04-11-2016

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

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Friday, November 4 – Thursday, November 10, 2016

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PHUKET ZOO ORANGUTAN BABES DEEMED ‘LEGAL’ > PAGE 5

TURF WAR

DIARY OF SLAIN TUK-TUK BOSS LIFTS VEIL ON PATONG’S TRANSPORT MAFIA

NEWS

PAGE 3

Airport delays spur backlash

LIFE

PAGE 20

Postcard perfect in Phang Nga

A bullet hole in the tuk-tuk of murdered Patong boss and anti-mafia campaigner Sakol Sompotch is marked by forensic police.

Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

P

olice have presented the personal diary of Sakol Sompotch, the 58-year-old President of the Patong Tuk-Tuk Club who was murdered last week, as a vital piece of evidence in their bringing his alleged killers to justice.

The diary details the ongoing conflict Mr Sakol had with Wattana “Dam” Nawakeaw, 38, who heads

the “KT Tuk Tuk – Taxi Service” group. Wattana now faces charges of conspiracy to murder Mr Sakol.

The KT group is legally allocated by the government to operate in Kata and Karon. They may take passengers elsewhere on the island, but may not pick up passengers outside of their legal “patch”.

However, Mr Wattana and his cadre of tuk-tuk drivers had carved out territory of their own in the heart of Patong. They had done so illegally,

and for more than two years after the military led a police crackdown on Phuket’s powerful transport mafia.

Mr Sakol was slain in the early hours of Tuesday last week (Oct 25), when he was shot four times as his attackers opened fire at the cab of his tuk-tuk at close range. The assassination took place in front of the Phuket Villa housing complex on Phra Phuket Kaew Rd in Kathu just before 3am.

Police moved quickly in mak-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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ing two arrests. Wattana “Dam” Nawakeaw, 38, and a 17-year-old male who police named only as “Thong” were taken into custody last Friday (Oct 28) after warrants for their arrest were issued earlier that day.

Both have been charged with conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to illegally obtain a firearm, and conspiracy to bring a firearm into a public area without permission.

Wattana denied the charges, but Thong confessed to his role in the…

SPORT

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Vendee Globe, a race not for the faint of heart

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Disabled devotee in roll to Bangkok to honour the late HM The King > page 7

Tuk-tuk war comes to light

Continued from page 1 ...slaying, Kathu Police Deputy Chief Investigator Lt Col Amponwat Seangreung told The Phuket News.

By Tuesday this week (Nov 1), police had another suspect in custody, but another four suspects remain at large, including the gunman and getaway driver, Col Amponwat explained.

All four are no longer in Phuket, he added.

“We have located two more suspects. They have been arrested and will be sent back to face charges here, and we are still tracking down the other two,” Col Amponwat said.

THE HIT The “hit” was contracted out to one group, of which three of the seven suspects are teenagers, Col Amponwat noted.

“Actually, they are all from the same extended family,” he explained.

While the diary, and ac-

Explaining the huge disparity in the cost of operating a tuk-tuk in Patong, Col Amponwat noted, “It costs hundreds of thousands of baht to join a tuk-tuk stand in Patong.”

Forensic police inspect Mr Sakol’s tuk-tuk. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot companying voice and video clips, comprise a key piece of evidence, the arrests and hunt for the remaining suspects follows corroboration provided by private and public authority CCTV and witness statements, and tracking them down through social media, Col Amponwat noted.

“Our investigation shows that this was a planned execution,” he said.

The Phuket News was permitted to see – and make a transcript of – the entries Mr Sakol made in his diary on one day only – the last day of his life, Oct 25.

However, Col Amponwat said The Phuket News was not permitted to publish the exact words written by Mr Sakol on that day. He also did not allow The Phuket News to view any other pages of the diary.

Col Amponwat also declined to provide any images from the CCTV footage. “That will be presented in court as evidence,” he said.

A LOT OF MONEY Col Amponwat said he had yet to determine how much the alleged killers were hired for.

“But the dispute was over a lot of money – a lot of money,” he said.

By example, Col Amponwat explained that the illegal tuk-tuks cost about B150,000 each. “But operating a fully legal tuk-tuk costs B700,000 to B800,000 each,” he said.

However, Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) Chief Sommai Sutkhao said that registering a new tuk-tuk costs less than B1,000. “That does not include the transport service permit, which costs B1,500 per seven years,” he said.

Asked how many tuk-tuks were permitted to operate in Patong, Mr Sommai said, “I can’t remember, but there are about 1,200 in total in Phuket.”

Asked if the PLTO is allowing any more tuk-tuks to start operating in Patong, he said, “No, this is not allowed.”

TUK-TUK TURF Adding to the conflict, Wattana and his group had taken up position in an area where drivers under Mr Sakol’s Patong Tuk-tuk Club had operated for years, Col Amponwat noted.

“Their queues are close to each other,” he said. “There are about 20 illegal tuk-tuks in this area. Details of these tuktuks will be sent to the Phuket Transport Land Office later.”

The flashpoint for the killing is likely to have been Mr Sakol’s filing of formal complaints against illegal tuk-tuk drivers.

In 2014, just six months before the Army invaded Patong in the highly-published crackdown on Phuket’s tuk-tuk and taxi mafia, Mr Sakol led a blockade that stopped all traffic from entering or leaving Patong.

Among Mr Sakol’s complaints, he called for serious action against illegal tuk-tuk drivers and he accused Patong Police of working with mafia figures by allowing them to operate.

Two years later and Watanna and his co-drivers were back in Patong, with no action by police until Mr Sakol on Sept 6 this year filed a formal complaint accusing Wattana and his drivers of operating tuk-tuks illegally.

“We asked Patong Police about this. They said they had responded to the complaint already. For details about that,

you need to ask them,” he said.

The fine for such as a transgression used be a pittance, but that was before Mr Sakol, during the blockade in 2014, called for the government to increase the penalty to a measly B2,000 per infringement.

However, PLTO Chief Sommai confirmed to The Phuket News on Wednesday that the penalty is now up to two years in jail and a fine of up to B200,000.

DRIVEN TO RETURN Following the military crackdown on Phuket’s taxi and tuk-tuk mafia – and Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha himself standing in Phuket International Airport on Sept 16 this year warning that “The mafia problem must not happen again” – Patong Police offered no explanation as to how so many illegal tuk-tuks were operating in plain sight in Phuket’s busiest tourism town.

“We set up checkpoints and check taxi and tuk-tuk queues, and we announce to people that illegal vehicles are banned in this area,” Patong Police Chief Col Chaiwat Uikum said on Wednesday.

“We check that tuk-tuks are registered and that the drivers have the correct driving licenses, and that they a fit and proper to work as transport drivers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Col Amponwat praised Mr Sakol’s stand against the illegal tuk-tuk drivers that he faced every day.

“Mr Sakol was warned about the consequence but stood strong in upholding the law. That’s the risk of standing up to ‘influential people’ in Patong,” he said.

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NEWS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

HKT Airport chief silent on immigration mess

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The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

O

fficials at Phuket International Airport have fallen silent on why long immigration queues persist at the island’s key tourism portal, frustrating tourists by taking hours for them to clear entry to the country.

The long delays continue despite promises by Transport Minister Lt Gen Arkhom Termpittayapaisith last month that more officers had been assigned to bolster immigration at Phuket airport to reduce long queues of tourists waiting to enter and leave the country.

First-hand reports provided to The Phuket News over the past two weeks have detailed how travellers were forced to wait hours to be cleared by immigration officers.

“I picked some friends up on Wednesday night (Oct 19) and their flight landed at 11:16pm from Korea and I was still waiting for them at 12:40am,” “They said only three desks were open and 300 passengers

Entertainment events in nightclubs, pubs and bars, such as those along Patong’s Bangla Rd, may resume after Nov 14, Col Taksada said. Photo: The Phuket News / file

Festivals, events to resume Nov 14 Tourists cram the immigration arrivals hall at Phuket Airport, waiting hours to be cleared by officials as immigration desks sit empty. had arrived on a 777 – and they had only three staff to get them through immigration! It’s crazy!” one expat reported.

A week later, on Oct 26, The Phuket News received a similar report, with the Immigration Arrivals hall crammed with passengers at 8:30am while they waited to have their passports stamped.

Apparently only four desks were open to clear the arriving tourists, despite the new International Airport terminal

boasting a total of 19 immigration counters for 38 officers in total in the Arrivals Hall.

As recently as Thurday night last week (Oct 27), one Australian tourist noted, “Four planes had just landed but there were only two immigration desks open,” he said.

Pol Lt Col Arom Kwannet, Deputy Chief of the Phuket Airport Immigration Office, explained to The Phuket News last Friday (Oct 28) that he was unauthorised to comment

Sex attacker jailed for five years THE KRABI MAN WHO admitted to carrying out a sex attack on an American tourist as he was guiding her back to a resort in Railay Beach, Krabi, has been sentenced to five years in prison Ao Nang Deputy Police Chief Lt Col Winai Poonsawas told The Phuket News on Tuesday (Nov 1) that the court reached its decision on Oct 17 that Apai Raingworchai, 28, was guilty for the sex attack on American Hannah Gavois on Sept 1 and that he had been imprisoned for five years.

“Apai was found guilty on

@thephuketnews

Hannah Gavois was only recovered by a rescue team the next day. Photo: Handout / Hannah Gavois Facebook the charges of sexual assault and assault causing serious injury. The court initially sentenced him to 10 years in prison, however, because he confessed to the crime his sentence was reduced to five

years,” said Lt Col Winai.

“The victim was not in court for the trial, however, this was not necessary as she had already given her statement before leaving the Kingdom,” he added.

Ms Gavois, a 23-year-old from Queens, New York, received treatment at Phuket International Hospital for weeks after breaking her spine following a 45 metre fall down a mountain slope as she attempted to flee sex attacker Apai who she had hired as a local guide.

The Phuket News

on the issue. “We don’t have permission to reply media, only the chief can do that,” Col Arom said.

Phuket Airport Immigration Chief Col Supphachoke Yongstar, however, was repeatedly unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile, Airport Director Monrudee Gettuphan last Friday announced that parts of the Domestic Terminal will be closed for 330 days from Nov 1 for renovations, and advised travellers to arrive early.

ENTERTAINMENT VENues, parties, festivals and broadcasts will resume on Nov 14 with comedy shows advised to be polite, authorities revealed on Tuesday (Nov 1).

The date will mark the end of the month-long moratorium on such festive events introduced as the country entered a period of national mourning following the death of the late HM King Bhumbol Adulyadej on Oct 13.

Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said after the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the schedule would be

after the first 30 days of the mourning period for the late King and restrictions on entertainment venues and broadcasts would be relieved in relation to tourism and everyday life in the country.

After the first month, television channels could resume their normal programmes but some such as comedy ones should refrain from rude words, he said.

The Prime Minister thanked mass media for presenting the work of the late King and the pictures of countless crowds paying respects.

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PHUKET NEWS

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Phuket Seven Day Weather Forecast FRI NOVEMBER 4

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More virgin beaches in Phuket: tourism drawcard or disaster?

Jason Beavan 086 479 7471

Chockchai explained.

With the annual tourism high season nearly upon us, The Phuket News asks readers, “Do you support Gov Chockchai’s plan to clear Phuket’s beaches of all vendors?”

PHUKET POLL

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The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

P SALES MANAGER Jittiya (Tiya) Rakdej 088 754 1371

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huket Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan has stated that he plans to remove all “10 per cent zones” from Phuket’s beaches, thus leaving all sands along Phuket’s coast as “virgin beaches”.

The hotly debated “10 per cent zones” are the last bastions where vendors may work on beaches in Phuket, and were introduced by the previous Governor, Chamroen Tipayapongtada.

However, the “beach rules” in Phuket apply only in Phuket.

The 10 per cent rule does not

Are vendor and beach chair free beaches good or bad for the island's vital tourism industry? Photo: Brunner Hans Rudolf apply anywhere else in Thailand, not even in Khao Lak, just one hour’s drive north of Phuket, or even on Phi Phi or elsewhere in Krabi.

Gov Chockchai last month noted, “I have thought a lot about what to do about this,

as there are actually no laws which allows 10 per cent zones on beaches…

"Also, it appears that we still have issues with the umbrella and beach chair mafias.

There will be no more mafias.

It is my duty to work out who

will manage Phuket’s beaches, but I can assure you it will not be mafias and they will be run in accordance with the law.

“As it is illegal to have these 10 per cent zones they will gradually be removed leaving virgin beaches,” Gov

Responses available are: •Yes, all beaches in Phuket should be clear of all vendors.

•Yes, clear the beaches of vendors, but allow tourists to bring their own sun loungers.

•No, leave the ‘10 per cent rule’ in place – it is the best solution so far.

•No, allow vendors back on the beaches, which worked well for tourists for years.

To cast your vote in the poll, visit ThePhuketNews.com

SALES SUPPORT Siriporn (Nok) Seangmas 086 479 7470 sales@classactmedia.co.th

Piyawit Supanam, 36, was found dead on a Bangkok-Phuket bus on Oct 28. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Man, 36, found dead on bus PR MANAGER Natchaya (Nat) Sittiprasert 088 765 5881 pr@classactmedia.co.th

A PH U K ET M A N WAS found dead on a BangkokPhuket bus on Monday (Oct 28). Police have yet to confirm the cause of death but suspect a heart attack may be to blame.

Lt Suporn Muangkhai of the Thalang Police was notified at 8am by staff at the Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation station in Baan Muang Mai that a passenger had died on a Bangkok-Phuket bus.

Police arrived at the area to find a bus parked on the side of the road in front of the Muang Mai police box. On the left-side of the bus was the body of a man sitting alone in a seat. Police later named him as 36-year-old Piyawit Supanam from Wichit.

Lt Suporn said, “The man had no pulse and we found no signs of a struggle or assault on his body. He had been dead

for at least two hours.

“We discovered that Mr Piyawat boarded the bus in Bangkok and was travelling to Phuket. The bus arrived on the island this morning and stopped at Baan Muang Mai to let some passengers off.

Staff thought Mr Piyawat, who was sitting alone, was sleeping so they tapped him on his shoulder to let him know the bus has stopped but Mr Piyawat did not respond.

“They checked his pulse then notified rescue workers,” he said.

Police believe the man died of a heart attack or was suffering from some health issue.

The body was taken to Thalang Hospital for doctors to confirm the time and cause of death.

Eakkapop Thongtub thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

PHUKET NEWS

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Two baby orangutans at Phuket Zoo deemed legal The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

T

wo baby orangutans being kept at Phuket Zoo have been obtained legally, an official from the Phuket Wildlife and Plant Conservation Office has confirmed.

The Phuket News learned of the baby orangutans arriving at the zoo from Facebook posts from some people instrumental in the saving of orangutan Milo from Phuket Zoo earlier this year.

Songchai Tongboonyang of the 5th Area Office of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) told The Phuket News that the two baby orangutans, one male and the other female, were acquired

by Phuket Zoo from Safari World in Bangkok last month.

“The male and female orangutans were born in Thailand and were originally housed at Safari World,” he said.

“They are both still very young,” he added.

Yacht captain Vladimir Komogorov said he circled Koh Miang twice looking for his friend Alexey Stashkov, but failed to find him. Photo: Royal Thai Navy

Rescue teams in search of Russian Wildlife officials inspect Phuket Zoo in July. Photo: DNP Mr Songchai said he didn’t know the value of the animals, but he did reiterate that the orangutans were acquired following the correct legal procedures.

“The animals were transferred to Phuket following the correct procedures, and all the necessary documentation has been completed,” he said.

“I have informed the zoo that if any media wants to see the animals or asks about them, then they should give the media access to the zoo and

allow them to report,” he said.

Meanwhile, Piyawat Sukon, Chief of the Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area Office in Thalang, which is responsible for the welfare of wildlife in Phuket and neighbouring provinces, has confirmed that the 5th Area office of the Department of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation visited Phuket Zoo in July to carry out a routine check, and that following the visit the zoo has been asked to make some

Russians crash car into excavator THREE RUSSIANS WERE injured early Monday morning (Oct 31) when the car they were travelling in crashed into the back of a stationary excavator.

Lt Sunan Patnoo of the Thalang Police was notified by a local resident at 5:30am on Monday that a car had crashed into the back of a stationary excavator on Srisoothorn Rd in Baan Manik.

Lt Sunan explained, “There were three foreigners injured in the accident. Kusoldharm rescue workers attended the scene to provide medical as-

@thephuketnews

There were no warning lights on the excavator. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub sistance and later transported the injured parties to Thalang Hospital.

“We later found that the three people were Russian nationals: Mr Martynov Pavel,

23; Ms Natalia Eremikhina, 23; and Mr Savenko Vitaliy, 50,” he said.

“We have been told that Mr Savenko was driving the white Toyota Vios towards Heroines Monument when he drove into the back of the excavator, which had no warning lights.

“We believe the accident happened because it was dark and Mr Savenko could not see the parked excavator. However, we will investigate further to find the true cause of the accident,” he added.

Eakkapop Thongtub

improvements to the facility.

“After the inspection we ordered Phuket Zoo to improve some parts of the facility. One point was the elephant enclosure, and I understand this has been improved already.

“We have also recommended improvements be made to the tiger enclosure, but I am not sure if these have already been done,” he said.

When asked about the new arrivals at the zoo, Mr Piyawat advised that he was unaware of the orangutans.

MARINE POLICE AND Royal Thai Navy rescue teams on Wednesday (Nov 2) continued to search for missing Russian national Alexey Stashkov, who disappeared from a yacht at the Similan Islands on Monday (Oct 31).

Mr Stashkov arrived at the popular tourist islands on board the yacht Revolution, skippered by fellow Russian national and friend Vladimir Komogorov, explained V/ Adm Surapol Kuptaphan, commander of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command.

“Mr Komogorov said that he left Chalong Pier in Phuket and arrived at the Similian Islands and moored

at Koh Miang (Island 4) on Monday,” V/Adm Surapol told The Phuket News.

In his report to Navy search teams, Mr Komogorov said, “We stopped the boat near Koh Miang or Koh Si. While I was sleeping, my friend went swimming in the sea, but after I woke up I could not see him.

“I called out his name and shouted, ‘Where are you?’ I drove the boat around the island twice looking for him, but I couldn’t find him.”

Naval officers called in fishing vessels and tourist boats in the area to assist in the search, V/Adm Surapol said.

Yutthawat Lekmak

6

PHUKET NEWS

Phuket Police ordered to boost security for tourism high season MORE THAN 150 OFFIcers from law-enforcement agencies, including the Royal Thai Police, assembled on Phuket’s premier party street, Bangla Rd in Patong, last Saturday (Oct 26) in a show of strength to boost tourist confidence in safety ahead of the coming tourism high season, which begins this month.

Region 8 Police Deputy Commander Lt Gen Chalit Thinthanee and Phuket Provincial Police Chief Maj Gen Teeraphol Thipjaroen joined Patong Police Chief Col Chaiwat Uikam in leading the assembly, which began at 7pm.

Gen Chalit ordered all

police in Phuket to be on standby in case of emergency and to strengthen their stance in preserving the lives and property of citizens.

“The important measure is raise security to prevent crime, which should not happen during the high season,” Col Chaiwat added.

“The Royal Thai Police has mandated that security be increased to protected tourists and citizens, especially during this period, when tourists come to our island,” he said.

“There are many threats to peoples’ lives and property, and this includes road accidents,” Col Chaiwat said.

Yutthawat Lekmak

More than 150 law-enforcement officers joined the assembly on Bangla Rd in Patong on Wednesday night last week (Oct 26). Photo: PR Dept

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Thais, Russian charged with assault after brawl The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

P

olice have confirmed that four Thais and one Russian have been charged with assault following a street brawl in Karon.

Five people involved in the street fight on Oct 23 have been charged with assault, Karon Police Chief Col Sanya Thongsawas told The Phuket News last Thursday (Oct 27).

The four Thai nationals were named as Mr Sangown Saeing, 37; Mr Wutthichai Sanghala, 36; Mr Ewe Salag, 26; and Mr Jaran Noosong, 38; while the Russian was named as Mr Edgar Khetagurov, 26.

The brawl between local taxi drivers and a group of tourists on motorbikes happened at about 2:40pm on Kata Rd, near the main three-way intersection in Kata Centre. Four taxi drivers involved in the brawl were injured, while the tourists suffered only scrapes and bruises.

“Jaran suffered the worst injuries as he was hit in the

The brawl is said to have started after a taxi driver asked the Russian tourists to slow down when driving through Karon Centre. Photo: Screengrab face with a brick by Khetagurov. Jaran was taken to the emergency room that day, but he is out of the hospital now,” Col Sanya said.

“We were told that the fight started when one of the taxi drivers told the group of tourist to slow down, but

the group revved the engines on their motorbikes (instead). The two groups then exchanged words and it escalated into a brawl,” he said.

“From the video, it appears that Khetagurov was slapped first, then Jaran was

hit in the face with a brick, after that it escalated into a brawl. The other taxi drivers had minor injuries and some had their teeth broken.

“A l l f ive h ave b e e n charged with assault and the case is now with Phuket Provincial Court,” he added.

Hitch-hiking python captured, released A MAN DRIVING ALONG Srisoonthorn Rd in central Phuket last Sunday (Oct 30) was given a surprise when another motorist signalled for him to pull over and yelled that there was a big snake hitching a ride under the pickup truck.

Arkom Bobthong, 49, was driving his three-wheeler motorbike with sidecar (samlor) home at about 2:15pm when he saw the snake hitching a ride under the moving pickup truck.

After Mr Arkom and the pickup truck driver pulled over, they called Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers to come and free the snake,

The two-metre python was caught hitching a ride under a moving pickup truck. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub which was reluctant to alight from the vehicle.

After a lengthy effort to capture the snake with their trusty “pole with noose” device, the rescue workers were finally able to bag the python.

“It was over two metres

long and weighed 11.5kg,” one rescue worker told The Phuket News.

As is standard practice, the rescue workers later released the snake at an undisclosed location.

Eakkapop Thongtub

thephuketnews

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PHUKET NEWS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Malee Dongmai, 54, from Kathu started her 842-kilometre walk from Phuket Town park Saphan Hin. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Phuket woman, 54, is walking 842km to Bangkok for late King Eakkapop Thongtub editor@classactmedia.co.th

A

54-year-old woman from Kathu set off on a 842-kilometre walk to Bangkok last week to honour His Majesty the late King Bhumibol, who passed away on October 13.

She was the second person from Phuket to set-off on the journey. Malee Dongmai, 54, was spotted by members of the Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation as she began crossing Sarasin Bridge at about 6am on Oct 26.

“This is the first time doing such a long walk and what I am doing is my way of showing love and loyalty to the late King,” Ms Malee said.

“I started my walk from Saphan Hin and every 50km I will take a rest and maybe some sleep. I am grateful that I am doing something for the late King.

“All along the road residents came out to greet me and offered me food and drink. People gave me cour-

Mr Sompong will make the 842-kilometre journey by pushing himself with one leg on a makeshift wheelchair.

Photo: Facebook age and moral support on this mission,” she said.

A day earlier (Oct 25), 37-year-old Duang Indang from Cherng Talay also set off to Bangkok on foot to pay condolences to the late King.

Mr Duang also said that what he was doing was his way of showing love and loyalty to the late King.

Then last Friday (Oct 28), a disabled man set off from Phuket to Bangkok on

a makeshift wheelchair to honour the late HM King Bhumibol.

The man, reported so far only as “Mr Sompong”, will make the full 842-kilometre journey pushing himself along with one leg on a makeshift wheelchair.

Jantima Kraithong posted a photo of the man on a public group Facebook page last Friday along with the message: “This man is heading to Bangkok to pay respect to the late King, if anyone sees him on the road please assist with food and water.”

Mr Sompong, reportedly a TV repairman, was spotted by local residents at 10am as he pushed himself along Thepkrasettri Rd in Mai Khao.

It was also reported that Mr Sompong was remembered for joining the “Bike for Dad” event held last year to mark the late King’s 88th Birthday.

Their have also been further reports of several more people setting off on the same journey by foot.

Red Cross calls for blood donations THE PHUKET REGIONAL Blood Centre (PRBC) and the Provincial Red Cross are inviting everyone to donate blood in honour of HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who passed away at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok at 3:52pm on Oct 13.

“This is one way for people to show HM The late King our love, loyalty and respect in everything that he has done for us,” said PRBC Chief Pornthip Ratchak.

The mobile blood-donation clinics run throughout November as follows: •Nov 8: Patong - Robinson Jungceylon, 10am-3pm. Rawai - Makro, 12pm-4pm. @thephuketnews

Give blood in honour of HM. •Nov 10: Phuket Town - Phuket Vocational College, 9am-3pm.

•Nov 11: Phuket Town - Srinagarindra the Princess Mother School, 10am-3pm.

•Nov 14: Koh Kaew - Isuzu, 1pm-4pm. Phuket Town Mission Hospital, 1pm-4pm.

•Nov 16: Thalang - Phuket Agricultural Research and Development Centre, 10am3pm.

•Nov 18: Phuket Town - Phuket

Regional Blood Cent re, 8.30am-3pm.

•Nov 21: Talang - Cherng Talay Administration Office, 10am3pm. Phuket Town - King Carl Kustaf Room (3rd floor), Bangkok Phuket Hospital, 1pm-5pm.

•Nov 23: Phuket Town Homepro Village Chalong, 12pm-4pm.

•Nov 25: Phuket Town - Phuket Wittayalai School, 9am-3pm.

•Nov 29: Phuket Town - KanKroa Hall, Satree Phuket School, 10am-2pm.

For more information call the PRBC at 076-251178 ext 2 or 081-9588854.

Yutthawat Lekmak

7

Opinion 8

OPINION

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CHRIS HUSTED

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084 307 7408 execeditor@classactmedia.co.th Fifteen years working in news and covering local issues and events in Phuket, with 18-month hiatus spent working for the Brunei Times on Borneo. From Queensland, Australia; 10 years living in the UK before moving to Phuket in 2000. Degree in business management. Spare time spent sailing or with family.

MATTHEW POND

News & Sports 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.

MARK KNOWLES

Lifestyle Editor

editor1@classactmedia.co.th From Melbourne, Australia, Mark holds a BA from La Trobe University where he completed a double major in Anthropology and Media Studies.

He has over eight years experience as a journalist, photographer and editor for several magazines and newspapers.

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EDITORIAL More monkey business at Phuket Zoo

I

t is just under nine months since Phuket Zoo made the headlines after it was discovered it was housing a 13-year-old orangutan, Milo, in what many saw as inadequate living conditions.

This news surfaced only after an online petition was posted on Change.org, with a campaign aimed simply at improving Milo’s health, shelter and diet.

After investigating the issue, officials from the Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area Office in Thalang, which is responsible for the welfare of wildlife in Phuket and neighbouring provinces, discovered that Phuket Zoo had no records of any orangutans legally registered to be kept at the facility, and that no permit had ever been issued for Phuket Zoo to keep such an animal in its care, as is required by law.

Simply put, Milo was being

kept at the zoo for an unknown duration “illegally”.

After learning the news, officials from the Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area Office inspected Phuket Zoo in hopes of finding Milo.

However, it was soon discovered that zoo staff had already dumped her in the jungle at Khao Phra Thaew. At that time, Suriya Tanthaweewong, a member of the Board of Directors of Phuket Zoo Co Ltd, said that he had no idea where Milos was, but admitted that he was aware she had been released at Khao Phra Thaew. However, he said that he had no idea when or where she was released.

So it came as somewhat as a surprise to learn this week that Phuket Zoo were now “legally” in possession of two baby orangutans which had been “legally” acquired from Safari World in Bangkok.

But what was even more surprising was the discovery that Phuket Zoo had yet to face any legal action against keeping Milo “illegally”. This despite the fact that Milo died in May due to what officials, who were taking care of her at the time, were told was health complications due to long-term poor nutrition.

So it beggars belief that a facility such as Phuket Zoo, which is a far from a popular attraction amongst the expat community and clearly has no true feelings about the well-being of the animals in their care, can firstly be granted permission to keep more orangutans, and secondly that a facility keeping animals “illegally” and in conditions which later can lead to their deaths, can do so without having to worry about any legal action being taken against them.

TOP 10 STORIES ON thephuketnews.com

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Officials silent on Phuket Airport immigration mess Thais, Russian charged with assault following Phuket street brawl Residents advised to be on alert for flash floods as heavy rain continues Phuket food vendors at Patong Beach plea for mercy Phuket Opinion: Patong taxi mafia ills spill out from the shadows Phuket Airport Domestic Terminal to undergo yearlong renovations, travel delays expected Confusion on Patong’s ‘Road to Kindness’ Two arrested for Patong tuk-tuk boss murder Heavy rain brings more minor flash floods to Phuket Chinese tourist drowns at Patong Beach

Visit thephuketnews.com for all the latest news

HAVE YOUR SAY Patong losing its local charms

Re: Phuket food vendors at Patong Beach plea for mercy I really hope they get permission to continue trading as tourists love the food served up here. The prices are very good and I have found the staff very friendly.

Also it has a sense of tradition in it culinary fare. If this becomes a municipal building then it’s another good place that could be taken over for offices/ anything etc and not supplying the needs of these Thai people and the tourists.

Patong is becoming more boring as traditional ways make way for big business and multinational food chains that are dull and bland.

I wish these people luck and I hope they grant their wish and no underhand dealing is behind this proposed change of facility.

LES .....................................................

Yup, another nail in the coffin of the dead tourist industry.

Profitable sustainable tourism died in Phuket two-plus years ago. Just look at the 98 vacant establishments on Bangla Rd’s entertainment zone. See the holes in the crowd that once

filled Bangla Rd at night.

And the beach, well enough said of that graveyard. Keep it up and we will have Phuket to ourselves. All that’s left is a good cheap feed next to the beach… maybe not. skip ....................................................

Greener pastures

Re: Officials silent on Phuket Airport immigration mess I’m due to arrive sometime late November and join up with my girlfriend for a one week holiday. I’m actually considering if it is worth it, and asking her to meet up with me on Koh Samui instead.

Michael K ....................................................

Organised chaos, can’t wait for high season. toptipster ....................................................

Authorities lack will to stop mafia

Re: Phuket Opinion: Patong taxi mafia ills spill out from the shadows So many problems all caused by the same people. The route of all these problems is simply that taxi drivers are allowed to do whatever they want.

Back in 2014, for a brief period, they were all genuinely worried as the Army made them all get registered and told them that the registrations would be limited in number. They all panicked to tried to get their paperwork submitted in time.

But we just ended up with every single vehicle getting registered, no matter how old, poorly maintained or underpowered they were.

Which raises the question how did they think “black plate” taxi’s were operating at all, since even though most of their own vehicles weren’t registered they already occupied every square inch of available space in Patong.

The article is correct. The authorities have it in their ability to get these people under control. For some reason they don’t seem to want to.

CaptainJack69 ...................................................

What amazes me is the comment “with military help, can enforce the laws” it just confirms everyone’s suspicion of the police that they are either incapable or unwilling to enforce the law for which they are paid to do. I would say “Unbelievable” but as a long

time resident now, anything is believable! malczx7r ...................................................

Road to nowhere

Re: Confusion on Patong’s ‘Road to Kindness’ It says finished in 2014? No chance! It’s still not finished.

They were still laying the cement six months ago and 10 months ago they still had a dirt track on the northbound section. The road is not finished today. So many holes, repairs, cracks. It needs to be leveled and tared. The whole road at best is the foundations and nothing more. At current speed it will be finished by the year 2020. Its not even close to being finished. simon01 .......................................................

Wetland a sewer

Re: Officials dispel Phuket beach oil spill fears 200m from me is a migrant worker camp with about 800 residents all defecating into the north Bang Tao Bay wetlands not 500m from Layan beach. I complained to OrBorTor and to the Environmental Protection Office in Phuket Town over 1 month ago. No response.

Christy Sweet

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Still no word on S112 extradition requests

THAILAND NEWS

9

BANGKOK

E

xtradition requests for lese majeste fugitives are still required to go through a consideration process even though Thailand has an extradition treaty with the country concerned, says Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai.

Though extradition seems easier if there is a treaty, a fugitive cannot be sent back to Thailand immediately because legal issues must be considered by each country first, he said. Last month, Thai authorities sent requests to seven countries where 19 suspects accused of breaching Section 112 of the Criminal Code – better known as the lese majeste law – have fled.

They are still waiting for word from the countries concerned.

Mr Don said these countries understood Thailand’s situation. However, the time it takes for each country to decide whether to approve the requests depends on their legal process. “No country welcomes fugitives, especially if they cause more trouble in

@thephuketnews

Commemorative coins issued to honour King Bhumibol being awarded the Humanitarian Soil Scientist award (top) and the 50th anniversary of his royal rain-making project. Photos: Treasury Department via Bangkok Post

Demand on the rise for commemorative coins NATIONWIDE After discussions with Thai officials last week, Google, as owner of YouTube, has blocked many videos critical of the monarchy – but only to internet users inside Thailand. Photo: Screengrab via Bangkok Post the countries they run to,” he said.

“Only a handful of lese majeste suspects have caused trouble and they are not good people.”

Mr Don and other Thai authorities also continue to claim they do not want to identify the seven countries where they claim 19 lese majeste subjects are.

The seven are the United States, Britain, Sweden,

France, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Asked whether Cambodia would approve extradition requests for three suspects there, Mr Don said that would depend on what Phnom Penh decides, adding it would be useless for the ministry to speculate which country would be the first to send a lese majeste suspect back to Thailand to face trial.

Mr Don’s comments came

after the Phnom Penh Post on Oct 27 revealed Cambodia had acknowledged Thai requests for the extradition of three lese majeste fugitives.

“The authorities are processing these requests, so it is not the right time to issue detailed information,” Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman Chum Sounry said.

The extradition treaty with Thailand was signed in 2001.

Bangkok Post

WITH DEMAND RISING for commemorative coins issued during the reign of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the Treasury Department last week released a B100 package of five coins.

Chakkrit Parapuntakul, director-general of the department, said around one million of the commemorative coins had been sold since the King passed away on Oct 13.

The department had 24 types of commemorative coins in stock, totalling three

or four million. They were minted to honour King Bhumibol on various auspicious occasions and are currently available for purchase.

Mr Chakkrit said after the King’s passing mourners f locked to the department, the Bureau of Monetary Management on Chakrabongse Rd and the Royal Thai Mint in the Rangsit area to snap up commemorative coins in remembrance of His Majesty. Buyers often took a long time in choosing which coins they wanted, resulting in long lines.

Bangkok Post

10 THAILAND NEWS

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

More expansion Suvarnabhumi readies for further development BANGKOK

Five rocks were found in the backpack of a man found dead off Koh Pha Ngan last week. Photo: Supapong Chaolan

Foreigner found dead off Koh Pha Ngan SURAT THANI FORENSIC EXPERTS IN Bangkok will try to unravel the mystery surrounding the death of an unidentified Westerner found in the water off Koh Pha Ngan with a backpack filled with rocks.

The man’s body is being sent from Surat Thani to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Bangkok after he was found drifting off the popular resort island last Thursday (Oct 27).

Apichart Boonsriroj, the Surat Thani Police Commander, requested the forensic examination after police in Koh Pha Ngan district were unable to reach a conclusion on the cause of death or identify the deceased.

The man, believed to be

a European, was found in the Gulf of Thailand about 500 metres off the island last Thursday. He was wearing blue shorts and was shirtless.

He was also wearing a backpack with five rocks among the items found inside.

Col Kusol Pankerd, a deputy superintendent with the Koh Pha Ngan Police Station, said last Thursday that the man may have been dead for up to five days.

Maj Gen Apichart said there was no conclusive evidence of the cause of his death and did not rule out homicide.

The rocks inside the backpack could have been used to add weight for diving, but they could also have been used by a killer to weigh the body down, he added.

Bangkok Post

A

irports of Thailand (AoT) expects to call bidding to upgrade Suvarnabhumi Airport under its third phase of development next year, with the aim of relieving overcrowding of passengers with a new passenger terminal and runway.

The move follows phase two of the airport’s expansion in which projects are being auctioned as authorities race against time to cope with the soaring number of air travellers, AoT president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said.

Currently, authorities are working on two things to pave the way for phase three of the development project.

They are preparing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental and Health Impact Assessment (EHIA) reports, required by law, as well as drafting the terms of reference to hire designers for the new facilities.

The latter is expected to be completed first, allowing the AoT to start the bidding

Opened in 2006 to handle a maximum of 45 million passengers a year, Suvarnabhumi airport is already handling 50 million. Photo: Google Maps via Bangkok Post within one and two months of its completion, Mr Nitinai said.

All in all, he said, the AoT should be ready to call bids in the fourth quarter of next year or no later than the first quarter of the following year.

Under phase three of the project, worth B54.6 billion, Mr Nitinai said, the largest portion of money, totalling B34.6bn, will be spent on the construction of a new terminal which will bolster the airport’s capacity to serve 90 million passengers a year.

The single-terminal airport, which has been open for more than a decade, was

originally designed for 45 million people.

With the growing number of passengers, the AoT decided to carry out phase two of the expansion which aimed to accommodate 60 million people.

However, this capacity was soon proved to not be enough.

Another important part of the plan’s third phase is the construction of a new runway, which would cost about B20bn, Mr Nitinai said.

At present, the AoT is expediting the bidding for all projects in the second phase of development, which requires an B50.3bn investment, its

president added.

New facilities in this phase includes the expansion of the eastern side of the original terminal and the car park building as well as the construction of an aerobridge link to the airport’s southern part.

The agency is also preparing to call bidding to install an Automatic People Mover at the airport. The APM, with an estimated of cost of B2.8bn, would help transportation within Suvarnabhumi Airport as it would carry passengers between the old and new terminals, Mr Nitinai said.

Bangkok Post

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

ASIA NEWS 11

Yellowing Taj Mahal to get ‘mud pack’ facelift INDIA

S

caffolding will cover the Taj Mahal’s main dome next year while a “mud pack” is applied to its yellowing marble, authorities said recently as they battle the effects of smog on the country’s top tourist attraction.

The famed monument to love, which attracts millions of visitors, has for years been acquiring a yellow tinge despite a ban on coal-powered industries in the area.

Authorities have been applying “mud packs” around the side walls and towers since last year to draw the impurities out of the stone, but have not yet touched the main central dome.

“This is a part of the cleaning process through mud-pack therapy and is presently being undertaken at (the) eastern wall of main mausoleum of Taj,” said Bhuvan Vikram of the Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI), a state body.

“This would be followed by cleaning of other three walls (and) thereafter it would be

@thephuketnews

The famed monument, which attracts millions of visitors, has for years been acquiring a yellow tinge despite a ban on coal-powered industries in the area. Photo: Prakash Singh/AFP the turn of the (main) dome of Taj Mahal.”

The mud-pack therapy involves covering the surface with fuller’s earth and leaving it to dry before removing it with soft brushes and distilled water.

The Times of India said the scaffolding could be up for around six months.

ASI official M.K. Bhatnagar confirmed the scaffold would go up around the main dome some time next year, but would not say how

long it would be there. “The time for cleaning cannot be ascertained in advance as it depends on work required on the dome,” he said.

“It (the therapy) would take time but we will make all efforts to minimise it.”

The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth in 1631.

It has attracted world leaders and royalty including former US President Bill Clinton.

Diana, the late British princess, was famously photographed alone on a marble seat there in 1992.

In May, authorities had ordered an investigation after green-tinged patches began appearing on the back wall of the monument, which stands on the banks of the heavily polluted Yamuna river.

India has some of the world’s worst pollution and is the third biggest carbon emitter on the planet.

AFP

Myanmar giant jade stone ‘too big to move’ MYANMAR A 174-TON PI ECE OF jade worth millions of dollars that was uncovered in Myanmar will have to stay where it is for now – because its owners don’t have equipment strong enough to move it.

The 5.8 metre-long stone was discovered by miners in northern Kachin state two weeks ago, buried up to 60 metres deep inside a mountain.

“When the edge of the stone was scratched we could see the quality of the jade inside – the quality is very good,” said Tint Soe, 56, a local lawmaker.

While some have estimated the rock could be worth more than $170 million (B5.94bn), Tint Soe said its value was probably closer to $5.4 million (B188mn).

Jade is traditionally used for charms and bracelets, but Tint Soe said the company had not yet decided what this particular find would be used for – and currently have no way of

Tint Soe, a lawmaker from the ruling National League for Democracy party, poses for a photo next to a giant jade stone. Photo: AFP moving it anyway.

“Currently the jade stone cannot be moved as there is no machine that can do it here, and no road either,” he said.

Myanmar is the source of nearly all of the world’s finest jadeite, a beautiful green stone highly prized in neighbouring China where it is known as the “stone of heaven”.

Mining of the stone can extract a high human cost, with fatal mine collapses common – around 100 people died in a major landslide in November last year.

AFP

12 WORLD NEWS

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Masked heroes train police Mexico’s wrestlers teach officers how to subdue villains MEXICO

W

earing colourful masks, two pro wrestlers show off their moves to a crowd, but this time it’s not in an arena: They’re teaching Mexico City police officers how to subdue villains.

“How are you doing?”

Dragon Rojo Jr, wearing a red mask with yellow horns and a crest, shouts at the 190 men and women at the courtyard of a police station in Iztapalapa, a crime-plagued borough of the mega-capital.

“Good!” the officers reply in chorus before the ring gladiators lead them through a series of stretches, push-ups, squats and sit-ups, making many sweat and pant heavily (while some take a break).

After warming up, Dragon Rojo (Red Dragon) and his fellow “Lucha Libre” star Polvora, whose ring name means Gunpowder in English, demonstrate one of their moves.

The burly Polvora lunges

Mexican wrestler Dragon Rojo Jr teaches local police in Iztapalapa how to subdue suspects without using weapons. Photo: Pedro Pardo/AFP forward with a stabbing motion, but Red Dragon grabs his assailant’s arm, twists it, pins him down and places a knee on his chest to immobilise him.

The “Lock 4” submission was among the clutches, holds and other moves that the pro wrestlers presented to the officers, who then practised the move against each other on the concrete.

But snatching suspects is not the only benefit to

this intense training.

“We are proud to change an image of the Mexican police that is not very good: Fat, short, unfit,” said Polvora, who grew up in Iztapalapa.

“We are trying to make a contribution to change this image,” he said through a mask decorated with golden and red flames.

The wrestlers come twice a week to train the officers in the densely populated borough,

where murders are up this year with 150 people killed so far.

“You go into your patrol car and the truth is that you get rusty,” said officer Joel Garcia, who admitted that a suspect got away from him once.

“With this you get more active, you start running, feeling better, lighter and healthier,” he said as he worked out following a 24-hour shift.

Garcia grew up admiring

Lucha Libre legends such as El Santo, Blue Demon and El Matematico. Now he was trying to imitate his idols.

With the deliberate motion of a rookie wrestler, Garcia crossed his arms and raised them to block his smiling colleague from fake-stabbing him in the head.

Captain Alfredo Alvarez, a former marine, had the idea of bringing luchadores to train officers after he took over as the police station’s coordinator three months ago and realised that his colleagues were “somewhat sedentary.”

The station commander, Israel Rodriguez, told him he knew Dragon Rojo Jr and Polvora because they were both from Iztapalapa.

“All the special police forces in the world have their speciality: Russia has sambo, Brazil has capoeira, China has kung-fu, Japan has karate.

In Mexico, our martial art is lucha,” Alvarez said.

The wrestlers agreed to provide free lessons to some 380 officers every week out of “friendship and commitment”

to their borough, Alvarez said.

The officers are learning how to subdue suspects without resorting to truncheons or pepper spray, which they do not carry.

“We needed this type of training because we always get military-like training, marching, which doesn’t work,” said officer Alejandra Alvarez, 27, who has intervened in cases of domestic violence and drug addiction.

Dragon Rojo – who is a “rudo”, or bad guy, in the wrestling circuit – said the agents are motivated because “they see the luchador as a superhero and it brings out their inner child.”

The wrestling moves are “100 per cent applicable” in police work, said the middleweight champion of the CMLL pro wrestling circuit.

“We’re not teaching ‘backbreakers’ or ‘flying kicks’. We are teaching techniques to control and physically subdue while being careful about the physical integrity” of the officer and the suspect, he said.

AFP

Friendship can’t move mountains NORWAY THE NORWEGIAN GOVernment has resisted public pressure to offer a mountain summit to neighbouring Finland as part of its independence centenary celebrations.

As a present to their Finnish neighbours, celebrating their independence since 1917, a group of Norwegians had proposed giving them the peak of the 1,361-metre high Mount Halti.

The gift would have been a neat way of correcting a geographical incongruity, as the Finnish border in the area is situated most of the way up the mountainside at an altitude of 1,324m.

Mount Halti seen from Enontekio, Finland. Photo: AFP A Facebook campaign to hand over the immovable present garnered 17,000 signatures.

But a legal roadbump brought the friendly scheme tumbling down, halting the Halti plan.

“This creative proposal has received a very positive response from the public,” Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said in a let-

ter received by the major of Kafjord, in northern Norway, who was a protagonist in the mountainous gift.

“I welcome this and I see a clear sign that Norway and Finland have a close relationship,” Solberg continued, while adding that “border adjustments between countries raises complex legal issues.”

In this case the problems were insurmountable.

The lofty gift-giving idea ran up against Article 1 of the Norwegian constitution which stipulates that the kingdom of Norway is “indivisible and inalienable”.

“We will think of another worthy gift to celebrate the occasion of Finland centenary,” Solberg added.

Prior to its independence, the “Grand Duchy of Finland” was part of the Russian empire.

AFP thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

BUSINESS NEWS 13

Land developer struck off

Richmond Group CEO deregistered after fraud investigation PROPERTY The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

T

he Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has revoked the licences of Richmond Asset Management Limited (Richmond Asset Management) and its responsible officer and sole owner, Graham Frank Bibby, and banned him from re-entering the industry for a period of 10 years.

The 10-year ban began on Monday (Oct 31) and continues to October 30, 2026, the SFC announced in a public notice issued on Monday.

The ban was handed down following a fraud investigation by the SFC which found that “Richmond Asset Management and Bibby are not fit and proper persons in that they procured investment funds from customers which were invested in assets which Bibby and his wife held substantial undisclosed interests.”

Specifically, Richmond Asset Management and Bibby obtained approximately US$5 million (more than B22.5 million) from 36 clients to invest in a company and a plot of land in Phuket (which the SFC called”Phuket Land”) in which Bibby and his wife held substantial undisclosed interests, said the SFC report.

The clients’ funds procured

by Richmond Asset Management and Bibby were routed

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has revoked the licences of Richmond Asset Management Limited and its responsible officer and sole owner, Graham Frank Bibby, and banned him from re-entering the industry for a period of 10 years. Image: GrahamBibby.com screen grab into three unauthorised funds (Optimizer Funds).

“Richmond Asset Management and Bibby were not only the investment advisers for the Optimizer Funds but also held management powers over the funds.

“Richmond Asset Management and Bibby directed monies invested in the Optimizer Funds into two other funds (Asia Property Funds) in which Richmond Asset Management and Bibby were also advisers and investment managers,” the SFC notice explained.

In November 2007 the Asia Property Funds advanced a loan to The Fairway Holding Company Limited (Fairway), a Thailand-based company in which Bibby and his wife held a combined stake of 75%.

The loan – essentially monies invested in the Asia Property Funds from the Optimizer Funds – were then used by Fairway to fund the purchase of the land in Phuket). Bibby also paid part of the purchase price of the Phuket land.

The Optimizer Funds have been suspended since April 2010 and redemption requests from clients have been unsatisfied. The Optimizer Funds have been in limbo since suspension with the Asia Property Funds having become its major assets, whilst the Phuket Land remains unsold and Fairway has defaulted on the loan owed to the Asia Property Funds.

“Richmond Asset Management and Bibby failed to properly avoid and disclose potential conflicts of interest

to its clients, abusing clients’ trust. In so doing they demonstrate they are unfit to be licensed to conduct regulated activities,” the SCF noted.

“In particular, Bibby played a central role in managing how the clients’ monies in their portfolios were invested and he initiated the structure of funds to channel the clients’ investments to a company and a property in which he and his wife have substantial interests,” the commission said.

Since launching Phuket Land, Mr Bibby has branched out into consultancy for personal wealth creation. He has authored several publications, including the regular “The Richmond Report” and the “How the Stock Market Really Works and the Empowering

You” series of books.

Describing himself as “Legendary Asset Manager”, Mr Bibby notes on his website GrahamBibby.com, “I have seen many people spend their lives working hard to earn a living, trading time for money and never achieving their dream of financial freedom.

“After only a few years of getting your money working hard for you, you can reverse that cycle and obtain financial freedom, I have made it my mission to help people empower themselves to obtain this freedom.”

Mr Bibby also notes that he was a founding member of Financial Advisers in the United Kingdom and a founder of the Hong Kong Investment Institute.

“For more than 30 years, I have worked internationally, speaking to and motivating thousands of people in over 26 countries on how to create business, personal and financial success. I have over 28 years of experience specializing in how to manage investment portfolios to maximize profits and minimize losses, and working with currencies, commodities, bonds, financial and equity markets,” he says.

“With appearances on over 1,000 TV shows including CNBC, Reuters, Bloomberg, BBC, India TV and RTHK, it has allowed me to be seen by millions of viewers globally, plus, articles published in newspapers and magazines nationally and internationally have made me a sought-after speaker and consultant on the international stage.”

Mr Bibby recently formed what he calls “The Insiders Club” to empower people to create consistent, sustainable wealth.

Management at local real estate company Phuket Land Group has clarified that it and its associated Phuket LandSearch Ltd both “have nothing to do with Graham Bibby”.

“Any reference to Phuket Land.com or Phuket Land Search Ltd being a Phuketbased company is completely wrong… There is no link financial or otherwise between Graham Bibby with Phuket Land or Phuket Land Search,” Bob Andrews of Phuket Land Group confirmed.

Phuket touts sustainable tourism, environment at ITOP Forum TOURISM VICE GOVERNOR TEERA Anantaseriwidhya has highlighted the importance of sustainable tourism for Phuket at the 20th Inter-Islands Tourism Policy Forum (ITOP Forum) 2016 held in Sri Lanka last week.

The forum, held on October 24-27, was attended by high-ranking representatives from the 13 ITOP member regions, which includes Jeju, Hainan, Bali, Penang and Hawaii, among others.

The forum was presided

by Hon Dr Hemakumara Nanayakkara, Governor of the Southern Province, a tourism hotbed among Sri Lanka’s eight provinces. @thephuketnews

Speaking last Tuesday (Oct 25), V/Gov Teera delivered his keynote address titled “Environmental conservation and tourism of island provinces”.

“Phuket fully supports the development of cultural tourism among ITOP members and has maintained good relations with these member provinces,” he said.

“Phuket is known for tourism, each year we have millions of tourists come for our nature, beaches and cultural attractions. Phuket has a perfect cultural combination known as ‘East meet West’, so we want to develop our tourism side by side with environmental conservation as part of our strategy for 2015-2017,” V/Gov Teera

explained at the forum.

“Our vision is to turn Phuket into a sustainable international tourism destination. We want to promote and develop tourism together with environmental conservation, such as the preservation of the Phuket Old Town and the creation of a new tourism attraction by focusing on a better environment, such as at Surin Beach.

“We will bring the public in to help us promote natural resources and improving environmental campaigns, such as promoting using bags made out of cloth instead of plastic and widely promoting beach-cleaning projects,” he said.

The Smart City policy will also play a part in Phuket’s

sustainable tourism future, V/Gov Teera added.

“Phuket also has a Smart City project which in the future will help us reduce our energy consumption,” he said.

“We have many projects to help develop a healthy environment for our future.

Our goal of being an international tourism island that will last is to manage our environment side by side with the ever-increasing demands of development, especially tourism development,” V/ Gov Teera noted.

“ITOP’s goal is to promote tourism and to exchange ideas and cultural insight among members so we can help each other develop our countries,” he concluded.

Phuket Vice Governor Teera Anantaseriwidhya (left) with Hon Dr Hemakumara Nanayakkara, Governor of the Sri Lanka’s Southern Province, at the Inter-Islands Tourism Policy Forum (ITOP Forum) last week. Photo: PR Dept I T OP c o m p r i s e s 13 member regions: Jeju, South Korea; Hainan, China; Okinawa, Japan; Bali, Indonesia; Southern Province, Sri Lanka; Hawaii, United States; Zanzibar, Tanzania; Phuket, Thailand; Cebu, Philippines;

Penang, Malaysia; Prince Edward, Canada; Kampong Cham, Cambodia; Gotland, Sweden.

Phuket, Thailand’s sole island province, has been a member of ITOP since 2008.

The Phuket News

14 BUSINESS NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Learning from the experts Entrepreneur Now Awards offer prizes that money can’t buy SPONSORED The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

T

he Entrepreneur Now Awards (ENA) organised by BNOW. org, a Bangkok networking community for startups and SMEs, and a registered social enterprise based in Thailand, is giving over B10 million worth of prizes to winners in nine different categories, including priceless one-day mentorship with well-known entrepreneurs.

Prominent entrepreneurs who have generously offered to mentor the winners include Fred Mouawad, Conor Bracken, Graham Brain, John Stevens and Michael Trocherie.

Respectively, Mr Mouawad is the Founder and CEO of Synergia One Group of Companies, which runs several industries including gems and jewellery retailing and others; Mr Bracken is CEO of Andovar, a global provider of multilingual content solutions such translation and audio and

video recording.

Mr Brain is the owner of Obex, involved in manufacturing, barter trade exchange, restaurant franchising and others; John Stevens is Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Stonelotus Capital, which provides angel investment and strategic support to startups and early stage businesses in Southeast Asia; and Mr Trocherie is the owner of the Wine Connection chain of restaurants.

“For winners, it is a lifetime opportunity to meet one-on-one and be mentored by such leading entrepreneurs, who have all gone through the trials and tribulations of setting up, running and growing a business,” said Pacharee Pantoomano Pfirsch, Founder of BNOW.org and Chairwoman of ENA. “I will be exchanging ideas about the future of the winner’s businesses to get an independent and unbiased view of their strategic options.

Winners can ask me questions and share some of their existing challenges so that both of us can learn in the process,”

The prominent entrepreneurs seen above have generously offered to mentor the winners of the awards. said Mr Mouawad, an avid supporter of the awards.

“As a mentor, you not only give guidance and share your experience, but also get new insights about how people run their business. I look forward to a productive and rewarding session of sharing of knowledge, information and experiences,” added John

Stevens.

Supported by Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP) and several community and media partners, ENA’s objective is to promote entrepreneurism, attract investors to Thailand and the Asean region, and revitalise the Thai economy and the SME sector.

To create great exposure for the Awards, the partnership has been broadened to include several foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand and other players who support entrepreneurs in the market.

Members of the working committee include the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce, the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (Amcham), the Irish Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok University, Bangkok Entrepreneurs, Unesco, and the international internet-based market research firm Yougov.

The awards are open to entrepreneurs of all nationalities who have a registered business in Thailand (no subsidiary or branch office). They will be judged on: 1) uniqueness, 2) vision and potential growth, 3) value in Thailand and Asean, 4) eco-sustainability, 5) striking achievements, 6) overcoming challenges and 7) recognition and traction.

Applications for the awards are to be submitted through an online application along with a three-minute video by January 31, 2017.

A networking evening will be held early February 2017 for finalists to meet with judges and the award presentation will be held on February 22, 2017.

The online evaluation panel for judges is managed and monitored by BMRS Asia, a business and marketing research company.

For details, visit www.entrepreneurnow.asia.

The Phuket News is a proud media partner of the Entrepreneur Now Awards.

Categories

1. Outstanding female entrepreneur 2. Eco entrepreneur 3. Creative entrepreneur (art, fashion, food and other artisanal products) 4. Innovative entrepreneur (tech, ecommerce, apps) 5. Social enterprise entrepreneur 6. Most entrepreneurial team 7. SME (50-100 staff) 8. Best newcomer (TBC) 9. Outstanding Entrepreneur

Outrigger Phuket wins ‘Best Luxury Family Hotel’ award HOSPITALITY Kids are all smiles enjoying the facilities at the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort.

THE OUTRIGGER LAGUna Phuket Beach Resort has

won “Best Luxury Family Hotel – Southeast Asia” at the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2016.

Sammy Musa, Outrigger Resorts Middle East representative, accepted the award on stage at the World Luxury Hotel Awards Gala Ceremony at the St Regis Doha Hotel in Qatar last Saturday (Oct 29).

The awards are presented to luxury hotels in over 50 different categories on a country, regional and global basis.

Public vote selects all winners.

“The award shows real recognition for the hard work and dedication of the Outrigger hotel staff,” said Tony Pedroni, General Manager of the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort.

“Our commitment to the Outrigger way ensures that we treat all guests like family,” he said.

In October 2015, the resort won “Best Resort (Service Excellence)” Award at the Travel Weekly Asia Reader’s Choice Awards. It was also voted the fourth-best resort for families in Thailand in the 2015 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards.

The Phuket News thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Colour runs deep in Thai culture

19

Mercedes unveils its latest toy for the boys

17

WOW FACTOR

Rediscover Thailand’s epic landscape atop this stunning viewpoint in Phang Nga > P20

@thephuketnews

The Samet Nangshe viewpoint in Phang Nga province provides one of the most incredible panoramas in the region. Photo: Jamie Monk

16 EDUCATION

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Feeding students’ souls Elizabeth Mason editor@classactmedia.co.th

O

ften in life we can get caught up in the importance of academic achievement and this leaves little space for the Arts.

It has been shown in extensive studies that we need to stimulate both sides of our brain – the creative and the logical – because without this we will not be rounded people with a full knowledge of the world and what’s out there for us to access.

Wendy Earle, who writes on the arts and culture for online current-affairs mag “Spiked” and is convenor of the Institute of Ideas, Arts and Society Forum, explains her view on the importance of the arts in education like this, “The arts are central

to the idea of education being about inculcating a love of learning, of acquiring knowledge. It is no accident that the arts are traditionally connected with the idea of being educated. Hence an educated person is assumed to be interested in the arts.

“Twentieth-century German philosopher Ernst Cassirer explained the importance of the arts as follows: ‘Science gives us order in thoughts, morality gives us order in actions; art gives us order in the apprehension of visible, tangible and audible appearances.’ A good education includes a good arts education, introducing children and young people to great literature (novels, poetry and short stories, plays), dance, visual arts, music and film.”

Last week the Headstart International School Creative and Performing Arts Department showcased their talent along

with many guest singers, performers and artists. This was a fantastic opportunity for students to go above and beyond in their learning, for teachers to be the audience, and the organizers and members of our talented community to come in and share their skills.

On Monday morning we started off with a professional acrobatic show which thrilled us with their hair-raising performance, our school orchestra played a fantastic rock anthem by the band Rage Against the Machine in our school atrium and over lunch everybody danced salsa with Ms Barboza.

We had the visual as well as the performance arts with students taking part in print workshops last week and this week and also several visits to local art studios.

As the week progressed we celebrated

Headstart students joined in a drum circle. community through a drumming circle, drama, music and dance performances, continued our Green ethos with a Trashion Show with clothes made out of recycled materials and ended the week with our own HeadStart’s Got Talent competition.

It makes us all realise how much talent is at our fingertips and yes, the academics are very important, but if we put effort into both the academic and the arts, amazing things can happen in our communities and beyond.

BISP to remain independent

T

he potential lease of the British I would like to thank the entire International School Phuket to community for its patience while the institutional group Nord Anglia Nord Anglia offer was being examined Education will not go ahead, the in detail, and I regret any anxiety school’s CEO, Apiwat Ourairat, anor uncertainty that this may have nounced in a letter issued last week. caused over the past few months. In “It was felt, at this point, that to particular, I would like to thank all continue as an independent institution members of staff of the school for their would be in the best interests of the continued professionalism during this school,” Mr Apiwat said. extended period.

In full, the letter said: Finally, please accept my assurDear Members of the BISP Comance that the Board of Governors is munity, fully committed to the school, and I wish to inform you all that follow- shares the Headmaster’s determinaing a long period of negotiation with tion to build upon its strong reputaNord Anglia Education, the Board of tion for educational leadership within Governors has decided not to pursue the region.” the lease agreement. It was felt, at British International School, this point, that to continue as an inPhuket Headmaster Neil Richards dependent institution would be in the explained to The Phuket News, “From best interests of the school. my point of view, I believe that the Consequently, the Headmaster has school as an independent institution been asked to develop a new strategic has far greater flexibility to respond plan for the development of the school to local circumstances and opportuniprogrammes and facilities, which will ties, and we will continue to develop ensure BISP’s position as a leading our unique educational programme for educational institution for well into the students. the future. The Board is committed to work together closely with the Executive Committee to ensure that the school is equipped with everything it needs to achieve BISP is to remain independent, says CEO Apiwat Ourairat. this. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

MOTORING 17

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Mercedes previews new X-class The four-door mid-size light truck to enter showrooms late next year Richard Leu editor1@classactmedia.co.th

The Xclass’ cabin uses high-quality materials to reflect the vehicle’s premium position in the pickup market.

S

o, are they really serious about selling a pickup? Yes they are. After teasing the public with an official design sketch of their first-ever pickup last year, Mercedes-Benz last week unveiled a concept version in Stockholm, Sweden.

Mercedes-Benz has also confirmed that the new lifestyle vehicle will be called X-class when it hits showrooms late next year. It will be built in Europe and South America. The X-class is the fruit of collaboration between Renault-Nissan, which makes the Alaskan and Navara NP300 midsize pickups.

No wonder the profile looks familiar.

Yeah, especially when viewing those rear doors of the double-cab version featured here. But the front end is completely different, while it remains to be seen how the rear would turn out, as the concept’s appearance looks too futuristic to be made in production-ready form.

Mercedes is showing two versions of the X-class: road-biased Stylish Explorer and mud-friendly Powerful Adventure painted in gold. The interior of the Xclass is also different from the Alaskan and Navara.

Mercedes says the X-class’ cabin uses high-quality materials to reflect the vehicle’s premium position in the pickup market.

Is it any different under the skin?

The X-class uses the

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If it looks familiar, that’s because it’s based on the existing Nissan Navara chassis. Photo: Mercedes-Benz same chassis-on-frame underpinnings as the Alaskan and Navara but is set to get its own suspension settings.

The rear end is said to accommodate a multi-link matrix.

Although no exact engines have been confirmed yet, Mercedes says there will be choice of four- and six-cylinder engines. And apart from four-wheel-drive, there will also be rear-drive-only setup aimed at on-road users. The automatic transmission could be either seven- or nine-speed.

Will it be made in Thailand?

Very unlikely. Just because Thailand is a major production hub for mid-size pickups doesn’t mean that it can in-

stantly lure all makers in setting up local assembly lines.

For pickups to enjoy low excise taxation in Thailand, they must feature a leaf spring rear suspension. Yes, it’s very draconian because many users of pickups – especially double-cabs – don’t load the cargo beds with pineapples these days.

This means that the X-class may only come to Thai showrooms for the kicks with prices over B2 million. The Volkswagen Amarok came to Thailand in completely built-up form at that same price level. Mercedes-Benz says the major markets for the X-class will be Australia, Europe and South America.

Bangkok Post

18 DINING

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Harmony al fresco @ Rock Salt Anton Makhrov news@novostiphuketa.com

L

ocated at the northern end of Nai Harn Beach, Rock Salt restaurant is a place every local resident knows of, but few have visited. Frankly, until recently I was one those “one day I will go there” guys and would’ve possibly never made it if not for an invitation from The Nai Harn hotel team.

As often happens in Phuket things have a way of working themselves out and on a cool Friday night I found myself sitting at a table and gazing out over a breathtaking view of the beach with Andaman waves lashing the rocks just metres from my feet.

Mediterranean in both food and atmosphere, Rock Salt is a perfect choice for a romantic dinner. A fresh breeze from the sea brings a salty fragrance which mingles with appetising smells from the wood-fired oven while soft music naturally complements the wash of the waves. A perfect harmony for seaside dining at its best.

In a sense I was lucky to get here only in 2016, after new management took over The Nai Harn, the place was revitalised with Executive Chef Mark Jones taking over the kitchen and transforming it into Rock Salt. The menu is inspired by the culinary traditions of the Mediterranean but with a strong focus on local ingredients and

The stunning view of Nai Harn Beach from Rock Salt.

Coconut Pannacotta with tropical fruit salad. dash of Thai influence.

To illustrate how this works, Chef Mark served one of Rock Salt’s signature dishes, the Rock Salt Ceviche of local Sea Bass with olive oil, lemon, mint and coriander. The fish was all freshness and the dressing perfectly balanced. I talked Chef Mark into sharing the secret and it turns out that in order to please the taste buds one has to sacrifice sleeping in. According to Mark, a perfect Ceviche begins with waking up before dawn and getting to Rawai pier by 5am to get the freshest fish from local fishermen. As for the dressing, Mark’s secret ingredient is Pomelo (or Som O, as locals call it), which balances with sourness.

Actually a good share of treats on the menu are marked with an “S”, meaning they are made from sustainable

Sea Bass Ceviche with olive oil, lemon and herbs.

Prawns baked with glass noodles, ginger and pepper.

products from local organic farms and artisan producers. These include the popular pomelo and green papaya salads (Yum Som O and Som Tam in Thai) and the Rawai Sea Gypsy Crab Cake, which I’ll definitely try next time.

Having finished the Ceviche, I went further along seafood lines but gave my meal a Thai twist with Rock Salt’s signature Goong Ob Woonsen – tiger prawns from Rawai baked in a pot with glass noodles, ginger and pepper. It is an iconic dish of Thai seafood restaurants and if you are looking for something classic, delicious and yet not too spicy, then definitely give it a try. For fans of spicier foods there is another typical local dish on the menu: Goong Chu Chee – tiger prawns with red coconut curry. This one is a real Southern-Thai favourite and a word of warning – it is really hot.

Along with individual Thai and Mediterranean dishes Rock Salt has several share plates. Chef Mark made the choice for me and soon after I finished my gargantuan prawns a Seafood Meze arrived on the table. The dish is recommended for two guests, but I’d say for at least two. Rock Salt’s Meze is a generous selection of fried and barbecued seafood.

I reckon the choice varies depending on the daily catch, but I enjoyed some more tiger prawns, squid and octopus, plus

two types of fish including the renowned Andaman Red Snapper, which was just delicious.

The Seafood Meze is served with French fries, fresh vegetable salad and half-a-dozen dips to add variety to every bite. The fish and seafood were cooked to perfection with a nice crisp on the outside but tender and juicy inside. The only thing I could think of to make it even better was Nam Jim Talay or Thai seafood sauce, to add a local touch, but I was to busy enjoying the food and completely forgot to ask for it.

The final dish of this Thai-Mediterranean journey was Coconut Pannacotta with fruit salad and passionfruit ice cream. Even if you think you are full, there is always some space left for a good dessert, particularly if have the option to spend some time afterwards just relaxing comfortably on a couch and watching the waves beating against the shore. Rock Salt certainly has this option and it is all part of your meal.

Rock Salt restaurant is located at The Nai Harn hotel on the similarly named beach. The place has way more than just seafood on offer, including wood-fired pizza, charcoal barbecue and tandoori dishes, pastas and curries. For more information please visit the www.thenaiharn.com or call 076 380 200.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

The pink uniforms of the 1st Security Force Battalion, King’s Guard. Photo: Xiengyod

CULTURE 19

Some Thais still like to wear the clothes to match the colour of the day. Photo: Jeff Leigh

Thailand’s colourful culture SIRINYA’S WORLD Dr Sirinya Pakditawan pakditawan@googlemail.com

W

ith the recent passing of HM King Bhumibol, the important role that colour plays in Thai culture has been easy to see. In Phuket and all around the nation the vast majority of people are dressed in black to publicly display their sorrow at the King's death. Black and white lengths of cloth also adorn all government buildings and many websites have been turned black and white as well.

While the use of colour to convey meaning happens all across the world, here in Thailand it is particularly prominent. In Thai culture, each day of the week is associated with a colour. This is based on the colour of a heavenly body (a planet, the sun or the moon), and in turn a God, who is believed to protect that day. This colour system traces its origins back to ancient Hindu astrology and mythology, as do many of Thailand’s customs and religious practices.

This is not so strange when you remember that we have a similar system in Western tradition, where we take the names of our days of the week from Roman and Norse Gods and their associated planets. Hence in English we have Thursday (Thor’s day), Saturday (Saturn’s day) Sunday (The Sun’s day) Monday (The Moon’s day) and so on.

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Thai people believe that each day of the week coincides with a planet and a God. In turn, each respective planet and God has a dominant colour. In practice, this means the day of the week you were born will determine your birth colour and gemstone.

For instance, Surya is the God of Sunday. Since he is the God of the Sun, his colour is red. People born on this day have the colour red, their birth gemstone’s are garnet and red ruby.

Another example is Monday, which is the day of the moon. Accordingly, the God of this day is Chandra, the moon God. His colour is yellow or white and the lucky gemstone is citrine. Since the late HM King Bhumibol was born on Monday, on the auspicious occasion of his birthday Thailand is widely decorated with yellow and people wear yellow clothes.

Now let us take a look at what colour is suited for your birthday. As mentioned, Sunday is the day of the god Surya whose colour is red. The gemstone for this day is ruby or garnet. Monday, the day of the moon, has the yellow gem citrine or yellow sapphire but also occasionally moonstone. Tuesday which is the day of the God Mangala (Mars) has pink as its ruling colour, thus, pink sapphire, pink topaz or spinel.

Since Wednesday is the day of Budha (the Hindu deity, not to be confused with Buddha), this day’s colour is green. Suitable gems are green emerald, tsavorite garnet or chrysoberyl. Thursday has orange since that is the colour of Brihaspati (Jupiter). What could be more suitable for this day than orange coral or orange

sapphire?

Finally, Friday is the day of Shukra (Venus) and his colour is blue.

Thus, I love blue sapphire for this day. Saturday has the colour purple since it In Thailand each day of is the day of Shani (Satthe week has a colour urn). The gemstones for and gemstone for Saturday are amethyst people born on that day. and purple sapphire.

Photo: S Doronenko Summing up, I think it is a very pleasant concept having birthday colours and coryellow citrine. Which one is yours? responding gemstones for each day of the week. Since I was born on a Monday, To read the original story, and more, according to Thai culture, my gem is the visiy Sirinya’s blog: sirinyas thailand.de

20 EXPLORE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Panoramic Phang Nga JAMIE’S PHUKET Jamie Monk editor@classactmedia.co.th

Sometimes you do get these wow moments. No matter what photos you have seen, or how much traveling you have done before.

Wow!

I

do like finding new viewpoints, and earlier this year, I saw an amazing view on Instagram, posted by a Thai photographer. I could see that it was in Phang Nga, just north of Phuket Island, and I recognised one of the small islands in the view, as I’d taken a photo of the same island last year while exploring a corner of Phang Nga province that we’d never looked at before.

So I figured the photo must be taken from a hill in that general location. Over the last few months I have seen many more photos taken from the same viewpoint, and some showed a sign saying “Samet Nangshe Resort”. Really? A resort? We’d just been there six months earlier and I’d not seen any resorts under construction. Well, this had to be checked out!

We drove over the Sarasin bridge into Phang Nga province and took the same road as before towards the small village of Klong Kian and then started looking for the viewpoint. We saw several signs saying Samet Nangshe, so we quickly realised this place was being promoted a bit, at least locally because I’d not seen any photos taken by foreign tourists, only Thai people.

I was expecting a tiny sign and a little dirt road which our (not 4WD) truck might struggle to climb, but we soon found what we came for and were surprised to find it looking quite busy. A large carpark off the road and quite a few little stalls selling drinks and snacks.

Some people had pitched tents to take advantage of the view.

The author’s daughter and wife stop for a rest.

There were several cars already parked there. Looks like a local landowner had decided to make some cash from the view! You don’t see any view from road level. A dirt trail, which is wide enough for a car (but we only saw people walking), snaked up the hillside.

It was a hot afternoon so we bought some bottled water and then paid a B30 “entry fee” (no extra charge for the foreign guy) at a bamboo kiosk at the bottom of the path. It only took a minute of walking uphill to see the view.

It was not a hard climb up, but not too easy either! It was a hot afternoon and the track is quite steep. I do wonder if they might make a real road up here sometime. The dirt path is fine for walking and you can see there are steps carved into the dirt, though I wonder what this will look like in the rainy season.

Ah! So there is the “resort” sign I had seen on Instagram! And certainly no sign of any resort or hotel here.

That is quite a view. Phang Nga Bay is full of small islands, we have done many trips in the area by boat, but it all looks different from up high. I would like to take a helicopter flight over this area, that would be amazing. My fam-

If these kids can do it, so can you! ily were quite content to see the view from here, but... just before reaching this viewpoint the path splits and a sign points the other way and says it’s only 200m to a higher viewpoint. We could see this higher viewpoint from where we stood. I’m going for it! Anyone else? Just me? Sure it was a bit hot walking up, but nothing serious. So I left the family and headed up. Not too tough really, only another 10 minutes, but it was steep and I was breathing hard near the top. And on a very hot afternoon too.

WOW! Sometimes you do get these wow moments. No matter what photos you have seen, or how much travelling you have done before. Wow! There is no way a single photo can capture the full view.

It’s nice to know that I can still be impressed by our local scenery. We will return. To get here in time for sunrise we’ll have to leave home about 5am. I think an early morning will be very much worth the effort. Despite our name, the Monks are not naturally early risers!

Jamie Monk blogs about all things Phuket. Visit his website: JamiePhuket. com for more.

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THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

HEALTH 21

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Laid back yoga Kim White kim@mindbodyyogasystem.com

H

ello and welcome to another month and another yoga posture to help balance you out for a happier and healthier, body and mind.

This month I am looking at a very laid back approach to what can be a very “full on” crazy posture. We are looking at vamadevasana, this posture is dedicated to an Indian sage Vamadeva who harnesses the soft approach to yoga and is a representation of water. It symbolises the dualities that approach us through life Over the past few months I have heard a few people complaining about yoga teachers. Some are too soft and don’t push, others are too hard and yell and push the students to perform. Not everyone has the same personality, and not everyone has the same body, so it makes sense that there are different teachers out there.

The journey of yoga is also

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about finding the right fit for you.

Once you have found the right class and the right teacher that complements your body and personality, you will find your yoga practice will come into full swing. Please remember not everyone is the same, so what you like might not be what your friend likes, embrace the dualities of life.

During your journey of discovery in yoga, like many other paths you carve out for yourself in life, you are going to contend with things that are not a perfect fit for you. So how do you cope with these moments? Do you fire up, get frustrated, go into a panic and lose your head because things are just not going your way? Or do you act like water and flow, let negative issues roll of the back and gently let your natural flow take shape? How we get to our destination is just as important and the final destination itself.

So I am using this yoga posture this month as a time for contemplation. As we come almost to the end of the year, I like to look back at the end I have left behind and assess how well I travelled through this year and what mind changes can I create to make things better for the year that is fast approaching. Vamadevasana is a great yoga

pose you can hold for longer and when the mind relaxes into a better stillness, better thought patterns also arise.

Benefits of vamadevasana: • Opens quads and relieves stiffness and pain in the legs.

• Stretches the hip flexors and front of the stomach.

• Relieves lower back issues.

• Tones the stomach.

• Aids with digestion.

• Tones and limbers up the spine.

• Keeps reproductive organs healthy.

Follow these steps to have this yoga posture in your life: 1. Sit with right foot bent infront of your body and the left leg sitting bent beside the body (the focus being to sink the left seating bone).

2. Press both knees to the floor, tuck your chin to the chest and take a big chest breath.

3. Pull your shoulders away from the knees 4. Lift your left hand and twist your torso to look back at the back of your right hip.

5. Left hand sits in front of the right thigh.

6. Breathe out and twist your torso to the floor beside your right hip.

Act like water and flow.

Use this pose as a time for contemplation.

7. Hold for 30 seconds to one minute.

8. Breathe in and bring your self back to the centre.

9. Breathe out again and lean back on both hands, your chest is diagonal from your knees – if you are comfortable here, go further back to lean on your elbows. Keep your chin tucked to the chest. Steady breaths.

10. Breath in to bring yourself back up into an upright position and change sides.

Happy stretching.

Metta Kim oxo

22 ISLAND SCENE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

The Live 89.5 team takes an island-wide ride!

From left: Jason, Sreevalsan and Nikki from Angsana, and Chris.

Alan McAllister and the Tile It girls with Chris.

From left: Jason, Ludovic from Banyan Tree, and Chris.

From left: Sreevalsan, Chris, Milan and Jason at Xana Beach Club.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

ISLAND SCENE 23

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

The hard-working team filled several large garbage bags with rubbish from the beach.

Gecko staff and kids along with Marriott staff get ready to hit the beach for a cleanup.

GECKO NURSERY SCHOOL AND MARRIOTT STAFF CLEAN UP NAI YANG BEACH Young students and teachers from Phuket’s Gecko School visited Nai Yang Beach, on Phuket’s west coast, where they were joined by associates from the Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa. Together, this community environmental team helped remove litter from the sand and keep the area pristine for both locals and resort guests alike.

JW Marriott GM Oriol Montal presents a flower arrangement to Phuket’s new Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan.

JW MARRIOTT PHUKET RESORT & SPA MAI KHAO WELCOMES PHUKET’S NEW GOVERNOR JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa General Manager welcomed Phuket’s new Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan by presenting him with gift baskets and flowers at the Governor’s office.

Staff from the Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort present a gift to Class Act Media GM Jason Beavan, joined by CAM Sales Assistant Siriporn Seangmas (right).

HYATT REGENCY PHUKET RESORT STAFF DROP BY THE CLASS ACT MEDIA OFFICE Staff from the Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort dropped by the Class Act Media offices recently to meet with GM Jason Beavan and Sales Assistant Siriporn Seangmas.

From left: Galileo Maritime Academy’s Anthony Gould and Mary Mardsatool with N&J Thailand’s Tarinee Kerdsub.

NORTHROP & JOHNSON HOLDS OPEN HOUSE ON YACHTS AT PHUKET YACHT HAVEN Northrop & Johnson organised an Open House on several yachts in the Phuket Yacht Haven on Friday, Oct 21. On show, among others, was the legendary 1977 Whitbread Round the World racer and Swan 65’ Kings’ Legend. @thephuketnews

The PIWC ladies met for coffee and a chat at Central Festival last month.

PIWC MONTHLY MEET AND GREET AND CENTRAL FESTIVAL Members of the Phuket International Women’s Club held their October monthly meet and greet at Starbucks at Central Festival. They enjoyed a coffee and a chat as well as catching up on the latest news around the island with copies of The Phuket News.

24 EVENTS

FRI

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4 NOV

loo, Naan, Rice, Salads, Chutneys / Achars, Pistachio Ice Cream, Gulah Jamun, Fruits.

And extra dishes on the menu: ONIONBHAJI, BOMBAY ALOO, DAL MAKHINI, VANILLA ICE-CREAM. For only 499/- nett and special reduced prices on drinks. 076-286464 Ext 4.

SAT

5 NOV

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

TUE

8 NOV

All you can eat Sunday Roast Buffet

Beef, Pork & Lamb – Cauliflower, Broccoli, Peas, Carrots, fried mushrooms, grilled tomatoes – Yorkshire pudding – roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes – gravy, mushroom sauce, mint sauce. Reservation recommended 350 baht P.P., shakersphuket@gmail.com, 081 891 4381.

Public Speaking made easier

Looking to develop your public speaking and leadership skills? Ignite your career? Join Toastmasters Phuket and start making yourself a leader today! Invitation only. Contact Jason on 086 479 7471 for more info.

WEEKLY BBQ EVERY FRIDAY

Come join us for our WEEKLY BBQ EVERY FRIDAY at Two Chefs Kata Center, Karon, Kata Beach and Patong from 12pm-Late! Indulge in All You Can Eat BBQ Pork Ribs, Chicken and Sides for ONLY 395 BAHT! Our BBQ is famous at Two Chefs! Come try us out and enjoy our mouthwatering pork ribs, flavor-bursting chicken and more! Come for the FOOD - Stay for the FUN at Two Chefs!!! www.twochefs.com. Tel. Kata Beach 076-333-370, Kata Center 076330-065, Karon 076-286-479, Patong 076-344914.

Live Sports at Expat Hotel

NRL, AFL, Soccer, Rugby Union. Any live sport, we will show it. Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong. www.expatsportsbar.com.

Sunday Tapas

This is what Sunday lunches are meant to be - fabulous, fresh unlimited and Western and Asian tapas with friends and family crafted by the talented team of chefs at Banyan Tree Phuket. Starting at THB 2,000 net per person.Reservations, Banyan Tree Phuket, 076 372 400 # 5463.

All you can eat BBQ Ribs night

BBQ Buffet on Saturday Night

All Day Breakfast at Cafe Siam

Aussie bacon & egg rolls NOW at Cafe Siam.

All day breakfast, just like mum makes. Lavazza Coffee, healthy snacks & salads. Find us at the Entrance of The Royal Paradise Complex, Patong. Mon - Sat 8.30am - 4.00pm. Facebook: CafeSiamGuesthousePhuket 081 676 9411.

Come and join us along the shores of the Andaman sea for an unforgettable experience of freshest seafood, generous selection of BBQ items, tempting desserts and delicious drinks.

At Cosmo Restaurant. Everyday from 6.30pm until 10.00pm. 1,950 THB for adults, 975 THB for children under 12. Reservations, Cosmo Restaurant at The Nai Harn Phuket, fbreservation@thenaiharn.com, 076 380 200.

SUN

6 NOV

Pool Competition at Expat Sports Bar The competition at 9pm - Expat Sports Bar at the Expat Hotel Soi Taipan Patong. See map at www.expathotel.com.

Mussels night @ Shakers

1.2kg mussels served with french fries, your choice, your style: nature, marnière, provençale, garlic & cream or Thai style. Reservations recommended B295 baht P.P., shakersphuket@gmail.com, 081 891 4381.

Indian Curry Night on Fridays

Come to Navrang Mahal in Karon Sea Sands Resort & Spa for an authentic Indian Feast First Week Friday and the Third Week Friday, in Karon Beach. Try out our delicious Aloo Tikki, Samosas, Chicken Tandoori, Aloo Gobi, Navrang Korma, Butter Chicken, Lamb Vinda-

6PM – 11PM: All you can eat BBQ Ribs served with salad buffet, potato Salad & Choice of Sauces Reservation recommended 350 baht P.P. shakersphuket@gmail.com, 081 891 4381.

Sunday Roast EVERY SUNDAY

Come enjoy a Traditional Sunday Roast EVERY SUNDAY at Two Chefs Kata Beach, Kata Center, Karon and Patong!Indulge ALL DAY & ALL NIGHT for 395 Baht! Enjoy a Large ALL YOU CAN EAT selection of your favorites! Featuring: Roast Aussie Beef, Pork Loin and Chicken.

Roasted or Mashed Potatoes. Roasted Mixed Vegetables Flavoured with Thyme and Garlic.

Yorkshire Pudding and Red Wine Gravy. Come for the FOOD - Stay for the FUN! www.twochefs. com.Tel. Kata Beach 076-333-370, Kata Center 076-330-065, Karon 076-286-479, Patong 076-344-914.

Sunday Brunch

Every Sunday from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM Enjoying an exquisite Sunday Brunch with a variety of seafood selection on ice such as crab, oysters, king prawns and more wide variety of cuisine available from classic dishes to signatures. Prices starting from 1,200++ Baht for buffet and free flow soft drinks. Reservations, HYATT REGENCY PHUKET RESORT, fnb. phuhr@hyatt.com, 076 231 234.

Sunday Fun Brunch

Phuket’s most popular brunch experience.

Seafood, live station, entertainment, kid’s corner and massage corner. From 1,650++ THB. 12.00 - 15.30. Reservation: info@xanabeachclub.com 076 358 500.

MON 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 B350 per person which includes a free glass of house red or white. Opposite Centara Karon Resort. See: otools-phuket.com.

WED

9 NOV

Dine 4 Pay 3 Oriental Buffet Dinner Extravaganza Embark on a journey to the four corners of Asia and enjoy a lavish array of Thai, Chinese, Japanese and other Oriental recipes. Develop your taste buds and experience new flavours; ranging from spicy curries to barbecued meats and local noodle plates, while watching our Chefs work their magic in the lively kitchen every Wednesday from 18:00 – 22:00 for THB 999 per person at Bubbles Restaurant, Grand Mercure Phuket Patong Resort & Villas. Reservations, Bubbles Restaurant, Grand Mercure Phuket Patong Resort & Villas, h8109@accor. com, 076 231 999.

7 NOV

All you can eat BBQ night

6PM – 11PM: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Burgers, Sausages, Prawns & Squids, salad buffet, Choice of potatoes & Sauces, Bread, Buns & garlic bread Reservation recommended 395 baht P.P. shakersphuket@gmail.com, 081 891 4381.

Every Wednesday! All-you-caneat Pasta and Pizza at Bellini

Every Wednesday Eat all you can Pizza and Pasta for only 500 Baht. Drink all you can for only 450 Baht – or BOTH eat and rink all you can FOR ONLY 890 Baht with DOUBLE EXPRESSIONS LIVE! Wednesdays 6pm to 11pm at Bellini. info@pastabellini.com. Located at Chalong Circle, Chao-Fa East.

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THU

EVENTS 25

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

10 NOV

SAT

19 NOV

Tribute to U2 Concert for a cause

PIWC Meet & Greet Coffee November

New members are encouraged to join our monthly Meet & Greet Coffee Morning to find out more about our organization. It’s also a great opportunity to chat with a few members in a more casual setting over a cup of coffee. For more information, please contact Joan Watson – imm@loxinfo.co.th or Renate Hirte – hirtefamily@hotmail.com.

THU

17 NOV

OFFICAL GRAND OPENING CARIOCAS

Grand opening party on the 17th of November.

Free entry, free canapes, free welcome drinks.

Mr. Golffy Brand connect asia, Mr. Niessing Cariocas. Live Fireshow. ‘Soulcoustics’ live band. DJ K.I.T.T.I Reservations Recommended info@cariocaslounge.com CARIOCAS Bistro & Lounge, Phuket Town, near BKK Hospital, 076 218 403-4.

FRI

18 NOV

The 3rd Bhut Jolokia ‘Ghost Chili’ Challenge - New Date.

Navrang Mahal Indian Restaurant, Karon invites you to compete in their 3rd Bhut Jolokia “Ghost Chili” Challenge. Take up the challenge to finish a bowl of Ghost Chili Curry. Bhut Jolokia chili is rated as one of the world’s hottest chilies, 401 times hotter than Tabasco sauce. Fantastic Prizes to be won! Contestants are required to pay the buffet dinner charge of 499 baht. Limited contestants. Contact, info@navrangmahal. com or 076 286 464. Proudly supported by The Phuket News.

@thephuketnews

Join us at Two Chefs Kata Center on Saturday November 19th from 8pm. Enjoy a Charity Event Tribute To U2 and Four Course Dinner for 995 Baht. 50% OF ALL SALES will go to the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation! First Course: Fontina Risotto Cakes with Chives Second Course: Bloody Mary Mussels with Squid Ink Pasta, Lemon Sorbet Main Course: Grilled Lamb Chops with Rosemary Olive Oil Paste with Potato Gratin and Roasted Asparagus Dessert: Irish Coffee Chocolate Mousse. Reservations, katacenter@twochefs. com, 076 330 065.

SUN

20 NOV

Laguna Phuket Triathlon

Named “Best Amateur Sports Event of the Year in Thailand” at Sports Industry Awards & Conference 2016, Laguna Phuket Triathlon is a carnival of multisport fun and tri-related activities for you to enjoy at Laguna Phuket. Featuring a unique 1.8K swim, new 50K bike course and 12K run. 6K Fun Run is also available! Join us and take in the excitement of the #LagunaPhuketTri experience, rub shoulders with the pros and social events. Register now at: www.

LagunaPhuketTri.com 076-362 300 Ext.1408

WED

23 NOV

Phuket International Sportfishing Tournament (PIST) 2016

Registration is on the 23rd November 2016 from 4pm onwards. Location: Tamarind Bar & Grill in Chalong. The weigh station will be at the Tamarind Bar & Grill in Chalong on all 3 fishing days, 24th, 25th & 26th November. The final evening and prize giving party will also be held in the Tamarind Bar & Grill, Chalong. For more info visit www.phuket-international-sportfishingtournament.com The event is proudly supported

by Live 89.5 and The Phuket News.

THU

24 NOV

Ocean Marina

OCEAN MARINA PATTAYA BOATSHOW 2016 24 to 27 November. At the Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Pattaya. Demonstrating Pattaya’s image as one of Asia’s leading seaside resort hubs with outstanding facilities and the capability to host large scale international events. The show will stimulate tourism, as well as marine industry and related businesses such as boat building, boat sales, boat charter, boat parts and accessories, boat services, water sports and marina based property sales. Tel: 02 661 6800 and ask for Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show, info@oceanmarinapattayaboatshow.com

SAT

26 NOV

Underworld Haunted Harbor & Trick or Treat

For one night only, enter the gates of the Haunted Harbor for Phuket’s only Trick ‘R Treat & Halloween festival! Celebrate Halloween in costume while you Trick ‘R Treat & explore the Haunted Boardwalk. Find games, scares, prizes and fun around every corner with a variety of food and activities to choose from along with Boat Lagoon’s shopping and entertainment.

For more info, pls visit www.phuketunderworld. com. Sponsored by The Phuket News. www. phuketunderworld.com, Boat Lagoon.

SUN

27 NOV

SAT

3 DEC

Black Tie Muay Thai III

Gloves and Gowns: Muay Thai Chic! Celebrities and experienced Muay Thai fighters from Phuket step into the ring for a good cause.

Guests will enjoy a drink reception, a delicious four course dinner and free flow beverages.

When the gloves come off, the dance party starts in the ring! Booking essential; please contact #076-278-146 or email info@phukethasbeengoodtous.org. When: 3rd December 2016 Where: Outrigger Laguna Phuket. Tickets: 3,500 THB Proudly sponsored by Live89.5.

EVERY DAY

RUN TO GIVE 2016

Venue: Bangwad Dam, Kathu, Phuket. Time: 5am - 9am. Categories: 3 Km - THB 250 / 10 Km - THB 350. • Beneficiaries: Maha Jakri Sirinthorn’s Children’s Project and Pun Fun Pun Yim. • Online Registration is extended until 25 November 2016: https://goo.gl/forms/PIQwUbN52cjksvCP2 Next registration/ pick-up/collection schedule is on 24 and 25 November 2016 at CENTRAL and 26 November at BANG WAD DAM KATHU. Contact number 076-370100, 076-371410, 076-335770-4. Proudly sponsored

by Live 89.5

La Gritta Special Deal

Enjoy the rich tastes of authentic Italian cuisine with one of the best views in Patong Beach.

With Chef Patrizia at the helm showcasing dishes from her home city, Rome, La Gritta offers all the favourites of Italy from wood-fired pizzas to freshly made pastas. La Gritta is the perfect spot for sundowners. Only in November, show the promotion code PMLGPN2016/2 to receive a 10% discount! Reservations, lagritta@amari.com, 076 292 697.

26 TIME OUT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Crossword by Myles Mellor & Sally York Across

55. Flurries 57. Building 1.

Form materials 1. Which is the oldest football club in the Premier League?

6. Sot’s sound 60. Andrew Lloyd 2. What is the name given to green Japanese 9. Cut short Webber musical horseradish?

14. Luau dances 65. Certain 3. In which year did the TV series ‘Breaking Bad’ debut?

15. Glues quacker 4. Aneto is the highest mountain in which mountain 17. Shaw play 66. Edge range?

19. European coastal 67. Frets 5. Which author’s books include Coming Up for Air, and sands plant 68. Turning point?

Homage to Catalonia?

20. Open, in a way 69. Corroded Answers below, centre 21. Bionic man 24. Extreme suffix Down 26. Want ___ 27. Many millennia 1. Theater sound 28. Termite, e.g.

2. Color 31. Come to terms 3. Carte start 33. “Go!” 4. Minister 34. Collapse 5. Aromatic 35. CEO degree compound 36. Brecht and Weill 6. “Listen!” musical 7. Notion 42. Chemical suffix 8. Swiss ___ 43. Garden-variety 9. Unwanted 44. Captain’s journal Iceland export 45. Photographer’s 10. Lives request 11. Of an egg 48. Badger’s burrow 12. Inhabit 49. Diminish 13. African scourge 50. ___ seul (dance 16. Barely budgets solo) 18. Tubular wind 51. Petition instrument 53. Pressed 21. Links rental

SUDOKU

22. “Uh-huh” 23. 1922 Physics Nobelist 25. Ban 29. Planning time 30. Brains 32. Cumberland ___ 34. Pool contents?

35. Believers 37. Danger to divers 38. Omitting 39. Joie de vivre 40. Learning style 41. Got mellower 45. Outpourings 46. Arrived 47. Tristan’s love 48. Begin 49. Mountainous republic 52. Not new 54. Awaken 56. Boatload 58. Operative beginning 59. Harden 61. Lady’s title 62. “Silent Spring” subject 63. Brewed drink 64. Itch

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s Pop Quiz: 1) Stoke; 2) Wasabi; 3) 2008; 4) Pyrenees; 5) George Orwell (real name Eric Arthur Blair)

GOT YOUR NUMBER

ISLAND VIEW

This week in history ■■ Nov 4, 1922 In Egypt, British archaeologist Howard Carter and his men find the entrance to Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

1

in three people had not written anything by hand for the previous six months, a UK survey found in 2014.

47

per cent of the US remains unoccupied.

■■ Nov 5, 1605 Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes is arrested.

100

■■ Nov 6, 1999 Australians vote to keep the Head of the Commonwealth as their head of state in the Australian republic referendum.

hours is how long El Salvador and Honduras were officially at war over a football match in 1969.

■■ Nov 7, 1991 Magic Johnson announces that he is infected with HIV and retires from the NBA.

4,085

■■ Nov 8, 1602 The Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford is opened to the public.

US dollars a year is how much the United Stated Government pays Cuba to rent Guantánamo Bay.

2.395 million

US dollars is all it costs to buy a 4,000-square-foot Florida McMansion designed and built by the Vanilla Ice Project.

Source: Uberfacts

■■ Nov 9, 694 At the Seventeenth Council of Toledo, Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims, sentencing all Jews to slavery.

Paradise Viewpoint just north of Patong. Photo by John Knicley Got an unusual or particularly beautiful picture of Phuket?

Email it to execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

■■ Nov 10, 2010 Ten to forty thousand people march toward the royal palace of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur to hand over a memorandum to the King demanding electoral reform.

Source: Wikipedia thephuketnews

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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

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ACTIVITIES, GROUPS Free Tiya’s Hammocks campaign

Win Free hammock from Tiya’s Hammocks Phuket. Winner will get V Weave hammock, handmade from North of Thailand, weight capacity 250 kgs. Value 5,200 THB. More details visit Facebook: Tiya’s hammocks, Contact: Tiya, tiya@tiyashammocks.com, 089 600 0041.

BOATS, YACHTS FOR SALE Boating deal of the year: 7.5m baht (reduced from 10m baht)

Due to serious health reasons, the owner must part with his beloved 80’ tour boat. New wiring throughout, power outlets, transformer and voltage meters. New upholstery throughout bar and entertainment area. Engines & generator fully reconditioned & serviced. All maintained to European standards. Ideal boat for quality day trip business. beachsando1@gmail.com, 080 695 3933.

Steel boat for sale

32 metre steel boat for sale.

Built 2012, 2 x Cummings engines, 10hrs work only. International REG. Excellent for live-aboard or ferry. Price 6MB. Contact: call Joe 087 8918912 or email joe@similan-divers.com.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Beauty Salon with Equipment

For Sale, Nai Harn Beauty Salon with Equipment & lease, B290,000. Salon Equipment replacement cost is more than B300,000. All equipment shown as new. Must view to see excellent opportunity to purchase Salon for extremely good price in prime location. Call Nok for details 098 017 8818.

REST-BAR-LOUNGE -RAWAI BEACH

Beautiful decoration-Private terraceseaview-Sound system Led light-air conditioned-full equiped-400Sqm 2levels-ParkingsReady for work superstaronthebeach@hotmail.com, 092 526 0222.

Looking for investor / partner

Looking for investor / partnership for Patong beach front location to start with Japanese and Indian restaurant.

Narin, narinpga@gmail.com, 081 826 9390.

Price reduced for quick sale

No, not a bar or guesthouse, but a manufacturing business for wooden window blinds. All the machinery and inventory of parts to be up and running in a matter of days. A very successful business in Phuket for over eight years. Price reduced to 2 mil Baht. Owner will partially finance. lamsden@ phuketemail.com, 081 487 4812.

Restaurant for sale in Rawai

All new equipment, air conditioned, private terrace, unlimited parking. All offers considered. optispa@gmail. com, 088 386 9132, 063 067 4498.

Looking for a Partner Investor

I am looking for a Partner/Investor to expand my Dive business. Anyone interested please email me to discuss the proposal. rwhi690169@bigpond.com @thephuketnews

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Restaurant set up for sale

A fully equipped restaurant in the highly sought after Boat Avenue mall in Laguna. Stainless steel kitchen, Wi-Fi, bar counter, service area. Ready to go in days. Email: jukeboxphuket@gmail.com, 081 090 1608.

CAR FOR SALE Convertible

Mercedes CLK 200 Cabriolet W-209 Brabus Package - seats 4. Excellent condition and fun to drive. 31,400 K.M. 1,399,000 Bht. Eng - Thai 094 695 3536 / 063 992 3226.

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CAR FOR SALE Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8G VVTI

2013 - 35,000km - Automatic White - CD Radio, Air-con, Alloys Excellent Condition, Only used for school runs.

525,000, Duang, Royal Phuket Marina, gavinmullins@ hotmail.com, 083 093 9724.

le

sa nt e g r

U

Honda Jazz 2009 1500cc Auto

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

MEMBERSHIPS Life Time Family Membership

Blue Canyon: 800,000 THB includes 140,000 transfer fee. Loch Palms: 475,000 THB includes 72,000 transfer fee. Tanita, 094 695 3536 / 063 992 3226.

Loch Palm Golf Membership

Lifetime Loch Palm Golf membership for sale. ฿485,000, the Loch Palm transfer fee of ฿72,000 will be shared equally between the buyer and seller. Contact J. Trenton Early, jtrenton.early@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE New loft trailer

Fully welded steel construction. Proper fenders springs, hitch, lights, toungue jack, alu deck. Fits M/C, ATY, const, landscape. 1700 lb. cap. 65,000 THB, 081 693 8214.

MOVING SERVICES Looking for Moving Company?

With over 15 years of experience Bigmove Phuket is the number 1 provider of moving and shipping in and out of Phuket Thailand. We provide storage in a state of the art clean, secure, storage facility located centrally in Phuket. www.bigmovephuket.com, 081-797-5377.

REAL ESTATE SERVICES Phuket real estate tour

Real estate investment tours are specially designed to help you to achieve your investment goals with the right property in the right location. You will get advice on the multitude of lucrative investment opportunities in Phuket. THB1,990. md@tourasian.com, 080 826 4665.

WEBSITES, IT

PROPERTY FOR SALE HERE IS THE FUTURE. 17 RAI FOR SALE

Between Kok Loi and Thai Muang, 38 km from the airport, we are selling a beautiful peice of land with 2 new houses. A perfect place for artists or a sport resort. The land is more than 17 Rai, full of old trees, with a big private lake and located directly behind the river. Chanote title. With a canoe it takes 20 min to paddle to the sea. A great opportunity for a fair price. Price 9.5M, Yupin, residler@gmail.com, 081 817

Land For Sale

Land for sale. Anuphas Golf Ville, Kathu. 81 sq wah. Golf course view of Phuket CC. Quiet village, convenient location. E-mail for details Contact David, d1jarvis@hotmail.com

Beautiful Land in Rawai For Sale

Beautiful mountain view with option of sea view land of 742m2 for sale in Rawai with chanote title. For more information contact 085 790 2021.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Ten Room Villa for sale

With 5 Rai land. 5 sleeping rooms, 5 bathrooms, 5 balcony, 2 kitchens, big living room, play room, lobby, car port. Hillside Maikhao Beach sunset seaview.

Asking price 24 MB. julius_schuster2001@yahoo.de, 087 267 1192.

Prime Land near Natai Beach

13 Rai. Prime flat land, Full Chanote. 5 mins to beautiful Natai Beach, 5 mins to Khok Kloi, 20 mins from Phuket Airport.

Close to temples, beach & mountain views, perfect for large property or subdivide for development. B13,500,000, Antoine (Thai & English), 081 979 9307, dannyred@hotmail.com

Kay McDonnell

I have a number of FIRE SALE PROPERTIES from 1.5 MTB to 47MTB. Condos/Houses/Villas Please contact me if you are looking for bargains in the south of the island.080 124 1245, kay@pare.com

COMMUNITY

For Sale: hoteldealsphuket.com

PHD has 125,000 pages indexed in Google and an average of 22,000 page views per month! See stats image. Also see the selling points on the link below. Quick sale: 33.000B!, Mark, mr.m.hopkins@gmail.com

PROPERTY FOR SALE X2 Vibe Phuket Bangtao

X2 Vibe Bangtao is low-rise, low density condo and with only 84 units that provides nice resort facilities and offers high quality finishings. 4.59mn baht. Phumarin, 139 Soi Cherngtalay 16, Srisoonthron Rd, Cherngtalay, Thalang, Phuket, sales@oceanstone-phuket.com or 095 037 8150. thephuketnews

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PROPERTY FOR RENT Kathu Condo forSale/Rent

36 Sqm Fully Furnished with Pool & Fitness. Rent start 9,000 monthly.

Close to Patong, Central Festival Phuket and Prince of Songkla University. Lily Line ID: 0841094466, flyfreelily@gmail. com, 084 109 4466.

Office/Shop for Rent

Ground Floor space with excellent positioning on Chalong Pier Road.

For more information, please call 081 416 4177 or 076 381 341.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

PROPERTY FOR SALE

House for Sale

3 bed, 2 bath, living/dining, Farang & Thai kitchens. Back/both sides under cover. Water fall/relax area.

BBQ area under cover/car port. 4 aircons/7 fans. Very private, close to all services, 500 meters from Heroines Monument. 4.9 mil. o.n.o. Contact Randy. Email randyalltime@gmail.com

Waterfront Condominium

The Cleat Condo, residence project in Krabi Boat Lagoon Marina. Price 3-9MB, size 37-119 Sq.M., 1 or 2 bedroom, marina view. For rent/sale. marketing@phuketpropertytrip.com

Outstanding Beach Front Pool Villa

A rare opportunity to purchase a 4 bedroom beachfront villa in a 5* resort at The Village Coconut Island.

A “snip” at 22m THB. Contact email aadmo@btinternet. com, Somjit, aadmo@btinternet.com, 081 9791945.

LAND NEAR WATERFALL FOR SALE

Beautiful, gently sloping land for sale near Bang Pae waterfall. Good road, 3-phase power. NS3 paper (upgrade applied for). 7 rai, B4m/rai. 087 884 9964 (En) or 087 272 5594 (Th). alasdair.phuket@gmail.com

Modern home office for sale

Modern home office for sale located 400 m fr Central Intersection. 1 Unit has 1 commercial, 1 living space, 4 bedrooms & built-in bathrooms. Owner, thip_june19@yahoo.com, 087 543 4716.

House for Sale

House at Land and House for sale. 2-storey with 3 bedrooms, living room, kitchen, balcony, jacuzzi, library, laundry. Near to kid playground, two swimming pools, sauna, gym. Enough land to build a second house on the same plot. Ekaterina Oseledets, 095 861 7571.

MAI KHAO LAND

Beachfront land in Mai Khao. East coast. 3 rai 2 ngan 24sqw. For sale: 45 million baht. 45 million.

Sale by owner Apartment ‘The Pearl of Naithon’ Leasehold

Total area 226,66 SQM including terrace 41,25 Sqm, 50 meters from the beach, 3 bedrooms with 3 bathrooms, Owner purchased at THB 22.5 million, now reduced to only THB 11.5 million for quick sales. MP + 66 (0) 89 814 1458. @thephuketnews

New Sea View Villa

Premium villa 8B in the prestiques Sunrise Ocean Villas developement is now for sale.

Being built on the highest point in the estate, only 80 meters from the ocean and located 3 mins away from Grand AoPor Marina, 10 mins from golf course, 20 mins from the airport, shopping centers, schools and hospitals, this villa is a perfect place to live with no traffic, no pollution and no mass tourism...

More than 600 Sqm usable building area, 3 bedrooms, guest apartment, maid quarters, games room, 10 meter infinity swimming pool, roof terrace and breathtaking views. Can be ready to move in within 8 weeks and still can be customized to the wishes of new owner. For sale at only 24.9 mill Baht. For viewing or more information please contact our sales director, Khun Montha 081 343 0777 Email : montha_phuket@yahoo.com.

PROPERTY FOR RENT Family Pool Villa Rawai

4 Bedroom 4 bathroom 5,000 Baht per night/3 bedroom 3 bathroom 4,000 Baht per night. Quality Furnishings. Contact: rawaihillvillasphuket @gmail.com or 091 654 6249.

Bedroom in shared house-Kathu

Near Kajonkiet Inter school, Loch Palm, close to Central, Big C, Tesco. Inclusive: WiFi, water, electricity, use of kitchen, washing machine. Month by month agreement with some deposit. 4000 THB/month. Contact: lodchong77th@yahoo.com or 089 600 0041.

Apartment for rent

Quality 1 Bedroom serviced apartment 65sqm for rent. Central Patong.

Short or long term. For details email ianscondo21@gmail.com

ROOM FOR RENT

Room for rent in attractive house Baan Manik (not far from Anthem wakeboard park). Convenient location for access to Laguna, Boat avenue, Airport and PIA. House is equipped with, Air-con, Internet, Expat-TV, foreign kitchen, washing machine, fridge ect ect. 8000 Baht PCM + Share of Bills. Please email bluebeyond@me.com or call 081 968 6051 for a viewing.

Two condos for sale/rent

2 condos for sale 48 sqm. - sale price $60,000 (developer’s price $116,000) & 54,5 sqm. - sale price $70,000 (developer’s price $128,000). Fully furnished, near Central, Big C, BIS, Lotus, hospitals, schools. Communal pool and gym. Short & long time rent available 48 sqm. – THB 10000-15000 per month; 54,5 sqm. – THB 15000-20000 per month + electricity&water, Ekaterina Oseledets, 095 861 7571.

PROPERTY FOR RENT Kata Western Apartment

1 and 2 115M2 furnished apartments, full kitchen, huge covered terraces, mountain and seaview.

1 month minimum, 1 year lease starting 20,000/month. gordy240@hotmail.com, 084 840 1262.

Vassana Residence. Rawai

Fully furnished 2 Bedroom 2 Bathroom. WiFi and cable TV included in price. 160M.S. in size. Jacuzzi in each Apartments. BBQ area on the roof. Contact vassana.residence@gmail.com Art, Rawai / NaiHarn, Eng.087 882 9604.

2 BDR Bungalow, Nai Harn Beach

For rent with “Free UBC Platinum cable TV”, security, air-con, fridge, stove, quiet area, at end of cul-de-sac, 12,500 per month. Call 098 017 8818 or 087 884 8972.

Kamala Villa for rent

5 Bedrooms Villa available for long term, normally 10,000 Baht Nightly price Long lease 70,000 Baht monthly for 1 year minimum, Include pool, garden, courtyard maintenance. Suitable for large or two families. Wanphen, kamalagym2@gmail. com, 080 697 7729.

Villas & Apts Rent-Chalong

2- and 3-bedroom pool villas, 2-bedroom townhouses & studio apartments. Special prices from 700/night or 8,000/month. Rates include WiFi, maid service, cable TV, furnishings. Great location near Big Buddha. info@chalongapartment.com, 086 282 6221, www.chalongapartment.com

34 PROPERTY

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

La st U

ni

t

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HIGH QUALITY TOWNHOUSE, Kamala 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. 222 sqm

9,900,000 THB

Completed in 2015 this townhouse is conveniently nestled in a quiet location with easy access to main amenities in Kamala.

SEAVIEW CONDO NEAR COMPLETION, Patong

1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 32 sqm

Hotel operated investment condo offering a 7 % net guarantee for 15 years 4 weeks free owners use. Construction well under way, there are limited sea view units available at this time.

2,700,000 THB

e im ion Pr cat lo

CHARMING APARTMENT NEAR BEACH, Nai Harn

2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. 130 sqm

Overlooking the lake in front of Nai Harn Beach, this apartment complex was in completed 1999, but kept to a high standard. Quiet common area pool.

Just a few steps from the large communal pool this charming town home has been reduced from 11.5M to facilitate a quick sale. Sold with a golf membership and several Laguna benefits.

9,900,000 THB

re Pri du ce ce d

7,500,000 THB

HOTEL MANAGED TOWNHOUSE, Laguna

2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 202 sqm

ENORMOUS POOL VILLA, Rawai 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 800 sqm

16,900,000 THB

Spread across 3 levels with garden on the lower level, this 5-bedrooms villa features spectacular views from the mountains in Rawai.

Priced well-below comparable properties in the area.

BRAND-NEW STUDIO, Surin Studio, 1 bathroom, 27 sqm

3,780,000 THB

Offering an 8 % guaranteed return for 3 years this apartment was completed beginning of the year and situated near both Surin and Bang Tao Beach. Spectacular common area rooftop area.

FREEHOLD SEAVIEW PENTHOUSE, Surin

2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 262 sqm

Measuring 162 sqm internally with a wonderful roof terrace with Jacuzzi, BBQ and seating area. Just a short walk from Bang Tao and Surin Beach, the condominium has a proven track-record of netting 1.1m THB through rentals.

11,500,000 THB

GOLF COURSE POOL VILLA, Kathu 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 256 sqm

Well-priced pool villa with views of Loch Palm golf course. Open plan living area and 3 well-appointed bedrooms, two of which are facing the pool deck.

9,900,000 THB

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PROPERTY 35

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, FRIDAY,NOVEMBER NOVEMBER4, 4,2016 2016 THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Call us today to schedule a viewing or visit Thailand’s leading online marketplace to seach 1000’s of properties in Phuket and all other major locations across Thailand - go to FazWaz.com

e ic ed Pr uc d re

BEACHFRONT RESORT APARTMENT, Laguna 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 230 sqm

Managed by a reputable hotel operator has restricted owner’s usage, but the location does not get better! Very high quality and just a few steps from Phuket’s longest beach stretching from Bang Tao to Layan.

4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 530 sqm

This stunning oceanfront villa has hotel services connected if need be. 3 separate bedrooms in the main house and a 4th bedroom built in the footprint of the prop-

88,000,000 THB

erty, creating the feeling of waking up on the ocean. Must-see luxury property!

re Pr du ice ce d

14,950,000 THB

OCEANFRONT SEA VIEW VILLA, Kamala

4-BEDROOM POOL & JACUZZI VILLA, Rawai 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 248 sqm

9,700,000 THB

Neatly located near Wat Chalong this charming house features a modern western kitchen, private pool and 4 bedrooms. Ideal for a family.

HIGH QUALITY POOL VILLA, Cherng Talay

3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 235 sqm

Situated within a gated community of 15 villas with full management services available. Large open living/dining room, spacious salt water pool and lovely sala which provides a hide away from the dazzling sun.

Very competitively priced 1-bedroom at less than 70k per SQM for partial sea view. Two neighbouring units for sale by the same owner. Wonderful sea view lap pool on the roof.

2,990,000 THB

4-BEDROOM VILLA WITH LARGE GARDEN, Paklok 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2400 sqm

Set on a sizeable land plot of 1300 SQM, this standalone property is situated in peaceful surroundings in Paklok.

8,900,000 THB

re Pri du ce ce d

14,000,000 THB

MODERN 1-BEDROOM APARTMENT, Karon

1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 43sqm

BRIGHT FREEHOLD CONDO, Kamala 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 77 sqm

3,500,000 THB

@thephuketnews @thephuketnews

Located hillside in Kamala with good common areas including 2 pools, reception and gym. With furniture included this apartment represents one of the best valued freehold properties on the West Coast.

AFFORDABLE FREEHOLD 1-BED CONDO, Surin 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 49 sqm

Top floor unit in an older building between Surin and Bang Tao. Terrace with pool view, open plan living room with small kitchen. Sold fully furnished.

1,800,000 THB

36 SPORT

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS Run #1605: Saturday 5 November 2016 Run Start Time: 3:30pm Hares: Swollen Colon Location: Baan Manik Directions: From Heroines Monument turn west towards Cherng Talay and go on for about 2.6 kilometers (about two metres past the turn off to Manik dam on the left) then turn right into a small road opposite Baan Manik School (signed). Follow that road for almost 1km and laager site (signed) will be on the right on three rai of swollen land.

If coming from Kamala, go through Cherng Talay and carry on for about 1.5km past Lady Pie and turn left into same small soi mentioned above and carry on to signed laager site.

Bus pick-up: Patong @ Expat Hotel: 2:15pm Kamala @ Black Cat’s Bar: 2:45pm More info: phuket-hhh.com

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Patong Pool League goes to the very last POOL

League Standings

W

ith now only one game left in the Patong Pool League it really couldn’t be any tighter at the top of the league table as following last Thursday’s (Oct 27) round 1Bar and Wet Dreams are joint leaders both on 158 points. Thus meaning that the final round played yesterday (Nov 3) would be the decider as to who walked away with the title.

Going into last Thursday’s round, 1Bar had a one point lead over Wet Dreams, but Wet Dreams scored a higher win last week bringing them level pegging with 1Bar. 1Bar took on Natalie Bar away from home last Thursday and managed to walk away with a 4-7 win, while Wet Dreams played at home against Genius and won 8-3 giving them the point they needed to bring them level on points 1Bar.

Scott Griffin from Dirty Nellies has his eyes firmly set on the ball.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, Champs Bar took on Dirty Nellies at home, and being the sportsmanlike bar that the are, Champs Bar gave

Dirty Nellies one of their lady staff, Gigi, to play for them as one of Dirty Nellies’ players (no names mentioned COLIN) did a no show, and not for the

first time either. Dirty Nellies walked away with a 5-6 victory.

Martin Swiss suffered a big 8-3 loss at home to Simon and Oils, while Sports Bar had

1Bar

158

Wet Dreams

158

Ting Tong

140

Genius

132

Natalie

132

Sports

128

Champs

121

Dirty Nellies

114

Martin Swiss

109

Simon & Oils

99

Min Mar

95

Amigo

0

a good 8-3 win at home over Min Bar. In yesterday’s deciding games, Wet Dreams were set for an away game against Dirty Nellies (lets hope Colin shows up this week), while 1Bar were set to play at home to Sports Bar. Should it still be a tie after Thursday’s game a decider between 1Bar and Wet Dreams will have to be played at a neutral venue, most likely Dirty Nellies.

Matt Pond

Landgraf sinks another junior golf title GOLF FOLLOWING ON FROM her success at the Thai Golf Association (TGA) Golf Junior Championship held at the Katathong Golf Club in Phang Nga in July, seven-year-old Louise Landgraf recently walked away with the E-Class title at the TrueVisions-Singha Junior Golf Championship 2015-16.

Louise scored rounds of

82, 78 and 90 in the three-day event held at The Pine Golf Club and Lodge in Bangkok – an 18-hole, par 72 golf course featuring a challenging 6,917 yards of fun and beautiful landscape surrounded by a gigantic lake and pristine nature – over the weekend of Oct 23-25, and walked away with the title after beating her nearest rival by four strokes.

In July, Louise, who is a student at HeadStart International School and member

of Laguna Golf Phuket, won the U9 category of the TGA Golf Junior Championship at the Katathong Golf Club scoring rounds of 65 & 69.

But her most memorable achievement came in October last year when aged just six she made history by becoming the youngest golfer ever to achieve a hole-in-one on the club’s newly upgraded golf course.

The 9th Tr ueVisionSingha Junior Golf Cham-

pionship 2015-16 year was organised by TrueVisions and Thailand Junior Golf Federation, sponsored by the Singha Corporation and Siam Country Club group, and saw 88 young golfers – boys and girls – partake.

The first round of the TrueVision-Singha Junior Golf Championship for the 2016/17 season will be held on Nov 19-20 at Suwannaphumi Golf and Country Club in Bangkok.

Louise, 7, walked away with the title after beating her nearest competitor by four strokes. Photo: TJGF/Facebook

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Behave or lose place Kiatisak warns national players on discipline FOOTBALL Bangkok Post editor1@classactmedia.co.th

T

hailand coach Kiatisak Senamuang has told his players to behave in the training camp for the upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifier against Australia and the AFF Suzuki Cup or face the axe.

The national team reported for training on Tuesday morning (Nov 1) and later visited the Grand Palace with staff coaches to pay their respects to His Majesty the King, who passed away on Oct 13.

Thailand first face Australia in their fifth Group B match of the World Cup qualifiers at Rajamangala National Stadium on Nov 15 and then participate in the Southeast Asian championship four days later.

While addressing the team, Kiatisak said, “There are strict rules for the national players: no smoking, no drinking, no escaping and no gambling.

“There are newcomers in the team, so they must know

@thephuketnews

Thailand coach Kiatisak Senamuang, seated 2nd right in front row, and his players gather at a Bangkok hotel on Tuesday (Nov 1). Photo: via Bangkok Post about these rules. For the senior ones, the punishment will be very serious if any one of them is caught breaking these rules.

“They will be immediately told to pack their bags and go back to their clubs or homes.

There is no room for leniency or negotiation in this matter.

The team discipline is very important.”

Kiatisak added, “We have a big task ahead of us and our mission is not over yet. We have to keep playing for the country, for His Majesty the King and for the Thai people.”

The head coach also encouraged the newcomers to

use the training camp as a stage to showcase their skills.

“We still have six matches left [in the final phase of Asian qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup] and there is also the Suzuki Cup,” said Kiatisak, whose team lost all their first four games in the World Cup qualifiers.

“First, we must compete against each other in the training camp to get selected to the final line-ups for the forthcoming assignments.”

The coach said he would take another look at the fitness of his players after the Nov 15 clash with Australia before naming the final 22-member

squad for the Suzuki Cup, in which Thailand will be defending their title.

“These World Cup qualifiers are always keenly fought affairs, so there is a big chance of one or more players sustaining injuries,” he said.

He added that his men have not played any competitive football since their 4-0 loss to Iraq earlier this month as all the domestic games were cancelled as a part of the official mourning marking the death of the King.

“We would have to get the players fit first as they have been away from the field for many days now,” he said.

SPORT 37

Thailand’s Ariya can be a dominant force GOLF WO R L D N O.2 A R I YA Jutanugarn could overtake top-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand and become very dominant, says renowned golf coach David Leadbetter.

The 20-year-old Thai remains leader in the player of the year award and the Race to CME Globe although she could only claim a joint 43rd finish at the LPGA Malaysia last Sunday (Oct 30).

However, Ko regained the top spot in the money race with earnings of US$2,451,642 (B85.8 million) – just $3,744 (B131,150) ahead of the Thai – following her tied 12th place in Kuala Lumpur.

“It is possible for sure for Ariya to topple Lydia,” Leadbetter told the Bangkok Post.

“She is a great player and a long hitter.”

The Englishman, who is Ko’s coach, said a powerful and young player like Ariya could be the one to beat in women’s golf.

“She seems to get over an injury now. She is young and when you have somebody with that sort of power, it is amazing.

Ariya Jutanugarn swings free and easy off the fourth at the Women’s British Open.

Photo: Glyn Kirk/AFP “She can be very dominant.

Lydia has to keep working hard to stay as No.1.”

Ariya has won five tournaments this season including the Women’s British Open, while Ko has won four including the ANA Inspiration.

Leadbetter added that a golfer is not a machine and Ariya could become fatigued in the closing stages of the season.

“Players need rest to be fresh,”’ he said.

Ariya has played 26 tournaments this year, four more than Ko. Both will join the 54-hole, $1.5 million Toto Japan Classic and then skip the Lorena Ochoa Invitational to prepare for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

Bangkok Post

38 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Revival might be too late

Hamilton admits title resurgence might not be enough to keep crown FORMULA ONE AFP editor1@classactmedia.co.th

L

ewis Hamilton accepts that his victory in last Sunday’s (Oct 30) Mexico Grand Prix may have come too late for him to keep his champion’s crown.

In the aftermath of a tumultuous race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, the defending three-time champion acknowledged that his resurgence might not be enough to stop his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg cruising to a maiden drivers’ title.

“It’s a shame that these results are coming so late in the season for me,” said Hamilton, after a near-flawless drive to victory ahead of Rosberg.

“Possibly too late.

“You can look back and

Lewis Hamilton driving during the Formula One Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez last Sunday (Oct 30). Photo: Mark Thompson/AFP say that maybe if Malaysia didn’t happen then I’d be in a different position right now...”

Hamilton was left pointless in Malaysia on Oct 2

when a near-certain victory was taken from him by an engine failure. If he had won the race, he would be leading the championship.

“I am fighting now for something that I don’t know if I will be able to make… It is an unusual scenario to be in, but I have got to push all the

way to the end.

“One way, it can be painful – and one way, it can be a great thing.

“But all I know, from the beginning of my career in Formula One, is that right until the last minute it can change.

So that is why I can’t give up.”

Rosberg, who has a 19 points lead with two races remaining, knows he will be champion if he can win in Brazil on November 13.

Hamilton, who drew level with four-time champion Frenchman Alain Prost in the record books with his 51st win, has never won at Interlagos.

He knows this and knows, too, that even if can win there and also in Abu Dhabi on November 27, it may not be enough if Rosberg finishes second and third in those races.

“It is cool for me to be in this situation, but I am not go-

ing to change my approach,” said Rosberg, who struggled to find his best form in Mexico.

“There are still two races to go and anything can happen in this sport. I am comfortable working my own way, one race at a time, so I am staying that way as it feels the best.”

Long after the post-race farce in Mexico, where Max Verstappen finished third on track for Red Bull, only for Sebastian Vettel to stand on the podium for Ferrari before Daniel Ricciardo was classified third in the final result, due to penalties, the stewards explained why Hamilton was not punished for running off and rejoining at the first corner.

Telemetry taken from his Mercedes showed that Hamilton had backed off significantly after the incident and gained no “lasting advantage” according to the stewards.

Britain’s Joshua to defend heavyweight title Woods confirms Bahamas BOXING BR ITAI N’S ANTHON Y Joshua will defend his International Boxing Federation (IBF) world heavyweight title against Eric Molina of the United States in Manchester on December 10, it was announced on Tuesday (Nov 1).

There had been hopes that unbeaten Joshua, 26, might face Wladimir Klitschko after the former heavyweight

Anthony Joshua. Photo: AFP champion’s re-match with Tyson Fury, was postponed.

But contractual wrangles and a minor injury suffered by the Ukrainian scuppered the hopes of that bout taking

place this year.

Molina, a 34-year-old Texan, has won 25 of his 28 professional contests and took World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Deontay Wilder to the ninth round before being stopped last year.

Joshua, the Olympic superheavyweight gold medallist from the 2012 London Games and unbeaten in 17 professional fights, said, “I am pleased everything is now set for December 10, I can concentrate

on getting the business done in the ring.

“There has been plenty of talk about who I may face but all I’m doing is concentrating on finishing Molina in style and putting on a great show.

“I’m expecting this to be the toughest fight of my career so far and I will be ready for an all-out war.”

Joshua last fought when he stopped Dominic Breazeale in seven rounds in June.

AFP

comeback on December 1 GOLF TIGER WOODS WILL make his long-awaited return from injury at next month’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, the former world number one confirmed in a statement on Tuesday (Nov 1).

Woods jolted the golf world last month after aborting his planned comeback at the Safeway Open in California, sparking fresh uncertainty about his career after a 16-month lay-off.

However, the 40-year-old 14-time major winner said he would now be ready to host and play in his December 1-4 tournament at Albany in the Bahamas.

“I am excited to make my return at the Hero World Challenge at Albany and play in this terrific tournament,” Woods said.

Woods had already hoped to play in the Bahamas despite the concerns over his form, which prompted him to withdraw from the Safeway in Napa.

The 18-player Hero World Challenge is owned by his charity foundation. Woods, who has won the tournament five times before, made a similar return from injury at the event in 2014.

Woods told US television late night host Stephen Colbert last month his game has shown signs of improvement since his recovery from two separate operations on his back in 2015.

Tiger Woods, pictured here on Oct 20, will return from injury on Dec 1, in the Bahamas. Photo: Nicholas Hunt/AFP “I’m not quite there, where I feel like I can shoot 63s and 64s in tournaments,” Woods said.

“I’m shooting the low rounds at home. But I just don’t quite feel quite as ready to shoot those type scores under tournament conditions.”

Woods has won 79 US PGA titles, three shy of Sam Snead’s all-time record, and is four shy of the record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus.

Woods was a vice captain for the triumphant US Ryder Cup team at Hazeltine in October. He has been named an assistant captain to Steve Stricker for next year’s Presidents Cup. The Hero World Challenge field features the cream of world golf, with the four reigning major champions, the top 11 players available from the world rankings along with the defending champion and two special-exemption players.

AFP thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

SPORT 39

PREMIER PREDICTIONS: ENTER NOW AT THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Four things we learnt in the Premier League L ast weekend’s Premier League action saw braces from Sergio Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan for Manchester City and by

FOOTBALL

Is Ibrahimovic finally showing his age?

Pre-season predictions that Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 34, would struggle with the pace of the game in England following his move to Manchester United from Paris Saint-Germain appeared to be confounded when he scored four goals in his first four Premier League games. But the former Sweden striker has gone off the boil spectacularly since then, going six league matches without scoring for the first time since December 2007 with Inter Milan. He was particularly wasteful in United’s 0-0 draw with Burnley, squandering a firsthalf one-on-one with Tom Heaton and somehow contriving to put Paul Pogba’s cross wide from point-blank range in the dying stages.

Manchester United’s Z l a t a n I b r a h i m ov i c s h o o t s b u t f a i l s to score during the match against Burnley. Photo: Oli Scarff/AFP He has taken 42 shots since last scoring in the league, more than any other player has mustered all season.

With Marcus Rashford and Wayne Rooney desperate to claim central striking roles, Ibrahimovic needs to rediscover his shooting boots quickly.

Live Sports TV Schedule *Times may be subject to change

SPORT

START STOP

EVENT

TEAMS / INFO

Test 1 - Perth

Australia v. South Africa, Day 2 Rugby League England v. Scotland

Friday November 4 Cricket

10:00

17:30

Saturday November 5 Rugby Union 22:00

00:00

00:25

02:25

Barbarians v. South Africa 4 Nations

22:00

00:30

EPL

Bournemouth v. Sunderland

22:00

00:00

EPL

Burnley v. Crystal Palace

22:00

00:00

EPL

Man City v. Middlesbrough

22:00

00:00

EPL

West Ham v. Stoke

00:30

02:30

EPL

Chelsea v. Everton

10:00

17:30

Test 1 - Perth

Australia v. South Africa, Day 3

Arsenal v. Tottenham

Soccer

Cricket

Sunday November 6 Soccer

Cricket

19:00

21:00

EPL

21:15

23:15

EPL

Liverpool v. Watford

21:15

23:15

EPL

Hull v. Southampton

22:00

00:00

EPL

Swansea v. Man United

23:30

01:30

EPL

Leicester v. West Bromwich

12:50

21:00

Test Match 2 - Sharjah

Pakistan v. West Indies, Day 2

@thephuketnews

Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud of Arsenal, all of which inspired their sides to handsome wins and ensure they are neck and neck, along

with Liverpool, at the top of the table.

Here are four things we learned from the English Premier League last weekend:

Aguero remains Man City’s main man Sergio Aguero had gone six games without scoring prior to Manchester City’s trip to West Bromwich Albion and having been dropped for their recent 4-0 defeat at Barcelona, he found himself the subject of speculation about his future at the club. The Argentina striker had started the season in sublime style, scoring 11 goals in his first six games, and yet manager Pep Guardiola continued to insist he could “do more”. Aguero returned to the starting XI at The Hawthorns and provided an emphatic demonstration of his talent, scoring two clinically taken goals in the first half and setting up a goal

The overall competition winner receives a two day/one night private fishing charter to Racha Island on board Wahoo Yacht Charters Phuket’s Reel Blue. Total prize value: B180,000 The monthly competition winner for November 2016 will receive a B3,000 voucher to spend at Islander Sports Bar in Rawai.

EPL PREDICTIONS MONTHLY STANDINGS (SEPT) 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Aays chook Nong Young scottkip LateStart

OVERALL STANDINGS

20 19 19 19 18

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

chook scottkip carst Sidwell Guduka TC

62 61 60 60 60

English Premier League 2016 - 2017

Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring the opening goal against West Bromwich Albion.

Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP for Ilkay Gundogan as City ended a run of six games without victory. Guardiola showered him with praise after the match and confirmed he would be starting when Barcelona went to the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.

Hazard lights on for Chelsea rivals Eden Hazard dazzled with his fancy footwork, Diego Costa caused chaos with his lethal finishing and Antonio Conte’s revamped Chelsea defence held firm to round off a highly satisfactory trip to the south coast for last Sunday’s 2-0 win over Southampton. After a pair of dispiriting defeats against Arsenal and Liverpool raised concerns about Conte’s suitability for the Chelsea job, the Italian boss has transformed his team’s prospects with his switch to his preferred 3-4-3 formation. The results have been instant and Chelsea have reeled off four successive league victories for the first time since April 2015, keeping four clean sheets in the process. Restoring Chelsea’s morale after the

MONTHLY SPONSOR

MAIN SPONSOR

Team

MP W

D

L

1

F

A GD Pts

Man City

10

7

2

1

24

9

15

2

Arsenal

10

7

2

1

23

10

13

23

3

Liverpool

10

7

2

1

24

13

11

23

4

Chelsea

10

7

1

2

21

9

12

22

5

Tottenham

10

5

5

0

14

5

9

20

6

Everton

10

5

3

2

15

8

7

18

7

Watford

10

4

3

3

14

13

1

15

8

Man Utd

10

4

3

3

13

12

1

15

9

Southampton

10

3

4

3

11

10

1

13

10

Bournemouth

10

3

3

4

12

14

-2

12

11

Leicester

10

3

3

4

12

16

-4

12

12

Stoke

10

3

3

4

12

17

-5

12

13

Crystal Palace

10

3

2

5

14

16

-2

11

14

Burnley

10

3

2

5

8

13

-5

11

15

Middlesbrough

10

2

4

4

9

11

-2

10

16

West Brom

10

2

4

4

10

14

-4

10

17

West Ham

10

3

1

6

10

19

-9

10

18

Hull

10

2

1

7

8

23 -15

7

19

Swansea

10

1

2

7

9

18

-9

5

20

Sunderland

10

0

2

8

7

20 -13

2

23

Klopp needs to sort defence

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard (right) celebrates scoring the opening goal against Southampton. Photo: Glyn Kirk/AFP dismal campaign that brought Jose Mourinho’s sacking last season hasn’t been easy for Conte. But Chelsea have exactly double the number of points (22) they had after 10 games last term and a title challenge looks on the cards after Hazard’s cool finish and a brilliant long-range effort from Costa saw off the Saints.

As the travelling Kop choir sung their hymns in praise of Liverpool’s swaggering 4-2 win at Crystal Palace, boss Jurgen Klopp took their acclaim with a steely expression. Goals from Emre Can, Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip and Roberto Firmino secured Liverpool’s fifth win in six league games and only goal difference is keeping them below leaders Manchester City and second-placed Arsenal. But while Klopp is clearly pleased by Liverpool’s progress since his arrival last season, the German must be concerned by the defensive sloppiness that allowed Palace to make a game of it, with

Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke (2nd left) vies with Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren. Photo: Glyn Kirk/ AFP Lovren mistakes in particular twice allowing James McArthur to equalise. Eradicating those kind of errors must be Klopp’s main focus if he is to end Liverpool’s long wait to win a first title since 1990.

AFP

Sport

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

editor3@classactmedia.co.th

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Lewis knows it may be too late to retake crown > page 38

RISKING LIFE AND LIMB

Senior sailors take on one of sailing’s most grueling races SAILING

T

he Vendee Globe solo round-the-world yacht race is not for the fainthearted, but at 66 Rich Wilson is ready to risk injury, exhaustion and hurricane force winds a second time.

Wilson, one of four over60s in the gruelling race that starts on Sunday (Nov 6) at Les Sables d’Olonne, endured broken ribs, crushed vertebrae and a deep cut in his face when he competed in 2009.

Masts that break in a gale and the constant threat of being swept overboard overshadows all 29 entries in this edition of the race held every four years.

Wilson said he is very aware of the fate that befell top Chinese navigator Guo Chuan who went missing in the Pacific last week while attempting to get from San Francisco to Shanghai in less than 20 days.

“If such things can happen to him one can envisage the same things happening to less accomplished navigators,” the skipper of Great American IV said.

This time the Massachusetts Institute of Technology educated professor has vowed to tell every bump and scrape to an audience of hundreds of

US skipper of monohull ‘Great America III’, Rich Wilson takes the start of the 6th edition of the gruelling round-the-world Vendee Globe yacht race. Photo: Thomas Bregardis/AFP thousands of school children from Taiwan to Tennessee.

“Definitely,” he said when asked whether his on board adventure would get a full and frank airing on his sitesalive. com website which aims to use adventure to encourage children to learn. Thousands of schools have signed up to

follow his program.

“I am an asthma sufferer on top of all the other challenges in this, so I will tell it all.”

Wilson will have to eat 5,000-6,000 calories a day, instead of the usual 2,000, to keep up with the energysapping schedule. Last time he

lost weight despite the extra food and most competitors lose muscle bulk because of the limited space.

The sleep deprivation – four or five hours each day for about 100 days – is an additional trap awaiting competitors.

His blog and other educa-

tional work will take up two hours a day.

Last time, Wilson’s autopilot broke down for the final month so he had to check the winds every 20 minutes to keep on course.

“It is absolutely exhausting as well as stressful for many,” he said.

As in 2009, Wilson will again be the oldest competitor, but not the only senior in the race.

Enda O’Coineen, 61, will be the first Irishman to take part in the race now in its eighth edition. O’Coineen also runs an educational trust and is president of the International Federation of Irish Pubs.

“At the press conference in Paris, I was asked was I concerned about the younger sailors in the race, so I said I thought they’d be okay,” O’Coineen told The Irish Times.

Dutch businessman Pieter Heerema, 65, will be one of nine rookies in the race.

Nandor Fa, 63 took part in the second Vendee Globe in 1992 and took fifth place.

He also knows the risks, in 1996 he had to give up after a collision.

“There are eight or nine skippers in with a chance of winning, for the rest of us the aim is to finish this personal adventure in the best conditions,” said Wilson.

The others agreed.

“I have a long way to go and I’m no spring chicken,” said Heerema. But he insisted the position does not matter.

“My challenge is to complete the voyage. Make it all the way around the world alone.”

AFP

Rousey says end is nigh ahead of comeback MMA MIXED MARTIAL ARTS superstar Ronda Rousey said on Tuesday (Nov 1) that next month’s comeback bout against Amanda Nunes will be one of her last-ever fights.

The 29-year-old from Los Angeles returns to the octagon on December 30 in Las Vegas as the main event in UFC 207, her first bout since she was pummelled to an upset defeat

by Holly Holm in 2015.

Confirmation of Rousey’s return after a protracted absence has created a huge buzz with organisers predicting

record pay per view buys.

However, Rousey, one of MMA’s biggest stars who has helped widen the sport’s growing global appeal, said on “The Ellen Show” that she is already eyeing her eventual retirement.

“Not that long, I’m wrapping it up,” Rousey told host Ellen DeGeneres when asked how much longer she planned to fight.

“This is definitely one of my last fights. Everyone better watch, because the show isn’t going to be around forever.”

Rousey, a former Olympic judo medallist who has used her MMA fame to help launch

a career in Hollywood, said the ever-increasing demands on her time had left her weary of the sport.

“The build-up is more tiring than anything else,” she said. “If we had a fight right now, I’d be like, ‘I’ll fight right now,’ and then I’d go get dinner and I wouldn’t really be tired about it,” Rousey said.

“It’s the weeks and weeks of build-up beforehand and you know you’re fighting this one person and it’s your showdown and the most important thing in your whole life and millions of people are watching.

“It’s that build-up for weeks on end. If it happened right now, I wouldn’t be nervous at all. It’s the waiting.”

Rousey’s rise through the ranks of MMA earned her comparisons to Mike Tyson’s emergence in boxing’s heavyweight division during the 1980s, with the fighter generating excitement after a string of whirlwind knockouts.

However, she was battered by Holm when the two met in Melbourne in November 2015 in what is seen as the biggest upset in MMA history.

AFP

Ronda Rousey, a former Olympic judo medallist who has used her MMA fame to help launch a career in Hollywood, said the ever-increasing demands on her time had left her weary of the sport. Photo: Paul Crock/AFP

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