht Club will once again participate in the competition. A contingent of at least three sailors from ACYC are planning to compete in the event, including Peter Burke and Alfie Rawson.

In addition, over 100 young Thai sailors are expected to compete in the event. The Phuket Youth Sailing Club (PYSC), which teaches many disadvantaged Thai children from the Phuket Sunshine Village, hopes to once again send participants this year for

the Thailand Optimist Nationals (held during the Top of the Gulf Regatta). However, due to funding issues the club may not be able to have their kids compete in Pattaya.

Last year, PYSCs Cartoon

“Toon” Jundet competed under the PYSC banner at the event and finished 40th overall out of 66 in his division. Anyone interested in supporting the PYSC in taking kids to the event can email phuketyouth-

Thai PGA Tour set to start GOLF

@thephuketnews

America’s Cup teams usher in new era SAILING

Runnin’ the sand – The Phuket Lifeguard Club held a competition on Sunday, March 29, to showcase all the skills that involve what a lifeguard is suppose to know. The Phuket Lifeguard Competition took place at Nai Harn Beach. Khun Apilukc (pictured) won the Ironman event at the competition. Photos: danmilesmedia

AFTER A LONG DELAY, the 2015 Thai PGA Tour will start next month in Nong Khai, organisers said Tuesday (March 31).

The Professional Golf Association of Thailand is now able to organise the tour thanks to support from Thai Beverage.

The first of six events of the Chang-SAT Thailand PGA Tour 2015 will be held at Victory Park Golf and Country Club from April 20-24.

The next tournaments will be at Pattana Golf Club and Resort, Chon Buri (May 2529), Pattavia Century Golf

SPORT 29

Pattana Golf Club in Chon Buri (pictured) is one of the sites slated for the Thai PGA Tour. Photo: Wikimedia Club, Chon Buri (June 8-12), Imperial Lakeview, Cha-am (July 27-31), Chiangmai Inthanon Golf and Natural Resort, Chiang Mai (Aug 24-28) and Lotus Valley Golf Resort, Chachoengsao (Sept 7-11).

Each tournament has a total purse of B1.5–2 million.

ThaiBev executive Surapol Utintu said it would be a longterm partnership between his company and the Thai PGA. Thai PGA president Chaiyapat Sunayontr said his next assignment was to find a TV station to televise the tournaments. Bangkok Post

sailingclub@gmail.com.

The competition was voted “Asian Regatta of the Year” at the 2014 Asian Marine & Boating Awards and is one of the most anticipated events in the Asian sailing calendar.

THE TEAMS COMPETING in the 2017 America’s Cup have agreed to several costcutting changes one of which includes the introduction of a new class.

The America’s Cup Class is a wing-sailed, foiling catamaran between 45 and 50 feet.

“The move to the new America’s Cup Class is a major step forward for the America’s Cup,” said Commercial Commissioner Harvey Schiller, following the vote.

“Collectively, the teams have agreed current costs are neither justified, nor sustainable, and a majority have together taken a sensible course of action to cut costs. I believe this puts the America’s Cup on a firm foundation for today and for the future.”

Crucially, the new class will cost much less over the

life of a campaign, with potential savings across design, build and operations, making it a revolutionary cost-saving measure for the sport in both the short and long term.

“The America’s Cup like Formula One - has to be a design race as well as a race on the water,” noted Ben Ainslie, the team principal at Ben Ainslie Racing. “That has always been part of the Cup’s appeal. That is what attracts some of the world’s best engineers - people like Adrian Newey, who has shown a real passion for the design challenge of the America’s Cup,” said Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill.

A majority of the teams have indicated a preference that all of the racing in 2017 be conducted at a single venue, Bermuda. The America’s Cup Event Authority will consider this in nominating a venue for the America’s Cup Qualifiers.

30 SPORT

Late goals save day for Netherlands, Italy FOOTBALL

T

he Netherlands and Italy needed late equalisers to earn draws in the Euro 2016 qualifiers last Saturday (March 28), while Gareth Bale inspired Wales to a fine win in Israel leaving them top of their group.

The Dutch were heading to a first competitive defeat on home soil since October 2000 after Burak Yilmaz put Turkey ahead in Amsterdam, but a 92nd-minute shot by captain Wesley Sneijder deflected into the net off Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to spare Oranje blushes and secure a 1-1 draw.

A defeat might have made Dutch coach Guus Hiddink’s position untenable, and even the draw leaves last year’s Netherlands third in qualifying Group A, five points behind second-placed Iceland and two points ahead of Turkey.

“It wasn’t a bad match,

Italy’s Forward Simone Zaza celebrates after an own goal during the EURO 2016 Group H football match between Bulgaria and Italy at Vassil Levski stadium in Sofia.

Photo: AFP/Nikoay Doychinov but not our best either,” said Hiddink. “A defeat would have been catastrophic but the (equalising) goal keeps us in the running.”

Only the top two in each group qualify automatically for next year’s finals in France, along with the best third-place finisher.

The Czech Republic lead the section, although they required a last-minute goal by substitute Vaclav Pilar just to earn a 1-1 draw with Latvia in Prague after Aleksejs Visnakovs gave the visitors the lead.

They are a point ahead of Iceland, who won 3-0 in Kazakhstan with Birkir Bjarnason scoring twice after veteran forward Eidur Gudjohnsen put them ahead in Astana.

Meanwhle, Antonio Conte’s Italy are in a rather more comfortable position than the Netherlands and remain unbeaten in Group H after coming back to draw 2-2 with Bulgaria in Sofia.

Yordan Minev’s early own goal gave the Azzurri the lead, but Ivelin Popov and Ilian Micanski both scored for Bulgaria to turn the game on its head.

Brazilian-born Italian debutant Eder, of Sampdoria, came off the bench to save a point for Italy with a fine strike with six minutes left.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Eder told Rai Sport. “Conte had faith in me and I’ve scored a goal wearing an important jersey. I hope I’ll go on to be given other chances.”

Nevertheless, it is Croatia who top the group by two points from the Euro 2012 runners-up after a romping to a 5-1 win at home to a Norway side featuring 16-year-old Real Madrid prospect Martin Odegaard.

Marcelo Brozovic gave Croatia the lead with a curling strike and Ivan Perisic, Ivica Olic, Gordon Schildenfeld and Danijel Pranjic added further goals in the second half.

Meanwhile, Madrid winger Bale scored a second-half brace as Wales cruised to a 3-0 win in Israel that put them top of Group B. AFP

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diggersd 591 phils64 589 popcorn 583 stegee 579 gamagan 578 scottkip 578 celticpride 573 fazza 573 zestrealestate 568 thailand express 564

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

EURO 2016 Qualifying round Team

MP W

D

L

F

A

GD Pts

GROUP A 1

Czech Republic

5

4

1

0

11

6

5

13

2

Iceland

5

4

0

1

12

2

10

12

3

Netherlands

5

2

1

2

11

6

5

7

4

Turkey

5

1

2

2

6

8

-2

5

5

Latvia

5

0

3

2

2

11

-9

3

6

Kazakhstan

5

0

1

4

4

13

-9

1

GROUP B 1

Belgium

5

3

2

0

13

1

12

11

2

Wales

5

3

2

0

7

2

5

11

3

Israel

5

3

0

2

9

6

3

9

4

Cyprus

5

2

0

3

9

10

-1

6

5

Bos-Herce

5

1

2

2

5

6

-1

5

6

Andorra

5

0

0

5

2

20

-18 0

GROUP C 1

Slovakia

5

5

0

0

11

2

9

15

2

Spain

5

4

0

1

14

3

11

12

3

Ukraine

5

3

0

2

6

2

4

9

4

Belarus

5

1

1

3

4

10

-6

4

5

Macedonia

5

1

0

4

5

12

-7

3

6

Luxembourg

5

0

1

4

3

14

-11 1

GROUP D 1

Poland

5

3

2

0

16

3

13

11

2

Germany

5

3

1

1

9

4

5

10

3

Scotland

5

3

1

1

11

5

6

10

4

Republic of Ireland

5

2

2

1

11

4

7

8

5

Georgia

5

1

0

4

4

9

-5

3

6

Gibraltar

5

0

0

5

1

27

-26 0

GROUP E 1

England

5

5

0

0

15

1

14

15

2

Slovenia

5

3

0

2

10

4

6

9

3

Switzerland

5

3

0

2

11

3

8

9

4

Lithuania

5

2

0

3

3

10

-7

6

5

Estonia

5

1

1

3

1

5

-4

4

6

San Marino

5

0

1

4

0

17

-17 1

GROUP F 1

Romania

5

4

1

0

7

1

6

13

2

Northern Ireland

5

4

0

1

8

4

4

12

3

Hungary

5

2

2

1

4

3

1

8

4

Finland

5

1

1

3

5

7

-2

4

5

Faroe Islands

5

1

0

4

2

7

-5

3

6

Greece

5

0

2

3

1

5

-4

2

GROUP G 1

Austria

5

4

1

0

10

2

8

13

2

Sweden

5

2

3

0

7

3

4

9

3

Russia

4

1

2

1

6

3

3

5

4

Montenegro

4

1

2

1

3

2

1

5

5

Liechtenstein

5

1

1

3

1

11

-10 4

6

Moldova

5

0

1

4

2

8

-6

1

GROUP H 1

Croatia

5

4

1

0

15

2

13

13

2

Italy

5

3

2

0

8

4

4

11

3

Norway

5

3

0

2

7

8

-1

9

4

Bulgaria

5

1

2

2

6

7

-1

5

5

Azerbaijan

5

1

0

4

4

11

-7

3

6

Malta

5

0

1

4

1

9

-8

1

GROUP I 1

Portugal

4

3

0

1

4

2

2

9

2

Denmark

4

2

1

1

6

4

2

7

3

Albania

4

2

1

1

4

5

-1

7

4

Serbia

4

1

1

2

6

6

0

1

5

Armenia

4

0

1

3

3

6

-3

1

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, ARRIL 3, 2015

SPORT 31

Ferrari’s red letter day: ‘We’re back!’

FORMULA 1 Michael Lamonato michael@boxofneutrals.com

Australia’s final I World Cup sledge ends with apology CRICKET AUSTRALIAN WICKETkeeper Brad Haddin offered an unusual half-apology after his final World Cup sledging of New Zealand, suggesting that liquid celebrations may have fuelled his comments during a radio interview.

The arch sledger had been at the forefront of big “sendoffs” for Kiwi batsmen Martin Guptill and Grant Elliott as well as spinner Daniel Vettori after their key dismissals in last Sunday’s final (March 29) in Melbourne, where Australia thrashed their traditional rivals to win the competition.

The next day Haddin went on local radio and, asked about the send-offs, added a few more remarks.

“You know what? They

deserved it,” the wicketkeeper said.

“They were that nice to us in New Zealand (when Australia lost a pool match) and we were that uncomfortable. They were that nice to us the whole week.

“I said [in a team meeting], ‘I’m not playing cricket like this. If we get another crack at these guys in the final I’m letting everything (out). And I’m not going to play another one-day game so they can suspend me for as long as they like.”

But Haddin has since tempered his words.

“We were celebrating a World Cup win and enjoying ourselves after a long tournament,” he said. “In hindsight, we should have stayed off the radio. If I offended anyone, it was never my intention.” AFP

Live Sports TV Schedule *Times may be subject to change

CHANNEL START

SPORT

EVENT

TEAMS / INFO

Friday, April 3 23:10

01:25

Soccer

Championship

Ipswich v. Bournemouth

12:00

14:00

Rugby League

NRL

Bulldogs v. Rabbitohs

16:30

18:30

Rugby League

NRL

Titans v. Broncos

18:45

20:45

Rugby Union

Super XV

Hurricanes v. Stormers (D)

Saturday, April 4 17:45

19::55

Rugby Union

Super XV

Brumbies v. Cheetahs (D)

19:55

22:00

Rugby Union

Super XV

Sharks v. Crusaders

22:00

00:00

Rugby Union

Super XV

Lions v. Bulls

13:30

15:30

Rugby League

NRL

Sea Eagles v. Raiders

15:30

17:30

Rugby League

NRL

Knights v. Dragons

09:30

12:30

Aussie Rules

AFL

Melbourne v. Gold Coast Suns

12:30

15:05

Aussie Rules

AFL

Sydney Swans v. Essendon

15:05

18:05

Aussie Rules

AFL

Western Bulldogs v. West Coast Eagles

18:45

20:45

Soccer

EPL

Arsenal v. Liverpool

20:55

23:00

Soccer

EPL

Everton v. Southampton

23:30

01:30

Soccer

EPL

Chelsea v. Stoke

20:55

23:00

Soccer

EPL

Man United v. Aston Villa

20:55

23:00

Soccer

EPL

Leicester v. West Ham

Sunday, April 5 10:00

13:00

Aussie Rules

AFL

St Kilda v. GWS Giants

15:30

18:30

Aussie Rules

AFL

Fremantle v. Port Adelaide Roosters v. sharks

13:00

15:00

Rugby League

NRL

12:00

15:00

Rugby Union

World Series Sevens

Tokyo, Japan

18:30

20:40

Rugby Union

Champions Cup

Racing Metro v. Saracens

21:10

23:15

Rugby Union

Champions Cup

Toulon v. Wasps

23:40

01:40

Rugby Union

Challenge Cup

London v. Edinburgh

22:00

00:00

Soccer

EPL

Sunderland v. Newcastle

19:25

21:30

Soccer

EPL

Burnley v. Tottenham Hawthorn v. Geelong Cats

Monday, April 6 15:00

18:00

Aussie Rules

AFL

12:00

14:00

Rugby League

NRL

Eels v. Tigers

14:00

16:00

Rugby League

NRL

Storm v. Warriors

16:00

18:00

Rugby League

NRL

Panthers v. Cowboys

@thephuketnews

t seemed impossible after Ferrari’s worst season in more than two decades, inconceivable after churning through three team principals in a single year, and unthinkable after Fernando Alonso lost faith and hit the eject button – but despite its annus horribilis last season, Ferrari is back in 2015.

It was just two weeks ago that this season was being written off as another Mercedes whitewash after Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg dominated the Australian Grand Prix.

But subtle clues of a shuffling were present behind Melbourne’s headlines.

They were writ large in Malaysia last weekend.

Was Ferrari’s Mercedes-beating pace genuine? Yes and no – the 2015 Ferrari is quick, thanks to the tidy design directed by technical chief James Allison – but the sweltering conditions in Malaysia undoubtedly helped its cause. Track temperatures at the Sepang circuit reached absurd highs of 64°C more than once,

which rewarded any car that used its tyres gently.

Even in Melbourne, Ferrari’s long-run pace was eye opening. The F15T had an impressive ability to log fast, consistent laps with minimum wear to its tyres.

The benefit of such a design was muted in Australia, where track temperatures were cool enough to allow every team to change tyres only once over the course of the race.

Two weeks later in Malaysia, gentle

tyre wear was paying dividends – Sebastian Vettel changed tyres only twice and was able to use the delicate but faster “medium” tyres for the majority of the race. Mercedes needed three stops, and was restricted to running the durable but slower “hards”.

To say Ferrari’s landmark victory – its first since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix – was all about the tyres would be unfair, however. The car is a significant step forward on last year’s, and the team has warned it has a clear and aggressive upgrade schedule that should bring even more performance to the car.

Mercedes, meanwhile, showed vulnerability: it cracked under the pressure of having to strategise a race involving more than just its own two cars, and couldn’t rely on a natural buffer to its competitors to get it out of trouble.

Moreover, glimpses of its radio chatter during the race seemed to show the Mercedes team leaders in disarray – at one point they radioed Rosberg’s instructions to Hamilton.

Can Ferrari bring about another upset in China next weekend? One thing is for certain: Mercedes won’t be having 2015 its own way.

China drives 66 golf courses into the rough GOLF CHINA’S RULERS HAVE gone against golf as the government “closed” 70 “illegal” courses, seemingly enforcing a decade-old ban for first time.

The announcement comes amid an anti-graft campaign spearheaded by President Xi Jinping.

The Communist Party has long had an ambivalent rela-

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS

Run #1519: Saturday April 4 at 4pm Hares: Once Weekly, Twice Nightly & Fungus Location: Cherngtalay - Manik Dam Direc t ions: From the south turn west [4025] at Heroines towards Cherng Talay. Af ter approx 3.4 km turn LEF T HHH into (ver y narrow) S oi Moo 1 .

Follow the road for approx 1 km then turn LEFT HHH and follow to laager site From Cherng Talay Police Station head east for approximately 3.54 km then turn right into Moo 1 HHH follow the directions as above.

Bus pick-up: Patong (Expat Hotel) 2:45pm; Kamala (Baan Rim Klong) 3:15pm More info: phuket-hhh.com

tionship with golf, which is a favoured pastime of some officials, but is also associated with wealth and Western elites.

Three of the 66 “illegal” golf courses listed are in Beijing. Eight are in Shandong, while the southern provinces of Guangdong and Yunnan are home to six each.

Even the island province of Hainan – considered the capital of the sport in China – had three courses shut down. AFP

Sport

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

editor2@classactmedia.co.th

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015

Phuket United win first game of 2015 season > page 27

OFF TO VEGAS

VNEA Pool League Phuket crowns Thailand champions

BILLIARDS JP Mestanza editor2@classactmedia.co.th

W

hile the winner of the V NEA Pool League Phuket were receiving their prizes, several in the crowd at Tazmania Pool Lounge in Patong were still buzzing at the fact that there were three eight-on-a-breaks in one night.

“It’s exciting. I couldn’t believe it. This shows that the level has increased tremendously from last season,” said Mazen Kinh of Thailand Pool Tables, the organisers of the pool league.

In American-style pool, the eight-on-a-break occurs when one player hits the eight ball in any pocket during the break, the first hit of the game, which earns the player (and team) an automatic win.

The feat is somewhat rare in the game and was achieved three times on Sunday (March 29): twice

by Giovanni “Nanni” Bechetti of Reality team in the first semi-final, and then once by Bob Welsh of the Legends team in the Grand Final.

The big prize of the night was the trip to Las Vegas to compete in the VNEA World Championships in May which prompted some fierce pool-playing from all teams. The Reality team took home the Thai-

land crown with their win over the Legends team and will represent the Kingdom in Las Vegas.

Hosted by Live 89.5s Jason Wilder, the final night of the VNEA Pool League Phuket night was the culmination of an 18-week competition where, every Wednesday, teams from four divisions – including one in Samui – would battle on pool tables across Phuket.

According to Mazen, the league will continue to expand with Bangkok as a possible new addition to the league. As there is already a Koh Samui division, a Bangkok division would cement the VNEA Pool League as the premier competition for serious pool sharks in the Kingdom.

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