06 01 2017

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

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FORENSIC POLICE PROBE PATONG HOTEL FIRE > PAGE 3

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B240MN PROJECT TO ROLL OUT 1,000 FREE WI-FI HOTSPOTS TO COVER BEACHES

NEWS

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New Year leaves 2 dead, 81 hurt

LIFE

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Silky tradition dressed in style

Patong already has 120 free Wi-Fi hotspots up and running.

Suthicha Sirirat editor@classactmedia.co.th

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he Phuket Smart City policy will see 1,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots available across Phuket, with every major tourist beach covered under a B240 million project that is expected to start rolling out by the end of next month.

Patong already has 120 free hotspots up and running, and another 29 are in operation in Phuket Town

and Saphan Hin, Chaiyut Rodjanapittayakul, Manager of the CAT Telecom Phuket office, told The Phuket News on Wednesday (Jan 4).

The hotspots provide 100/25Mbps connection speeds. “They are active now,” Mr Chaiyut said.

In Patong, free hotspots are operating along Thaweewong Rd (beach road), Bangla Rd, Rath-U-Thit 200 Pee Rd and at Patong Police Station and Patong Hospital.

“On the beach road, free Wi-Fi

extends all the way to Kalim junction,” Mr Chaiyut said.

“We also aim to have more free hotspots along Thalang Rd in Phuket Old Town in time for Chinese New Year on Jan 28,” he added.

CAT has already secured the B240mn budget to roll out the rest of the 1,000 hotspots, Mr Chaiyut noted.

“We are only waiting for official internal approval from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to install the rest of the hotspots. We

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expect to have that approval by the end of February,” he said.

“Once complete, Phuket will have free Wi-Fi on every major beach, at every municipal office and tourism attraction on the island by the end of 2017,” Mr Chaiyut said.

In announcing the free Wi-Fi in Patong on Dec 28, Phuket Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan explained that the project was the result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Patong Mayor Chalermluck...

SPORT

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‘Ultras Thailand’ are doing more harm than good

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Tourists safe after waves sink boats NATIONAL PARK OFFIcers safely recovered 22 Chinese tourists stranded on Koh Mai Pai (Bamboo Island), northeast of Phi Phi Island, after their tour boat sank in rough seas on Wednesday (Jan 4).

Chaiyan Chaikam, Chief of the Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park, was alerted to the tourists’ situation at 11:40am.

“We were informed that the boat Giant 121 had been hit by strong waves and was taking on water,” Chief Chaiyan said.

“We dispatched a National Park rescue team to bring them safely on shore, which took about 30 minutes. The boat later sank and we have marked the vessel with red flags,” he said.

Komkrit Arundet, 30, captain of the Giant 121 , told park officers that the tour itinerary was to take the Chinese tour-

Try Dive tours blasted for coral damage at key reefs > page 4

Two dead, 81 injured in New Year road accidents Yutthawat Lekmak reporter1@classactmedia.co.th

The Chinese tourists were brought safely ashore as their tour boat sank at Koh Mai Pai (Bamboo Island), northeast of Phi Phi Island. ists from Phuket to Koh Mai Pai, then on to Phi Phi Island for lunch. However, the boat starting taking on water after it was hit broadside by a large wave, he said.

Soon after, at 12:10pm, park officers safely rescued six foreign tourists from the sea after the longtail boat they were on was pushed by strong waves onto rocks, punching a hole in the hull, at Koh Moh. “They were all taken to Koh Gai (Chicken Island).

They were now all safe,” a park officer confirmed.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

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he number of fatalities in Phuket during the Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign for the New Year holidays, from Dec 29 through to Wednesday (Jan 4) (midnight to midnight), stands at two dead and 81 injured.

Patcharin Tawsanit, 24, was pronounced dead on arrival at Thalang Hospital after the motorbike she was riding went off the road, sending her into a roadside ditch in Thalang at 1:30am on New Year’s Day. Ms Patcharin was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

Later that same day, Chalermkiat Ongwimolkarn, 26, died after a collision with a taxi on Thepkrasattri Rd at 4:45pm. Police are investigat-

Chalermkiat Ongwimolkarn, 26, died after a collision with a taxi on Thepkrasattri Rd at 4:45pm. Police are investigating the accident. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub ing the accident.

The Phu ket off ice of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) reported there were 72 accidents during the seven days: • 37 people injured in 33 accidents in Muang District (which encompasses Phuket Town, Kata-Karon, Wichit, Chalong, Rawai and Nai Harn); • 22 people injured in 20

accidents in Kathu District (which includes Patong); • Two dead and 20 people injured in 19 accidents in Thalang District (which covers the northern half of the island).

Police repor ted issuing 7,859 f ines for moving violations during the Seven Days, as follows: • 3,847 people fined for not wearing helmets • 187 fined for reckless /

dangerous driving • 506 fined for not wearing seatbelts • 2,411 fined for driving without a licence • 236 fined for speeding • 213 fined for running a red light • 270 fined for ghost driving (driving opposite traffic flow) • 205 fined for dangerously cutting off other motorists in traffic • 213 fined for using mobile phones while driving.

Of note, 131 people were arrested for drunk driving during the campaign.

This year police in Phuket seized the vehicles and drivers’ licences of all people caught drunk driving. The vehicles and licences will be returned now that the Seven Days of Danger campaign ended at midnight on Wednesday.

Blanketing beaches with free Wi-Fi Continued from page 1 ...Kebsup, CAT Telecom Public Company, the Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA) and the Phuket City Development Company (PKCD).

The PKCD is the same consortium of Phuket businesses that announced late last year that it is working on getting a genuine bus service up and running in Phuket in 2017.

“The free Wi-Fi is avail-

able for everybody to use: Thais and foreigners, and especially tourists on holiday,” Gov Chockchai said.

CAT Phuket Manager Mr Chaiyut explained that to access the free Wi-Fi, users are scan for the “@ SmartCityFreeWiFibyCAT” network on their phones.

“Thais will need to enter their ID card number, and foreigners will need to enter their passport number,” he explained.

“Registration can be completed by linking a Facebook or Twitter account. Alternatively, people can provide an email address or a phone number for verification by SMS,” he added.

“It is a simple one-click registration process, which is a step forward for a ‘Smart Life’ in Phuket and in line with a modern digital lifestyle,” Mr Chaiyut said.

Additional reporting by Tanyaluk Sakoot

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

Forensic police probe blaze at Patong hotel The downstairs level, where much of the construction equipment was being kept, was destroyed by the fire. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Yutthawat Lekmak reporter1@classactmedia.co.th

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olice have declined to confirm or deny any possible cause for the major fire that broke out at the Beyond Patong hotel under construction in Patong on Monday night (Jan 2), sending plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky and forcing authorities to close the beach road.

Forensic Police inspected the scene on Wednesday morning (Jan 4), confirmed Maj Teerasak Boonsang, the Patong Police officer leading the investigation.

“They inspected the building and gathered evidence,” he said. “We expect them to take about one month before announcing their conclusions as to what they believe started the fire.”

Maj Teerasak confirmed that the contractor had told police that no work was being carried out at the time the fire started.

Asked whether police believe a short circuit started the

fire, Maj Teerasak said, “At this stage I cannot comment on any possible cause of the fire as the case is still under investigation.”

Three cars in the hotel car park on the downstairs level suffered only minor damage from the fire, he said, adding that he estimated the cost of damage from the fire at about B1 million.

Handy escape for croc show handler A CROCODILE HANDLER at a tourist live-animal show in Phuket is lucky to have kept his right hand after the crocodile he was teasing to entertain tourists last week snapped his jaw shut and quickly spun into a “death roll”.

Anusak Salangam, 47, a handler and trainer at Phuket Crocodile World on Chao Fa West Rd, kept his cool and spun with the three-yearold male croc to ensure his hand was not ripped off by the powerful jaws during a show last Friday (Dec 30).

Mr Anusak was taken to Mission Hospital to confirm his hand suffered no more than minor cuts and scratches.

“He luckily had only minor scratches from the crocodile bite,” a staffer at Phuket Crocodile World told The Phuket News the next day.

“But Mr Anusak is very experienced in handling crocodiles – and very brave – and he is back at work entertaining tourists at shows today,” the staffer said.

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Anusak Salangam, 47, spun with the croc in the ‘death roll’ to ensure his hand was not torn off.

“It would not be more than B2 million,” he said.

Maj Teerasak declined to name the contractor – but confirmed the company has insurance coverage in case it is held responsible for the fire.

More than 10 fire trucks and rescue teams took more than 10 hours to bring the flames under control at the four-storey hotel site on Monday night.

People dining in the restaurant at the front of the hotel had already been safely evacuated from the building, when police were alerted the fire at about 7:30pm.

No injuries were reported as a result from the fire.

Additional reporting by Eakkapop Thongtub and Tanyaluk Sakoot

PHUKET NEWS

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Frenchwoman deported, sentenced re-entry ban A FRENCH WOMAN LIVing in Phuket was deported from the Kingdom of Thailand last week after being found to have overstayed her tourist visa by 103 days.

The woman has also been banned from re-entering the Kingdom for five years as she did not surrender herself to officials.

The 47-year-old Catherine Laurence Bardot, was arrested

by Immigration Police and officials from Phuket Provincial Employment Office while riding a horse at the Cooling Horse House on Krong Cheap Thepkrasattri Rd in Thalang District on Dec 21, police confirmed.

Lt Chitsanut Juthichai, an Investigator from the Phuket Immigration Office, told The Phuket News, “A French woman was deported out of country yesterday (Dec 27) after we found her while she was riding a horse at 7:30pm on Dec 21.

“We arrested the woman with the cooperation of the Phuket Provincial Employment Office,” he said.

When asked what the consequences were for the overstay, Lt Chitsanut confirmed, “She has been banned from

The woman was banned from re-entering the Kingdom for five years as she did not surrender herself to officials. re-entering the Kingdom for five years as she did not surrender herself.

“That is all I have to say on the matter for now,” he said.

Stricter punishments for those overstaying their visas took effect from March 20 as part of government efforts to crack down on transnational crime.

Under the new rules, foreigners who overstay more than one year face a re-entry ban of three years.

Those found to have overstayed more than three years will be subject to a re-entry ban of five years. People found guilty of overstaying more than five years will be barred from re-entering the country for 10 years.

Tanyaluk Sakoot

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Brazilian tourist Maria Auxiciadora Zoppy, 56, was taken to Krabi Hospital.

Brazilian safe after dive shock A BRAZILIAN WOMAN IS safe after she went into shock while on a dive tour off Koh Gai (Chicken Island), east of Phuket, on Tuesday (Jan 3).

Kanokwan Jansawang, Director of the Krabi Tourist Lifeguards, had a rescue boat dispatched to recover the tourist, Maria Auxiciadora Zoppy, 56, from Brazil, after a tour guide called for help for a foreign tourist in shock.

“When she was brought ashore her hands and feet were numb and locked into a fixed position, She could not move them,” Ms Kanokwan said.

Ms Zoppy was taken to Krabi Hospital by local ambulance.

“Ms Zoppy is now safe.

Apparently she went into shock from a pre-existing personal health issue,” Ms Kanokwan said.

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‘Try Dive’ tours blasted for inflicting coral damage The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

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local marine conservationist has blasted the surge in “Try Dive” tours for damage to coral reefs at key dive tour sites off Phuket.

Local marine conservationist Paitoon Panchaiyaphom was attending to a reef at Plub Pla Bay at Koh Racha, south of Phuket, as part of his local conservation group’s efforts to protect the reef when he saw a dive instructor with two divers stepping on corals nearby.

“The dive instructor with his two divers at times walked on the corals and the instructor led them to feed the fish underwater,” he said.

Mr Paitoon blasted the surge in enthusiasm for the “Try Dive” beginner dive courses, in which people who have never dived before are led on basic tours to introduce them to the experience of diving.

“A ‘Try Dive’ takes only 30 minutes and costs about B1,700-2,500, and today there are lots of dive instructors of

Try Dive tourists and unprofessional instructors have been blamed for damaging coral reefs off Phuket. Photo: Paitoon Panchaiyaphom different nationalities, including Thai, leading these tours,” Mr Paitoon said.

“Dive masters who are more professional will lead divers to stand on the sand, not on the corals,” he noted.

A dispirited Mr Paitoon noted that the same was happening nearly every day at many popular tourist sites, including at Koh Maiton, Koh Khai and Phi Phi Island.

“Most of the damage to

coral reefs in these areas are from diving too close and non-professional divers,” Mr Paitoon said.

“The worst damage is at the Koh Racha and Koh Khai islands,” he added.

“Our conservation group has been working to protect and promote growth of corals in these areas, but it takes months for corals to start to recover, and artificial reefs take years.”

“We need to take this issue seriously to preserve our environment before it is too late,” Mr Paitoon said.

Four arrested in drug Chinese tourist dead in hotel pool parcel delivery sting PR MANAGER Natchaya (Nat) Sittiprasert 088 765 5881 pr@classactmedia.co.th

TOURIST POLICE ARRESTed four people for drug possession on Dec 28 after learning that the drugs had been delivered to a local transportation company.

Police say that the total value of the drugs was close to B1 million.

Col Nareuwat Putthawiro of the Phuket Tourist Police said that his team received a tip-off that drugs had been sent to the Somchai Speed Transport Co in Rassada from the “PenPenz” shop in Bangkok and that local dealers would be visiting the company to collect their packages.

First arrested was Sarawut Kongkarong, 28, from Prachuap Khiri Khan, who collected his parcel at 1:30pm. Police opened the package to find 393 methamphetamine pills ( ya bah) and 32 grams of crystal meth (ya ice) inside.

Police question the four arrested people at Phuket City Police Station. Photo: Phuket Tourist Police Then at 2pm, Arnon Sitthitan, 26, from Phuket, turned up to collect a parcel. Inside police discovered 994 ya bah pills and 87.5g of ya ice.

Fi n a l l y, a t 2: 3 0 p m , Pitchayakorn Naoprai, 18, from Phuket, and a 15-year-old from Trang (named withheld) arrived to collect their parcel.

Inside was 2,870 ya bah pills and 101g of ya ice.

All four were charged with possession of Category 1 drugs with intent to sell.

The Phuket News

POLICE ARE INVESTIgating the death of a 28-yearold Chinese tourist whose body was found in a hotel pool at Kamala early last Friday morning (Dec 30).

Capt Prasert Thongprom of the Kamala Police was notified of the man’s death at about 3am.

Police arrived to find the body of Chinese national Dong Jian by the hotel pool, reported Capt Prasert.

Police did not name the hotel.

“We found no marks or wounds on his body,” Capt Prasert said.

“His friends told us that Mr Dong and nine of his tour group went out for dinner at a nearby restaurant the night before, where Mr Dong drank two large bottles of beer,” he added.

Mr Dong returned to the

Friends of Dong Jian wait by the hotel pool after he was pulled unconscious from the water. hotel at about 2:40am, and changed to go for a late-night swim in the hotel pool.

“His friends arrived and found him floating unconscious in the water. They pulled him out of the pool and began CPR, but Mr Dong failed to respond,” Capt Prasert said.

Emergency workers soon arrived, but also failed to resuscitate Mr Dong, he added.

“His friends explained

that Mr Dong had a heart condition and recently received hospital treatment in China before coming to Phuket on holiday,” Capt Prasert said.

“We believe that the alcohol might have affected his system, causing him to drown, but we have had his body taken to hospital for further medical examination before we close the case,” Capt Prasert added.

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Digging for answers Bag Tao Beach excavation mired in silence, double-standards Tourists look on as the backhoe excavates a canal at Phuket’s popular Bang Tao Beach late last month.

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backhoe driver excavating sand on Bang Tao Beach while completing a government project to improve the public wastewater-treatment system in the area has been arrested for operating the backhoe on the beach without a permit.

Officers arrested Prasit Popthong at 10:30am on Dec 21 when they found him excavating sand on Bang Tao Beach. Mr Prasit was taken to Cherng Talay Police Station for questioning and the backhoe was seized.

However, Cherng Talay Police Chief Col Serm Kwannimit has since declined to disclose in detail the ongoing police action in the case.

Asked what charges, if any, Mr Prasit was facing, Col Serm replied, “I cannot reveal that at this time as the case is still under investigation.”

Asked what action police were taking against Prayongsin Kanyotha Co Ltd, which was hired by the Cherng Talay Tambon Administrative Organisation (OrBorTor) to carry out the project, Col

Serm curtly said, “If they want their backhoe back to continue the work, they will need to present the backhoe registration.”

Oddly, Col Serm made no mention of police needing to see any permit the company may have to operate the backhoe on the beach in order to carry out a government project.

However, Col Serm did confirm that he had informed the Phuket Marine Office of the incident.

To this Phuket Marine Office Director Surat Sirisaiyad told The Phuket News that he had no knowledge of the

backhoe on Bang Tao Beach – despite The Phuket News receiving photos plainly showing Phuket Marine officials investigating the incident at Bang Tao Beach.

“I have not received any report about this case yet.

Please ask police about their charge,” was all Mr Surat would say.

Mr Surat’s non-committed reaction to news of the Bang Tao beach excavation starkly contrasted his office’s heavyhanded crackdown on any beach construction in recent weeks.

Earlier this month the

Phuket Marine Office ordered to a halt the construction of a government-built seawall in Karon to prevent beach erosion, while last month Mr Surat’s office stopped an artificial reef project at Tha Chatchai and ordered the removal of a floating jetty at Kamala that already had permission from the local authority.

In each case, Mr Surat’s officers, and Mr Surat himself, stating that the Phuket Marine Office must be informed of – and give permission for – any beach construction.

In the Kamala floating jetty and Tha Chatchai artificial

reef cases, Mr Surat threatened legal action against the government-hired contractors for destroying natural resources.

Meanwhile, Cherng Talay OrBorTor Chief Administrative Office (Palad) Krichanut Suphantakij is unfazed by Mr Prasit’s arrest and the seizure of the backhoe.

“That part of the project to improve the wastewatertreatment system there is already complete,” he said.

“Anyway, although the backhoe was on public land, the operator was not excavating the sand for construction – he was placing blocks as part of the project,” he added.

The project that the backhoe was used for nearly completes Phase I of the greater project to upgrade the wastewater-treatment facilities for Bang Tao and Surin beaches, Mr Krichanut explained.

“We have only about 10% of Phase I still to complete.

There are only small jobs to complete, such as installing some more PVC pipes and the electrical system for the water pumps,” he said.

“Phase II is scheduled for completion on July 29, 2017,

but we will need to carry out tests for 60 days before July 29 to make sure everything works according to plan.

“When the entire system is fully operational, it should solve the problems with wastewater in both the Surin Beach and Bang Tao Beach areas,” he added.

Only weeks ago did wastewater at Surin Beach, just south of Bang Tao, make headlines yet again, with black wastewater streaming onto the tourist-popular beach.

For years the beachfront vendors at Surin were blamed for the fetid wastewater pouring onto the sand. However, the flow of wastewater onto Surin Beach has continued despite Army-led demolition teams destroying all beachfront businesses at Surin in April this year.

Meanwhile, the issue of wastewater pouring onto Surin Beach presents a problem for local authorities as the beach has been selected an B800 million makeover to create “Rajabhakti Park” to honour the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Her Royal Highness Sirikit, who is now queen dowager of Thailand.

Boy, 14, dead in stolen bike crash NZ man dies in high-rise plunge A 14-YEAR-OLD BOY IS dead and his 14-year-old friend is in hospital for cerebral haemorrhaging after a chase through Phuket Town resulted in the motorbike they were riding slamming into a car at Saphan Hin last week.

Police were alerted to the accident at 9:40pm on Dec 27.

When officers led by Lt Col Chalaew Taihu of the Phuket City Police and rescue workers arrived, the two boys were unconscious, with a Honda motorbike on the road nearby.

Also nearby was a white Toyota Vios with damage to its front-left wing.

At the scene, 19-year-old Kanut Damchaer told police that he was the owner of the green-yellow motorbike on

Rescue workers attend to one of the 14-year-old boys at the scene in Saphan Hin . that the two boys were riding.

“He explained that he reported to police this morning that his motorbike disappeared from his rented room near Rajabhat University Phuket,” Col Chalaew said.

“His friend later told him that they saw somebody riding his motorbike, so they went out looking for it. They later saw the boys riding on the

motorbike and started chasing them, but the boys did not stop.

“Then the boys crashed into the car,” Col Chalaew said.

Rescue workers rushed both boys to Vachira Phuket Hospital. One boy was later pronounced dead; the other one remains under medical care for bleeding on the brain, Col Chalaew added.

The boy who survived the crash told police that he borrowed the motorbike from a friend and that he didn’t know that it was stolen, Col Chalaew said.

Police are continuing their investigation into the accident and the claim that the boys did not know the motorbike was stolen.

Darawan Naknakhon

A 55-year-old New Zealand man was found dead behind a hotel in Patong before dawn last Thursday (Dec 29), the victim of an apparent suicide after falling 20 floors from his hotel room, say police.

Security at the Royal Paradise Hotel notified police of the man’s death at 4:10am, after Patong Municipality garbage collectors found the man’s crumpled body behind the hotel.

The man, later identified as Douglas Barry Wilson of Wellington, checked into the hotel alone Tuesday last week (Dec 27), Maj Theerasak Boonsang of the Patong

Mr Wilson fell 20 floors to his death from the Royal Paradise Hotel in Patong.

Photo: The Phuket News Police told The Phuket News..

“We checked the hotel CCTV and Mr Wilson returned to the hotel alone at 3:11am,” Maj Theerasak said.

“He took the elevator to the 20th floor and entered his

room unaccompanied. There were no signs of fighting in the room and it seems that nothing has been stolen,” he added.

“We will investigate this further, but at this stage we believe the man committed suicide,” Maj Theerasak noted.

Eakkapop Thongtub If you or anyone you know is depressed or in need of mental health services, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand on their 24-hour hotline 02-713-6791 (English), 02-713-6793 (Thai) or Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai).

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cobra snared Red Cross Fair attracts King amid snake fight thousands of visitors The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

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he Red Cross Fair, underway at Saphan Hin, on the outskirts of Phuket Town, has drawn thousands of visitors to the annual event, raising muchneeded funds to support Red Cross blood-donation drives and relief efforts throughout the country.

The fair was officially opened by Phuket Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan last Friday (Dec 30). Among the guests of honour at the very popular annual event were Raweewan Dejamornthan, who as the Governor’s wife is the head of the Phuket Chapter of the Red Cross in Thailand, and Phuket Vice Governors Teera Anantaseriwidhya and Siwaporn Chuasawad.

The Red Cross Fair began Thursday (Dec 29) and will conclude on Sunday (Jan 8).

Governor Chockchai, in officiating the formal opening of the fair, called on all people in Phuket to honour, remember and respect the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej,

Phuket Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan declared the annual New Year Phuket Red Cross Fair officially underway last Friday night (Dec 30). Photo: PR Dept who passed away on Oct 13.

As part of the proceedings, Gov Chockchai signed a work of art in the form the Thai numeral 9 to honour the late King Bhumibol, who as Rama IX was the Ninth Monarch of the Chakri Dynasty.

Gov Chockchai also led those present in singing Sansoen Phra Barami to honour King Bhumibol.

Phuket Provincial Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Thawornwat Khongkaew in his speech said, “The purpose of the Red Cross Fair is to promote tourism, create jobs,

promote the culture of Phuket and promote food sales.”

However, the traditional role of the Red Cross Fair, which is held in every province in the country at different times throughout the year, is to raise funds for their charity work, which includes providing emergency relief to victims of floods and other disasters and to run their continual blood-drive campaigns to help people in critical lifeendangering conditions, including many road-accident victims in Phuket.

In addition to the many

Patong parade rings in New Year PHUK ET GOVER NOR Chockchai Dejamornthan headed a mini-carnival that paraded along the Patong beachfront last Thursday evening (Dec 28), before officially declaring the Phuket Happy New Year Festival 2017 underway.

The parade, a diminutive edition of the traditional Patong Carnival held each year to declare the tourism high season officially open, featured the usual party mix of dancers, very vocal ladyboys, elaborate costumes, marching bands and other music.

The Patong Carnival, usually held around early December, was cancelled this year to respect the passing of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Oct 13.

As such, the parade duly headed to the Jungceylon shopping mall where leading Phuket officials, business owners and well-wishers gathered to pray for the late King Bhumibol.

The crowd also viewed a public screening of – and joined in – the singing of the popular Thai song “King @thephuketnews

The parade coursed along its traditional route, along the beach road and Patong’s famed Bangla Rd, before culminating with respectful events at Jungceylon. of Kings” to honour King Bhumibol, and pledge their allegiance to HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, before singing Sansoen Phra Barami to honour the new King.

Among the key Phuket officials present were Vice Governors Sanith Sriwihok and Sivaporn Chuasawas, Thalang District Chief Sayan Chanachaiwong, Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup, Phuket Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Office

Director Udomporn Karn and Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Teeraphol Thipjaroen.

Gov Chockchai also announced that hundreds of free Wi-Fi hotspots were now available throughout Patong and Phuket Town as a “New Year’s gift” to the people.

Gov Chockchai also called on all motorists to have a safe New Year holiday on the roads under the road-safety campaign “Drink Don’t Drive”.

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regular fun fair stalls, this year the fair features an exhibition highlighting the many great achievements of the late King Bhumibol.

Each night at the fair many stars perform live on stage, including celebrities from Bangkok, drawing many visitors to the event.

The renowned lucky draw prizes, the main means of fund-raising at the annual fair, this year are expected to help drive the fund-raising efforts.

This year the top prizes are a Toyota Vios and Hilux Revo pickup truck.

RESCUE WORKERS REsponding to a call that two “big” snakes were fighting under a restaurant in Thalang on New Year’s Eve (Dec 31) weren’t quite prepared for what their mission entailed.

When volunteers from Srisoonthorn Rescue arrived at the Pae Kruvit2 restaurant located behind Wat Tha Reua at 4:45pm, they were confronted by an angry king cobra measuring 3.5 metres in length – and like all king cobras, the snake could strike while still on the move.

The king cobra was amid a fight with smaller cobra – not of the king cobra species – under the restaurant.

The king cobra had already delivered a serious bite to the head of its opponent, but the fight was not yet over.

The rescue workers used a long stick to break up the f ight, then cor nered and bagged both snakes, but not without first confirming that the king cobra weighed a hefty 5.7kg.

Both snakes were later released into the wild at separate undisclosed locations.

Later, on New Year’s Day, rescue workers were called to

The huge king cobra was caught after rescue workers broke up the snake fight at the restaurant in central Phuket. remove a 2.8m python from a drain in front of a restaurant near the market at Baan Sai Thong, in Thung Thong, Kathu.

The snake was finally bagged after 35 minutes of rescue workers trying to hook it with a steel rod, and later released at the Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area Office in Thalang.

“This is the mating season for snakes, so we think they are looking for places to mate and to lay their eggs,” one rescue worker told The Phuket News.

“Luckily they have not hurt anyone, because they are known to be aggressive during this period,” he added.

Eakkapop Thongtub

Opinion 8

OPINION

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

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EDITORIAL

On the right track

he recent announcement that the government will allow hemp to be grown in six northern provinces is another welcome sign of fledgling drug law reform in the Kingdom. The Bangkok Post reported that Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) Secretary-General Sirinya Sitdhichai said the proposal was “part of a policy to relax the laws on narcotics so that three types of plants and methamphetamine can be used for medical purposes”.

Furthermore, Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya recently said the government planned to take into account the “public health dimension” in its effort to curb the use of ya bah.

This change of tact in Thailand’s previously hard-line, zero-tolerance approach to illicit drugs comes on the back of growing international recognition of the failure of the “war

on drugs” approach that many countries, strongly influenced

by US policy-makers, have taken to tackle the drug market.

An ever-growing mountain of evidence suggests that treating drug use as a criminal problem does nothing to curb drug use, it merely turns drug users into criminals, filling jail systems with non-violent prisoners convicted of minor drug offences. In 2015 in Thailand, of the prison population of 325,361 inmates, 230,074 (70.7%) were imprisoned on drug-related offences.

Consider the cost to the country of incarcerating this many people and imagine if the same amount of money was spent on harm reduction, drug education and addiction treatment. De-criminalising drug use is an important step in removing its social stigma and making it easier for drug users to access treatment.

The full legalisation of soft drugs such as marijuana and kratom, which have been used for centuries with low levels of negative health-effects, would combat the drug issue in two ways. Firstly, it frees up government resources to focus improving public health outcomes for drug users and secondly it can be a significant source of tax revenue with which to fund such harm reduction measures.

It is refreshing to see major government figures such as ONCB Sec-Gen Sirinya and Justice Minister Paiboon championing these reforms. From a purely scientific point of view, changes in policy like these are a no-brainer, but they continue to be politically costly for those who espouse them. Let’s hope that these initiatives continue to gather momentum and result in meaningful drug law reforms that reduce the negative social effects of drug addiction.

TOP 10 STORIES ON thephuketnews.com

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

French woman deported for Phuket overstay, banned for five years Phuket Opinion: Where is the justice for visa run deaths?

Phuket tourist show handler keeps hand as croc slams jaw shut NZ man plunges 20 floors to death in Patong Phuket beach excavation mired in silence, doublestandards Phuket Governor in Patong, declares New Year festivities underway Kor ean name f ound scratched on coral off Phuket causes concern Prayers, no fireworks to usher in 2017 Phuket visa run van wipeout: 3 dead, 7 injured Two dead on Phuket roads as New Year rolls in

Visit thephuketnews.com for all the latest news

HAVE YOUR SAY Terror on the roads in Thailand

Re: Horror highway crash, blast kills 25 Looks like the work of a suicide terrorist, and in a way, it kind of is. The root cause of all carnage on Thailand’s roads comes back to the police, who’s constant lack of law enforcement has allowed all Thais to grow up knowing that there is no reason to pay attention to laws... any laws.

The only consequences for recklessness is injury or death from accidents, which nobody thinks will happen to them.

Hard to understand why no government entity has taken any measures to reduce the carnage, including the new government under the NCPO. Ben Pendejo ...................................................

An unfortunate choice of words

Re: Tourism ministry launches certification for safe, quality operators I do wish sometimes that somebody could proof read these official’s thoughts before they come up with catchy slogans. 4Q is a rude expression in English and should not be used to give

the tourists a 4Q experience.

They have been getting the 4Q treatment for the last 10 years.

So just call it a 4Q2 experience.

Inepto Cracy ...................................................

Airport woes

Re: Phuket Airport security scanners spur huge New Year queues, delays Phuket is such high class holiday destination. High prices, poor quality and service terrible. No wonder that all my friends and family don’t come here anymore. Just get more poor Chinese tourists to bring up the TAT numbers and keep being surprised that nobody is making any money.

Tak I like the way they say this is normal. But I guess in Phuket it is normal for being incompetent when it comes to tourism, law enforcement, speed boats, driving, safety and the rest.

Simon01 ...................................................

Take responsibility

Re: Boy, 14, dead in stolen bike crash The police do not need checkpoints. They only have to stay outside a school and pick up

masses of underage kids, but they cannot be bothered, although in many cases they are already in attendance.

So basically I am saying that the police are responsible for numerous children’s deaths, together with the parents who let them ride. Apart from having a ride or catching a bus there is one other alternative.

A bicycle, but perhaps that would cause more deaths Marcher ...................................................

Build it and they will speed on it

Re: Man crushed under Phuket tour bus in heavy rain I am betting the yearly number of fatalities on that section of road have increased dramatically since it was four-laned.

Build it and they will drive as fast as possible on it. Look for the same on the westward side now that too has been turned into a race track.

Neither section of road had heavy traffic jams that warranted cutting down of hundreds of mature trees. Just more evidence indicating there’s very little thought put into management of this island. Investor, beware.

Christy Sweet

Lies, damned lies and statistics

Re: Two dead on Phuket roads as New Year rolls in Why are traffic deaths that occur after being hospitalised not reported in the total? The impression that is given is that there was another cause was death?

Michael Maurice Arvin Michael, because to give an honest accounting of deaths due to traffic accidents would have Thailand far above the current #1 country – Libya.

Incidentally, Phuket has been touted as the most dangerous province in Thailand, so travellers beware!

Christy Sweet ...................................................

A job to do

Re: Phuket rings in New Year with no road deaths As previously stated. Amazing what they can do when forced to do the job they’re paid to do every day!

Malczx7 ...................................................

Re: King calls for New Year unity Long live the King.

Dej

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

10 THAILAND NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

Families grieve those lost

Accident highlights task of tackling Thailand’s dangerous roads CHANTABURI

Bangkok Post

I

t was the hardest moment of Sasinan Sitthibut’s life on Tuesday (Jan 3) when she was forced to identify the corpse of her son, a day after she gave him what she had never expected – her last hug.

Her son, Prompot Kosirivalanon, a 20-year-old student at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine, was among the 25 victims killed in a crash on a highway in Chonburi’s Ban Bung district on Monday (Jan 2).

Earlier that day Ms Sasinan asked her son to stay home a little longer, in their hometown of Chanthaburi, rather than return to Bangkok so soon into the holiday break; but he insisted on returning to prepare for an exam.

Recalling his wish to study adds to his family’s grief, they say, as it reminds them of his hard-working nature; his friends say he was thoughtful and good-humoured.

Ms Sasinan hugged her

In a moment, 25 lives were snuffed out on a Chonburi highway – but hundreds of other lives were affected and ruined. Photo: Sawang Ban Bung Rescue Foundation son and said goodbye to him at a passenger van stop in Chanthaburi’s Muang district.

Hours later the van, packed with 15 people, veered out of its lane and smashed into a pickup truck carrying 12 people on its way to Rayong.

The van caught fire and exploded.

The tragedy is a reminder of how treacherous the roads

are around the New Year holidays, a busy time when people go home to their provinces and when cases of speeding and drink driving surge.

In a moment, 25 lives were snuffed out on a Chonburi highway – but hundreds of other lives were affected and ruined. Monday’s tragedy was also a blow to the government and its seven-day road safety

campaign launched on Dec 29, which has so far failed to curb casualties over the holidays.

Instead the number of accidents, deaths and injuries have increased.

Monday’s loss of 25 lives included a prospective doctor, a graduate in computer science, a promising molecular genetics expert, a car dealer and a small boy.

Another victim, Honda car dealer Hathaithip Modpai, was on her way back to Bangkok after visiting her family in Chanthaburi. “I feel really sad and don’t want to return to

Bangkok,” she wrote on social media before the fatal crash.

“I’m waiting for the van,” she wrote. “I want to cry. I miss my mum and dad.”

Hathaithip’s parents said on Tuesday that they could not yet accept the truth.

“We made merit together but she stayed with us for just a few days before she left,” said her 66-year-old mother, Wimon.

Kantinan Thaitrong was a 23-year-old recent graduate from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, poised to begin a career as an

Friends of Prompot Kosirivalanon who was killed in the van-pickup crash in Chonburi on Monday (Jan 2), weep at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, where they reclaimed his body. Photo: Patipat Janthong

IT worker for a commercial bank. In a long online message on social media, Katinan’s girlfriend emotionally recalled the last moments spent together.

“I just want to tell you I love you, but it comes at a time when you’re gone,” she said.

Other victims included Prakasit Ratanatanyong, who specialised in the molecular study of cancer and human diseases, and a boy who was killed along with two family members in the pickup truck.

University graduate Mr Prompot’s elder sister said she hopes the tragedy will push authorities and drivers to finally take responsibility for the country’s deplorable road safety record and stop ignoring the situation.

“We want more responsible public vehicle drivers and stronger laws,” she said.

Meanwhile, traffic fatalities continued to surge on Tuesday, the day before The Phuket News went to press, bringing the six-day total of the New Year’s road safety campaign to 426, up 25 per cent from the same period last year.

The number of accidents and injuries over the six days also significantly increased.

On Tuesday alone, 59 people were killed and 419 hurt in 422 accidents, said Lt Gen Teerawat Boonyawat, head of civil affairs of the National Council for Peace and Order.

Speeding swapped places with drink driving to become the top cause of Tuesday’s accidents, at 27.7% and 26.3%.

Over the past five days, drink driving was the main cause.

Motorcycles continued to be the most dangerous type of vehicles (79.2%) while the time of the day most prone to accidents was 4pm-8pm (33.4%). Most of the dead and injured were of the working age (44.8%).

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

ASIA NEWS 11

Dairy farming takes its toll Billion-dollar industry leaves farm neighbours up milk creek CHINA AFP

G

iant piles of black manu re tower ing over cornfields, while rancid-smelling effluent from thousands of cows spills onto the land – this is the price of a glass of milk in China today.

Large-scale dairy farms have boomed in the Asian giant, as its near 1.4 billion consumers overcame centuries of cultural reluctance to embrace the white fluid.

An economic boom and government backing transformed dairy into a $40-billiona-year industry, shifting production away from small-scale producers towards massive megafarms with up to 10,000 cattle – and a lot more waste.

“The smell of the manure... in the summer it’s very intense,” said Ren Xiangjun, a farmer in Gannan county.

Pointing at a stream of green water escaping from under a grey brick wall at the giant farm owned by agroconglomerate Feihe International, he added: “You can see how it flows right out of the farm.”

Dodging packets of animal medicine and syringes littered nearby, he explained: “The rubbish left after injections

Gannan county farmer Ren Xiangjun says pollution from a neighbouring dairy farm is affecting his land. Photo: AFP is just thrown here. My land is directly affected.”

When the Feihe far m opened in 2012 in the grassy hills of the northern province of Heilongjiang it said it had 10,000 cows.

In Daxing village next door, a woman also surnamed Ren said: “You can see the manure piled up like a mountain. There are no advantages for us. There is just pollution and noise.”

The dairy industry in China has posted average yearly growth rates over 12% since 2000, due to rising wealth and

desire for the health benefits of calcium.

The ruling Communist party fanned the expansion, with former Premier Wen Jiabao in 2006 expressing a “dream” that Chinese children should enjoy a daily intake of 500 grams of dairy products.

But a 2008 scandal over baby formula tainted with the industrial chemical melamine saw six children killed and more than 300,000 others affected, shaking confidence in the industry.

The crisis was blamed on small-scale farmers using

chemicals to inflate the protein content of their milk as they scrambled to meet demand.

The Chinese government responded by demanding the creation of large-scale milk production units.

“They thought if we have scale farms they are easier to regulate and inspect,” said David Mahon, founder of a Beijing-based investment firm specialising in dairy.

There are large scale farms in other countries, such as New Zealand, but rarely with more than 3,000 cows at a single facility.

By 2014 China boasted 56 farms with 10,000 cows or more, according to state media – 80% of the global total – creating a string of pollution problems in several provinces.

Estimates say that just 3,500 cows can produce 100,000 tonnes of fluid waste and effluent a year. Chinese farms are required to process it into fertiliser, but regulations are often flouted.

“There are some areas of China that are better to visit in winter, because of the small hills of effluent. Once it thaws it’s unbearable,” said Mahon.

“China is learning about dairy farming and the lack of experience has resulted in such things.”

In Gannan residents alleged that local officials profited from the farm and took no action against polluters.

Reporters were not able to verify the claims and local food officials could not be reached for comment.

But attitudes may be starting to shift. The vice-head of China’s state-backed Dairy Association, Yang Liguo was cited in 2014 as saying “The bigger the scale, the bigger the environmental, pollution and biosecurity problems”.

Mahon said there had been a “genuine rethink” in Beijing

and the Chinese government was “looking more and more to 350 head farms”.

Packing more animals together increases the risk of illnesses such as brucellosis, which can spread to humans and cause arthritis.

Feihe employee Wang Dali, who once mucked out cowsheds at the farm in Gannan, contracted brucellosis in 2012, leaving him unable to work, and now suffers nearconstant pain in his joints.

He blames his infection on poor sanitation.

“The cows were packed very close together,” he said, estimating each had about 12 square metres. “There was no way to treat the manure. We dug a big hole close to the facility... now it has piled up like a mountain.”

Feihe denied the residents’ allegations, with a woman who answered the phone at its Gannan office saying: “These things are impossible.”

Dismounting from a tractor a stone’s throw from the manure piles in Daxing, one farmer said: “The pollution hasn’t been cleaned up well.

Of course it has an impact.”

Pointing to corn stalks growing beside syringes, he added: “We don’t eat these ourselves. We sell them to the market.”

Dementia sufferer’s fingers, toes tagged with QR codes JAPAN A JAPANESE CITY HAS introduced a novel way to keep track of senior citizens with dementia who are prone to getting lost – tagging their fingers and toes with scan-able barcodes.

A company in Iruma, north of Tokyo, developed tiny nail stickers, each of which carries a unique identity number to help concerned families find missing loved ones, according to the city’s social welfare office.

The adhesive QR-coded seals for nails – part of a free service launched this month and a first in Japan – measure just one centimetre in size.

“Being able to attach the seals on nails is a great advantage,” a city worker said.

“There are already ID stickers for clothes or shoes but dementia patients are not always wearing those items.” @thephuketnews

If an elderly person becomes disorientated, police will find the local city hall, its telephone number and the wearer’s ID all embedded in the QR code.

The chips remain attached for an average of two weeks – even if they get wet – the official said, citing recent trials.

Japan is grappling with a rapidly ageing population with senior citizens expected to make up a whopping 40%

of the population around 2060.

Last month, Japanese police started offering noodle discounts at local restaurants to elderly citizens who agreed to hand in their driving licences.

The offer followed a series of deadly accidents involving elderly drivers – a growing problem in a country where 4.8 million people aged 75 or older hold a licence.

AFP

Nail stickers with QR codes that can help identify dementia patients when they get lost are now being offered to elderly people in the city of Iruma in Saitama Prefecture. Photo: Jiji National/AFP

12 WORLD NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

The battle of Brixton

Gentrification hits and splits one of London’s most famous districts LONDON AFP

O

nce the epicentre of some of Britain’s worst race riots in the 1980s, the London neighbourhood of Brixton is now facing a very different battle for its Afro-Caribbean soul: gentrification.

Parts of the area were once considered no-go zones because of the drug trade – a far cry from its current status as one of the British capital’s hippest districts, with streets transformed over the years.

But such is the scale of change that locals say they are being forced out by rising prices.

A commercial refurbishment by Britain’s rail operator of several viaduct arches running through the heart of Brixton has become the focus of people’s anger.

“They want to clean us out,” says Malek Menad, a textile merchant who is among the tenants who believe Network Rail’s plans are an attempt to cash in at his and other traders’ expense.

Currently populated with a diverse range of shops, the

Once defined as ‘the commercial and social heart’ of the Afro-Caribbean community in Brixton, the covered market is now a hipster haven. Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP viaducts are in the same area where many Caribbean migrants settled from the 1940s onwards.

Network Rail has started to refurbish the units on Atlantic Rd and Brixton Station Rd, on either side of the railway, with around 20 independent stalls and eateries being boarded up since October.

Menad is one of four traders under the arches refusing to close their doors.

Locals dispute Network Rail’s claim that 75% of ten-

ants plan to return following the works and an online petition is backing the rebel shopkeepers.

“The majority won’t come back,” says Ray Murphy, a 26-year-old carpet shop boss who opposes the redevelopment.

The overhaul has a financial motive, according to Jah Weatherman, a white-bearded Jamaican who runs a small shop under the viaduct selling Rastafarian flags and Bob Marley T-shirts,

“They’re doing some refurbishment to get higher rents and put McDonald’s and Burger King here,” he says.

Rents for businesses under the viaduct will more than double by 2022, according to a document published by Network Rail, and the rebel merchants are threatening to bring the case to court.

They point to the higher compensation offered to those agreeing to leave permanently as another sign that Network Rail wants to eject

Red faces over Ferris wheel that won’t turn A SENIOR ATHENS CITY official has resigned in an unprecedented fiasco over a

Ferris wheel that was erected for Christmas but then dismantled over safety concerns

before ever operating.

The head of the city’s event-planning organisation resigned last week after a prosecutor ordered an investigation into the 40-metre-tall wheel that was supposed to offer the public free rides for more than two weeks.

The city had billed it as a cutting-edge “dream” but reversed course and ordered it dismantled after the operating company failed to

GREECE address safety fears in the required time. “The city has turned down a request by the operating company to allow it to remain on the square until the required additional data are provided,” the Athens city hall said in a statement.

The furore started after pictures circulated of the heavy steel wheel on central Syn-

the traditional traders, some of whom have operated there for 40 years.

Fishmonger LS Mash & Sons, founded in 1941, shut up shop in August 2016.

The boarded-up premises until recently featured a banner that read, part in jest and par t in despair: “Triple the rents? You must be squidding!”

Another shop on Atlantic Rd, the Continental grocery store, closed a few months earlier.

The only two major retailers within the renovation project, bookmaker William Hill and H & T Pawnbrokers, signed deals allowing them to stay open and avoid building works, infuriating the independent traders.

“We haven’t been offered the same leases,” says Menad, adding that the local council of Lambeth backed Network Rail “100%”.

“If Network Rail get extra rents, the council will get extra rates,” he adds, referring to local tax paid by businesses.

The clean-up of the area and its location only 15 minutes by subway from central London attracts younger, upwardly mobile residents

seeking comparatively lower rents and affordable homes.

The covered market was once defined as “the commercial and social heart of the extensive Afro-Caribbean community that settled in Brixton after World War II” when it was listed as a heritage site.

But it is now a hipster haven. Afro-Caribbean grocery stores and hairdressers comprise only a third of remaining shops, rubbing shoulders with a gluten-free restaurant, a champagne bar and a vegan cupcake seller.

“Brixton has become the new go-to-place, but the indigenous of this area – not just blacks – have literally been ousted,” says Elbee Brown, a resident and employee of the neighbourhood’s Black Cultural Archives.

“It’s ethnic cleansing.

Those people have come here to make money. They haven’t come to mix.”

Rocketing property prices and the changing nature of vendors represent a threat to long-term residents, says shopkeeper Murphy.

“Most people here can’t afford a burger that costs £10 (B440),” he adds.

Worker s have been forced to dismantle a Ferris wheel in Syntagma Square, central Athens . Photo: Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP

tagma Square supported by what appears to be wooden blocks.

The debacle prompted ridicule on social media of Athens Mayor George Kaminis for introducing “a wheel that fails to turn”.

One such post showed King Kong futilely trying to budge the massive structure, a second showed Kaminis citing Italian mathematician Galileo Galilei’s famous quote about the Earth – “And yet it moves” – while a third harped: “London Eye, bought at Lidl,” referring to the budget supermarket chain.

In a statement, the operating company said they had been commissioned for the project in late November, giving it just a month to get it running when other European cities set aside up to three months.

AFP thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

BUSINESS NEWS 13

Avoiding property pitfalls PROPERTY Jerrold Kippen Tax & Law Expert Duensing Kippen

A

s a general matter, real estate in Thailand can be an excellent investment. However, horror stories are not rare enough.

But if you adhere to our “nine points”, such tragedy can be avoided. Here are our final key points to beware: Building permits do not = ownership You may hear someone tell you that having their name in a building permit means they own that building… Hopefully, that mistaken person will not be you.

A lt hou g h for eig ne r s generally cannot own land in Thailand, they can own structures such as villas. In the past it was quite common for real-estate developments marketing to foreigners to sell them “ownership” of a villa by promising a building permit in their name. Whether or not this was for “tax planning purposes” (selling a building permit incurs no real estate transfer taxes for the seller) or not we can only speculate.

What is certain is that buying

Ensuring your Phuket property purchase goes smoothly depends on nine key tenets. a building permit gets you nothing.

Your name in the building permit means nothing more than you have government approval to build an approved structure, at a given location, during a given period of time.

Although it is less common, we still find sellers, including developers, selling building permits.

When it comes to building permits, don’t be fooled.

Document the money you bring into Thailand correctly When investing in real estate in Thailand it is very important that you document

the transfers properly. This process begins when you are sending the money. So you should be sure to understand all the requirements before you send your first transfer.

You will need to obtain the proper relevant documentation of the transfer from the receiving bank in Thailand.

What that documentation is will depend on the amount transferred and its purpose.

Once obtained these documents should be saved in a secure location. If you are a foreigner buying ownership of a condominium unit in your own name, you will need these correctly detailed documents (for every purchase

price transfer) to complete the purchase. And if and when you sell your condominium unit or villa, you will need them in order to send the money back out of Thailand.

Document your money transfers.

Pay your taxes “If it goes without saying, don’t say it.” True, but in Thailand for some reason many people seem to think paying the correct taxes is not a serious issue.

They are wrong. If you do not pay your taxes, for example income taxes from rental that was (or that should have been earned as detailed in our previ-

Ministry bumps up 2017 tourism revenue target TOURISM THE TOURISM AND SPorts Ministry has revised up the country’s tourism revenue target to B2.71 trillion in 2017, an 8.2 per cent rise from the B2.5trn forecast for 2016.

Of the revised revenue target, B1.78trn will come from foreign tourists, growing 8.5% from 2016, and B930 billion

@thephuketnews

will stem from domestic tourists, up 7.5%.

The target was raised from B2.6trn expected earlier because the industry expects to attract more tourists from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV), said Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul.

“Thailand will draw more tourists from nearby countries because it’s an aviation hub in

this region and there are more connections to secondary cities,” she said.

Moreover, the improving economies of Asean countries will also benefit tourism as Thailand projects to welcome more than 3.25 million tourist arrivals from the CLMV market this year, rising 17.4% from last year, and generate more than B96.7bn in tourism revenue, up 20%.

“Next year, we will focus more on tourists from Asean and European countries to help drive tourism revenue. This will perhaps compensate for the drop in Chinese tourists as China is facing a weak economy,” Ms Kobkarn said.

The number of tourists from Europe will rise as they are changing their vacation plans from Turkey to Thailand due to the impact of growing

ous articles) your property or your company’s property can be seized and sold.

We have mentioned most of the relevant taxes in our other articles. However, one we have not and that is the all too common decision is to under-declare the sale price of real estate to the authorities at the time of purchase. Besides the fact that this is criminal tax fraud, it is also commercially stupid because whether the property is owned by a company or a real person, you will almost certainly incur far greater tax liability on resale than what you “save” if you agree to illicitly under-declare your purchase price… not to mention the tax authorities could go after you for the under-declaration (and, if necessary, your property) while you own your property.

Pay your taxes.

Use arbitration Finally, no one entering any agreement or contract, including those investing in real estate, expects or wants the deal to go bad and end up in a dispute. The fact is that it does happen and probably more often than you think. If that happens to you, and particularly if you are a foreigner, you almost certainly will be far better off – EVEN IF YOU LOSE – settling your dispute

by legally binding arbitration than doing so in a Thai court.

By “better off” we mean the process will be quicker, less costly, documents and proceedings can be in English and the decision will be enforceable worldwide.

However, because binding arbitration requires the agreement of the parties, and because agreement about anything is unlikely once parties start to fight, you should be sure to include a well-drafted arbitration clause in you real estate investment contract(s).

Stay out of Thai Courts, use arbitration.

This is the final installment of the “Dos and don’ts of real estate in Thailand”. For the other articles in this series, visit The Phuket News website and search for: Running the real estate gauntlet: The ‘Dos and Don’ts of real estate’ in Thailand Pitfalls of diligence and leases Home-ownership nominees – The naked truth DUENSING KIPPEN is an international law firm specialising in business transaction and dispute resolution matters, with offices in Bangkok and Phuket, Thailand and affiliated offices in 45 other countries. Visit them at: duensingkippen.com

To u r i s t s a t A o Nang beach in Krabi provinc e.

Thailand will focus on tourists from Asean and Europe to drive tourism revenue next year. Photo: Seksan Rojjanametakun / Bangkok Post terrorism threats over there.

Ms Kobkarn said Asean and European tourists have high potential and they will

help push Thailand to achieve the tourism revenue target of B2.71trn in 2017.

Bangkok Post

14 BUSINESS NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

‘Sorry for the delays’ Airport security scanners spur huge queues over New Year TOURISM

Queues of tourists waiting to enter Phuket Airport during the New Year have stretched well outside the terminal. Photo: Premkamon Ketsara

Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

T

he Director of Phuket International Airport this week apologised for long delays for passengers using the airport, but said that queues of hundreds of tourists stretching outside the new multi-billion-baht terminal were “normal for this time of year”.

The apology came after hundreds of passengers were forced to wait on the forecourt outside the new International Terminal on the morning of New Year’s Day while only two staff were available to conduct security scans on baggage.

“I apologise for the current inconvenience at Phuket International Airport,” Airport Director Monrudee Gettuphan told The Phuket News on Tuesday (Jan 3).

However, she added, “This is normal for the New Year period, which is a bit busy, especially when there is a

charter flight departing. This causes long lines, but only for a while, then the situation will return to normal.”

Ms Monrudee pointed out that the leading cause of the delays for passengers leaving

Thailand via Phuket Airport were the security scanners.

“We will have to keep using the scanners we have for the next five to six months, until the upgrade to our security system is fully com-

plete,” Ms Monrudee said.

The Airport Director also urged travellers to arrive at the airport early for their flights.

“As I have said before, I strongly recommend that tourists come to the airport at

least a couple of hours before their flights are scheduled to depart,” she said.

Regarding ongoing delays for passengers using the Domestic Terminal, Ms Monrudee added, “The renovations have

made the first floor uncomfortable and busy, and the work is scheduled to be complete next year (2018).”

Passengers who become lost or who do not know where to go were urged to seek assistance from staff inside the terminals.

“Staff have been posted to guide and serve passengers, and if international passengers arrive too early for their flights, there is always the shopping zone,” Ms Monrudee said.

The airport has come under constant criticism since its official opening by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha in September last year, especially with insufficient officers, and then insufficient processing computer terminals, causing hours-long waits for tourists waiting to clear Immigration.

The debacle prompted Transport Minister Lt Gen Arkhom Termpittayapaisith to inspect operations at Phuket Airport in person, and to publicly attest that his ministry was working on resolving the issues.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

PIMEX is a boat-lovers dream come true

18

Indigo Nursery brings creativity to the fore

16

STYLISH SILKS

Traditional silk dresses, a colourful and elegant part of Thailand’s rich cultural heritage > P17 A woman wearing a Thai silk dress taking part in a traditional fashion show in Phuket in 2014. Photo: Mark Knowles @thephuketnews

16 EDUCATION

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

Active learning, active play

Mark Knowles editor1@classactmedia.co.th

I

ndigo Kids International Nursery and Pre-school was taken over in July 2016 by educator Morgane Blanchet her partner Poria Mermand with the aim of providing a world-class early-childhood learning environment in Phuket.

Morgane began working in childcare in her native France as a nanny before moving to London to study Early Years Education and Care and pursue her passion to build a career in nursery management.

After completing her diploma she worked for over five years in both handson and managerial childcare roles in England. During this time Morgane met Poria, who was working in the finance industry and moonlighting as a music producer, DJ and a classical piano teacher. In time they hatched a plan to strike out on their own to establish a pre-school and eventually settled on doing it in the tropical paradise of Phuket.

After months of research and several trips to the island, they stumbled upon the perfect opportunity – Indigo Kids International Nursery and Pre-school, located in Cherng Talay, was up for sale.

“It was built as a nursery by the original owner who was a retired teacher. The previous owners had closed down, so it had no staff or children or reputation, but we knew that didn't matter as we wanted

Morgane and Poria (far right) say Indigo is all about bringing out kid’s creativity. to start from scratch,” says Morgane.

They pounced on the opportunity, and after a few months of outfitting the building, hiring staff and getting the word out to local parents, Indigo opened its doors to its first students. Now, just five months later, they already have 20 students and are continuing to grow.

Poria says finding Indigo was a real stroke of luck as it provides the perfect layout for the different educational and play environments they needed to cater to children from various age groups – ranging from six months to seven years.

“We have a huge soft-floor playroom with lots of toys and games for the children, a separate baby room for infants – which is very safe, and a classroom for the 4 to 7-year-olds where they can do classes in geography, mathematics, English, science and so on. We have a huge garden with a pool so we can teach the children to swim as well,” says Poria.

“We also have another big mirroredroom where they can do dance, yoga, singing and music,” he adds.

From its inception the pair wanted Indigo to welcome children of all nationalities, used a curriculum that followed the British statutory Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and had a strong emphasis on active, creative learning.

“We have kids from England, Russia, Australia, Thailand, South Korea, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, America and Ukraine, so it’s a real mix,” says Poria.

“Our approach is also very much aligned with the Finnish system. Until 1970 Finland had an under-performing education system, which as a result of major reforms, is now first in the world,” says Morgane.

“This huge turnaround was achieved partly by reducing teaching hours and increasing play hours, removing homework and encouraging family time and hob-

bies, studying ‘topics’ as opposed to just ‘subjects’, removing exams, encouraging creativity, and empowering pupils,” she adds.

The focus on clearly creativity resonates with Poria as he continues to pursue his creative passion for music production and DJing here in Phuket.

“We really emphasise active and creative learning, such as going on field trips that relate to the classes they are doing.

I think creativity is in everyone, a lot of schools don't encourage creativity, but I think it's something you have to nurture and grow,” says Poria.

Indigo also aims to be flexible and affordable to meet the demands of busy parents, and what's more, Poria also offers piano lessons to children of all ages.

“We are very flexible with pick-up and drop-off times and we can work with parents to suit their schedule. We can also organise to pick-up or drop-off children if needed. Parents only pay for one month in advance and there are no joining fees or semester fees,” says Poria.

“We are always open Monday to Friday, we don't close for holidays, so we usually have an influx of kids during school holiday times. Also, we are definitely the cheapest in the area and one of the cheapest on the island,” he adds.

“The children are very happy, so that's our best advertisement,” says Morgane.

Find out more at: indigophuket.com

First time’s a charm Watcharapong Saikaew, Assistant Director of Events at Angsana Laguna Phuket.

M

r Watcharapong Saikaew, Assistant Director of Events at Angsana Laguna Phuket has received his CMP certification after passing the rigorous exam on November 4, 2016, thus making him the first Thai resident to attain the credential.

CMP, which stand for Certified Meeting Professional, is a program launched by The Convention Industry Council (CIC) in 1985. The main goals of the CMP program are to standardise best-practices, enhance the knowledge and performance of meeting professionals, establish credibility for the profession, advance uniform standards of practice and boost the performance of event planners.

The CMP credential is recognised globally as the badge of excellence in the meeting, convention, exhibition and event industry. The CMP

exam is developed by planners from around the world and the certification itself is held by professionals from 55 countries. With more than 14,000 meeting professionals having received CMP Certification, the CMP program has led the way in standardising event industry bestpractices throughout the globe.

The qualifications for certification are based on professional experience, education, and a rigorous exam. To obtain CMP certification you need a minimum of 36 months of full time employment in the meetings industry and to pass an exam consisting of 165 multiple choice questions which cover major topics from Financial Management, Human Resources, Marketing, Event Design, Project Management, Risk Management, Site Management, Stakeholder Management and Strategic Planning. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CULTURE 17

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

Dressing smooth in silk SIRINYA’S WORLD Dr Sirinya Pakditawan pakditawan@googlemail.com

E

ver since I was little I have been fascinated by the amazingly gorgeous traditional Thai dresses. The Thai national or traditional dress is called Chut Thai phra ratcha niyom ชุดไทย พระราชนิยม in Thai which means ‘Thai dress of royal endorsement’. This kind of dress (chut Thai) is commonly worn on formal occasions as national costume.

Today we can distinguish between eight different styles of Thai national dresses. They are said to have originated in the mid-20th century. In fact, when Queen Sirikit accompanied the King in state visits to Western countries in 1960, she realised the need for a modern Thai national costume. Thus, Queen Sirikit had research conducted concerning historical records of royal dresses.

Consequently, eight official designs were developed and also promoted by Queen Sirikit herself.

I will focus on traditional Thai dresses for women, but of course there is also Thai national attire for men.

Chut Thai Chakkri Chut Thai Chakkri is a very formal and elegant dress. This kind of garment is usually produced by using the Yok weaving technique. A special feature of the Yok weaving method is that it creates additional thickness within the fabrics without adding extra threads.

In the Thai Chakkri style the Pha-Sin, that is the Pha-Noong or skirt, is a full length wrap skirt. This skirt has two pleated folds in front which are called Na-Nang.

Chut Thai Boromphiman Thai Boromphiman is also a formal

evening attire, it can be worn at formal ceremonies and royal functions. The Thai Boromphiman comprises a longsleeved, round-necked, buttoned blouse which is tucked beneath the ankle length Pha-Noong skirt with its front pleats (Na-Nang). The blouse and the skirt are sown together so that they form a one piece dress. The Thai Boromphiman is made of brocaded fabrics in order to create a very luxurious appearance.

means that the blouse and the skirt are separate.

Chut Thai Amarin The Thai Amarin or Amarintra is a beautiful formal evening gown. It is made of brocaded fabric and ornaments.

The blouse is usually round-necked and the skirt is ankle length. With this style, royal decorations are worn. The Thai Amarin is a dress for an evening dinner or the Royal Birthday Procession.

Chut Thai Siwalai The only difference between this dress and the first two is that the Thai Siwalai has a shawl draped over the long-sleeved blouse. This shawl is also called sbai in Thai. Thai Siwalai is also worn in royal ceremonies and other formal occasions.

Chut Thai Dusit Thai Dusit is the most Western style of all eight traditional Thai dresses presented here. It is a wide necked and sleeveless brocaded dress. The skirt and top are sown together so that they form a one piece dress. The Thai Dusit can be worn for evening ceremonies in place of a Western style dress. For this

Chut Thai Chakkraphat First of all, it is important to mention that Chakkraphat means emperor in Thai language. Hence, Thai Chakkraphat is an official and conservative traditional Thai dress with a shawl similar to the Thai Chakkri. Nevertheless, it appears even more put together because the shawl is thicker, richly embroidered and decorated with beautiful ornaments. It can be worn in royal or national ceremonies.

Chut Thai Chitlada Thai Chitlada is a daytime ceremonial dress. Hence, it is worn on formal occasions such as welcoming royal guests at the airport. The Thai Chitlada can be worn with a long sleeved buttoned silk blouse. The skirt (PhaNoong) is a casual wrap skirt that has a brocaded band at the hem. It is not necessary to wear royal decorations with this style. However, the colour of the dress should be appropriate for the respective occasion.

Chut Thai Ruean Ton The Thai Ruean Ton is the most casual style of all eight traditional designs presented here. It is most often worn at non-official functions. For example, the ceremony of the conferring of royal offerings to the monks (Khtin ton).

The Thai Ruean Ton comprises a collarless buttoned blouse and a striped or plain coloured skirt with a patterned band at the hem. This is sometimes folded to one side. The Thai Ruean Ton Women wearing dresses of the Chut Thai Boromphiman style. is a two piece dress which @thephuketnews

Phuket has many events where you can see traditional dresses worn. Photos: Mark Knowles kind of dress, Yok silk fabric is used.

The Thai Dusit can be either worn with Thai or Western style jewellery.

I really enjoyed researching about Thai traditional dresses and since I have not been to the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles in Bangkok, this place is on my top priority list next time I have the chance to go there. Finally, I’d like to close this article with a picture of little me in a traditional Thai dress. This is probably the casThe author as a young ual Thai Ruean girl in traditional dress.

Ton style.

18 MARINE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

An ocean full of dreams at PIMEX SPONSORED

T

he 14th edition of the Phuket International Boat Show (PIMEX) at Royal Phuket Marina will take place over January 5 to 8, in the height of the island’s peak holiday season.

Organisers are hoping for an even bigger turn out than last year’s event which saw over 5,500 visitors, mostly from Southeast Asia and Europe.

Organiser Andy Dowden said that the passing of Thailand’s revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej has led to a period of mourning, but that PIMEX would be held as usual with the blessing of the Palace and Government agencies, albeit with the more festive parts of the event toned down. The King was himself an accomplished yachtsman and the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta was recently held in his honour. The sail-past in this, the 30th year of the event, was particularly impressive with 180 yachts and sailing dinghies parading past the Thai Royal Navy and the Royal Standard. The Thai people have also had the opportunity to welcome His Majesty Maha Vajiralongkorn, Rama X, to the throne on December 1.

In recent years there has been an increased emphasis on chartering in the azure waters of Thailand, in Myanmar’s Mergui archipelago, India’s Andaman Islands and Malaysia’s nearby West Coast resorts on Langkawi, Penang and Pangkor. Phuket is well established as the hub of marine leisure in Asia and boast many world class marinas and state of the art service facilities.

This year there will be about 50 boats shown in-water at Royal Phuket Marina, and there will be exhibits of trailer boats on the boardwalk and in the hall.

Azimut will have two yachts on display and Simpson Marine with its Monte Carlo, Lagoon, San Lorenzo and Beneteau brands will feature six yachts in-water including two Lagoon catamarans.

Boat Lagoon Yachting together with

Get your sailing gear on and check out PIMEX 2017!

Princess Yachts SEA will display the Princess brand with six yachts ranging from 39ft to 75ft as well as featuring the Jeanneau Valesco 43F and Prestige 500.

Go Boating Thailand return with two yachts in-water and will represent Gulf Craft, Majesty Yachts, Silvercraft and Oryx. On the water will be the Majesty 48 and a Silvercraft 34.

Derani Yachts will display five yachts in-water from their range of Fairline, Dominator, Fleming Yachts, Selene Trawler Yachts and Axopar. On the water will be the Axopar 37 and 28 Cabin version, which will be available for sea trials. Brokerage boats from Fairline, Horizon and Sunseeker complete the line up.

Another mainstay is the Australian and Asia-Pacific dealer Multihull Solutions, representing many of the leading multihull brands, including Fountaine Pajot, Privilege, Neel Trimarans, Corsair and Tag Yachts, while their exclusive sale of five Pulse 600 cats into Thailand has created a new one-design class in local regattas. Dealing in new and pre-owned yachts, the centrepiece of their display will be the unique 74’ Freizer power cat Sherkhan, presumably named by a fan a of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book.

South East Asia Yacht Sales and Services are showing two Hanse yachts, the 315 and 415. They also represent Moody, Dehler and Catana, and they will also have a stand in the hall.

Sail in Thailand provide bareboat and crewed charters from Ao Po with their fleet of multihulls including Island Spirits, Fontaine Pajots and Leopard catamarans.

Northrop and Johnson are displaying the Zeelander 44 luxury motor yacht for the first time in Phuket. They will also be on call to discuss the many brokerage yachts they have on their books.

Presenting sponsor Thailand Elite will have a comfortable lounge set up and will be promoting the benefits of the Thailand Elite Privilege Card which entitles the holder to a five-year multiple-entry visa as well as preferential fast track immigration on arrival and numerous discounts at five-star establishments nationwide.

Sunseeker Thailand will present their range of Sunseeker and Manhatten yachts from 16m to 40m. The legendary British yacht builder has broken all records with sales at the European yacht shows in 2016.

Sky Cruises operate from Ao Po with the Italian designed Marquis 560 Sky Princess which

Over 50 of sail and motoryachts will be on display at Royal Phuket Marina. is a 56ft/17.5m fully air-conditioned luxury motor yacht.

Cholamark Boat manufacture high quality rigid-inflatable boats (RIB’s) here on the island in Phuket and build dinghies and RIBS from 2.6m to 7.5m, super RIBS, as well as sea canoes. Most yachts based in the region rely on these boats for their beach transfers.

Lalizas are a world renowned supplier of safety equipment and chandlery, based in Greece but with branches in over 100 countries worldwide, and have 35 years in the business and counting.

Thailand based Watchara Marine are the authorised dealer for Yamaha outboard engines and a range of watersports vehicles. Based in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket they are established as a leading supplier in the region.

Airship RIBS are new to Thailand and offer a state of the art boat imported from the USA. Ranging from 28 to 33 feet these luxury boats are at the forefront of RIB technology in the larger category.

In the lifestyle section there will be a number of property developments and residential marinas. Royal Phuket Marina will of course be on hand to promote the marina, but also their portfolio of villas and condominiums.

The Palm, a new luxury property development on the island are exhibiting for the first time. Anchan Villas are promoting several different property developments around the nation, including in Phuket.

Media representation at the show will follow up on the extensive coverage of the show through its media partners throughout the year. On-site, Image Asia (Window on Phuket, South East Asia Pilot and others), Ensign Media (Property Report), Lux Media (Palace and Yachtstyle magazines), Blu Inc (Asia Pacific Boating and China Boating), and of course, our local media partner Class Act Media will be there representing The Phuket News, Novosti

Live 89.5 will be broadcasting daily from PIMEX. Phuket and Live 89.5 FM who will be broadcasting live from PIMEX everyday.

Need some sexy beachwear? Check out Rip Curl in the hall – everything from board shorts to backpacks. Need your villa or yacht photographed, need a video or a virtual tour, or aerial drone shots? Check out Helicam’s state of the art services and equipment.

Finally, if you are interested in medical services who better to talk to than Phuket International Hospital, part of the BDMS group. Experts at emergency care, preventative treatment and full body check ups, they also offer membership promotions for regular care. They are also one of the hotspot hospitals for dental work, cosmetic surgery and medical tourism on the island.

This year at PIMEX there will be plenty to see and do with al-fresco dining on the boardwalk to boot. Set aside a day to visit – entry is free – and register online or on-site to have a chance to win a four day stay in a pool villa at PIMEX hotel partner The Village Coconut Island.

Come and look, come and buy – from a key ring to a superyacht. But mostly have fun!

Mark your diary for January 5-8. 11am to 8pm. For more information visit: www.phuketboatshow.com

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

DINING 19

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

Tré imports some Italian flair Mark Knowles editor1@classactmedia.co.th

A

fter the recent relaunch of its flagship Tré Restaurant, Banyan Tree Phuket is upping the ante even further by inviting guest chef Andrea Asoli, from the much lauded Venissa restaurant in Venice, to cook for Tré guests during January 13

to 18.

Venissa is a unique hospitality operation that achieved its fame after founder Gianluca Bisol revived a traditional Venetian grape variety that had almost been lost and began crafting award-winning wines. It is more than just a winery though, Venissa is also a hotel with rustic accommodation and a Michelin starred restaurant with an unusually organised kitchen.

Venissa has positioned itself as a springboard for up-and-coming chefs and works with a rotating crew of four chefs who each bring their influences and interpretations to bear on the produce of the region. This collaborative style has proved successful and Chef Andrea, who cut his teeth at various world-class restaurants in Milan and Venice before joining Venissa, proved himself an integral part of the team when the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star.

Chef Andrea says the collaborative style of Venissa helped all the chefs

@thephuketnews

strive to compete and build upon their skills by their sharing of knowledge and experience.

“The chance to be part of an innovative project was what initially attracted me. I think that working in a group with three young and very motivated chefs, each with different experiences, was the true success of our restaurant,” said Chef Andrea.

“Our General Manager Mr Oscar Cavallera wanted this partnership to be present in our cuisine, our style, and to help us live new experiences,” he added.

To help guide the collaboration and give the team a strong framework the Venissa Code was created, which emphasises the importance of respecting traditional knowledge, using local ingredients, collaborating with colleagues and innovating with passion and creativity.

With an ethos like this, it is clear to see that Venissa takes its cuisine very seriously, but Chef Andrea says that rules are not rigid prescriptions, but rather a foundation on which to build his own knowledge and develop his individual style.

“I love to cook pasta and rice and I love to study traditional Italian cuisine.

Then I try to change the recipes with a touch of influence from contemporary cuisine, such as new cooking techniques, and also a bit of fantasy and imagination,” he said.

This is the first trip Chef Andrea

Enjoy the balmy Phuket nights at Tre’s outdoor tables. has made to Thailand and he says he is interested in exploring some of the local sights, flavours and ingredients the Kingdom has to offer.

“It will be my first time in Thailand. I plan to visit the best hotels and restaurants in Bangkok and Phuket. I would like to see some markets and also the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun,” he said.

For his guest chef appearance at Banyan Tree, Chef Andrea will be preparing some of Venissa’s most-loved dishes, to give guests a true representation of what they would experience if they came to Venice.

“We plan to serve our tasting menu and a small à la carte menu with several of our signature dishes,” he said.

“We work just with seasonal products of the highest quality and before being offered to customers, each recipe is tested by the taste team composed of the chefs, the general manager, and the F&B manager,” he added.

Chef Andrea Asoli from Venissa restaurant in Venice.

Chef Andrea Asoli will be at Banyan Tree's Tré Restaurant from January 1318. For more information and booking email: fb-concierge@banyantree.com or call +66 76 372 400 on extension 5463.

20 TECHNOLOGY

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

A new year, a new you

Some of the best apps to help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions APPLICATION ABCS Amy Bensema bensema.amy@gmail.com

Application ABCs is a monthly column highlighting the latest in tech, social media and mobile phone applications.

I

those big, yearly expenses.

MoneyPad

Available on iOS MoneyPad is a simple way to manage your budget and monthly expenses.

The app allows users to set a monthly budget for each category. For example, dining and credit car payment. MoneyPad also lets users view if they’ve gone over the limit in terms of expenses.

t’s that time of year again, ladies and gents. Now is the time to reflect upon the year that is behind us, and look forward to the allnew year ahead. It is proven that those well intentioned resolutions tend to fade away just weeks into the new year, so why not try out some handy apps to help you achieve your goals throughout 2017?

Apps to help you save more money

Looking to save a few extra bucks in the new year? These apps are great for maintaining budgets and handling all

The app summarizes your budget progress and can provide an average on spending trends based on categories the user has created.

incentives. By saving money on the cigarettes you are not buying, you can spend money on those things you’ve been saving for!

Apps to help you eat and live healthier

Way of Life

Are eating healthier and exercising more some of your goals for the new year? These apps are great for eating right and getting an exercise routine on track.

HelloWallet

Available on Android, iOS HelloWallet is an app for tracking more than one bank account balance.

Available on iOS Way of Life is the ultimate habit-building app. It allows users to identify and track habits with charts and notes. The charts and notes can then be shared with others to ensure that you are on the right path of building a good habit.

Apps to encourage productivity The Eatery

Available on Android, iOS The Eatery is a super cool app that gives users an actual reason to take pics of their food. The app encourages users to take pics of everything they eat, and also lets users’ friends rate their food pics. In doing so, The Eatery allows users to keep track of what they eat and ensures that they are on an overall good and healthy diet.

Daily Burn Tracker

Feeling the need to get a bit more organized in the new year in order to be more productive personally and professionally? If the answer is yes, then these apps are for you.

Todoist

Available on Android, iOS Todoist is a sleek productivity app that helps organize tasks and works well with a desktop browser as well as Gmail. As an added bonus, Todoist can send notification reminders via email or SMS.

Available on Android, iOS The Daily Burn Tracker is a clever app that tracks food and calories as well as provides training programs and workout plans. It is a great app to use to help achieve health, or healthier, goals.

Apps to help you make or break habits

Out with the old in with the new?

As the saying goes, if you are looking to rid yourself of a bad habit or start a good new one, here are some apps to help you.

Kickit

Available on Android, iOS Kickit is an app designed to help smokers curb the habit once and for all.

The app works by displaying financial

30/30

Available on Android, iOS 30/30 is a magnificent task manager app that tracks the tasks you should be doing. Basically, the app enhances productivity through task timing. Set up a task list and allocate a certain amount of time to finish each task. The built-in timer helps users move from task to task quickly.

Whether you are looking to save money, lose a bit of weight, get better organized or kick a bad habit for good, we hope you will put these apps to good use in 2017!

Amy Bensema is a long-term Phuket expat with a keen interest in social media and tech. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

Yoga for the world Kim White kim@mindbodyyogasystem.com

In this style of class the focus is on the connective tissue and the fascia and these tissues of the body have a completely different make up.

H

ello and Happy New Year!

This year I thought I would focus on a different style of yoga. While teaching yoga over the past few years, I discovered that Yin yoga has had such great benefits for everyday people, so I decided to share 11 of the best Yin yoga poses with you, over 2017.

What is Yin yoga, I hear you ask?

In most of the common yoga practised today, the focus is on the bigger, thicker, denser muscles, and because they are so thick and dense we find ourselves having to really put some force into stretching them. We could say that this forceful nature of stretching has a Yang (strong) nature to it.

The focus in Yin yoga is somewhat different. In this style of class the focus is on the connective tissue and the fascia and these tissues of the body have a completely different make up.

They are very thin, much like the density of paper, but they are also super elastic and are the support system for the skeleton. Which means they join the big, dense muscles to the bones at the “joints” – so Yin yoga is all about increasing joint mobility.

An increase in joint mobility means easier everyday movements of the body in general. The postures we use in Yin yoga are a little different to Hatha yoga poses, they usually tend to be easier shapes that are held for longer

periods of time, so the body has time to give into gravity and the elastic nature of the tissues we are stretching.

The other important aspect to Yin yoga is, as the name suggests, the energetic nature of Yin itself. Yin is often known as the maternal energy of yoga and it is best to view the inconsistencies of the body much like a mother would a child – with unlimited amounts of patience, compassion and loving kindness.

It is very easy to get frustrated with a stiff, inflexible body but this attitude is definitely not going to help you when practising Yin yoga. A frustrated, hard mind will only create a frustrated, hard body and we don’t want that at all. Life is already busy enough as it is and we put our bodies under so much mental, physical and emotional duress that I believe Yin yoga is the best antidote for our busy lives.

We want Yin yoga to be the water that quells the fire of life and like water we want to flow creatively and smoothly through life with a cool strength. What we learn on a yoga mat, we can also use off the mat, in everyday life.

“Be still like the mountain and flow like a great river” – Tao Te Ching.

I look forward to sharing Yin yoga with you this year, for a happier and healthier body and mind.

Metta Kim OXOX

Surgeons at Wroclaw Medical University Hospital posing after they had successfully attached a hand from a deceased donor to a man born without one. Photo: AFP

In ‘world first’, man born without hand gets one from deceased donor

S

urgeons in Poland recently announced that they had successfully attached a hand from a deceased donor to a man born without one, in what they claimed was a world first.

“It is the first graft in the world of an upper limb onto an adult with this congenital defect,” said Adam Domanasiewicz, who headed the team of surgeons at Wroclaw Medical University Hospital.

“We are talking about a man who lived 32 years without this member.”

Up to now, a similar procedure had been performed only on newborn conjoined twins in Indonesia and Canada, Domanasiewicz said. Hands have also been grafted onto patients whose own limbs were amputated.

The transplant to the wrist was performed on December 15 in an operation that lasted 13 hours. The patient, identified by his first name Piotr, was all @thephuketnews

smiles after the procedure and spoke of his dream for the future.

“I’d like to be able to hug my family using both hands. Until now I’d been using my stump,” he told private news channel TVN 24.

As of today, he can only move his fingers and not the hand itself, but doctors are optimistic that he will gain more mobility over time.

“This is an important breakthrough in neurophysiology and the practice of transplants because up to now it was thought that – in the case of this type of congenital defect – such grafts could not be done,” Domanasiewicz said.

The operation could open up new possibilities to hundreds of thousands of people in the world born without members whose only option to date has been prostheses, he added.

AFP

HEALTH 21 Tackle the new year with some new Yin yoga poses.

Kim White is the owner of Sala Samadhi. she offers authentic Hatha yoga instruction for private and group sessions. Contact: www.mindbodyyogasystem.com or 086 276 9174.

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

22 ISLAND SCENE

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From left: The Centara Grand Team – Area Executive Chef Laurent, Hotel Manager Michael, Sales and PR Manager Pear and Executive Assistant Manager Paul.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

Guests enjoyed the fabulous lighting in the garden courtyard of Centara.

GUESTS AND STAFF RING IN THE NEW YEAR AT CENTARA GRAND BEACH RESORT Dozens of holiday-makers from around the world rang in the New Year at the Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket. A fantastic spread of food and plenty of refreshing drinks ensured everyone ushered in 2017 in style and comfort.

Cheerful guests enjoy a New Year’s drink before the countdown.

Guests of all ages took part the festivities

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THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

From left: Class Act Media (CAM) GM Jason, Duanphen and Kloy from Impiana and CAM Sales Manager Tiya.

ISLAND SCENE 23

From left: May from Grand Mercure presents a gift to CAM’s Nok and Jason.

A HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR 2017 AT THE CLASS ACT MEDIA OFFICES Wellwishers from across Phuket dropped by the Class Act Media office last week to present some gifts to the team. Thank you to all clients for their support throughout 2016 and we hope all our readers and clients have a wonderful and happy 2017. Happy New Year Phuket!

Fann (centre) from Thanyapura presents Nok and Jason with a New Year’s gift at the CAM office.

Anita, Chadaporn and Sureerat from The Racha also dropped by to present Tiya and Nok with a New Year present.

From left: Arnaud Foucard-Perrin, Pierre-Andre Pelletier, Brigitte Lehmann, Lysandre C. Séraïdaris, Andrea Kotas, Peter Gisin, Paul Richle, and Jürg Schwendener.

AMARI WELCOMES KING RAMA IX'S TUTOR AND THE SWISS SOCIETY OF PHUKET Amari Phuket’s representative, Pierre-Andre Pelletier – Vice President and Area General Manager, South Thailand recently welcomed members of the Swiss Society Board and a VIP guest from Switzerland, Lysandre C. Séraïdaris – the son of Cléon Séraïdaris, polymath and private tutor of two Thai monarchs, His Majesty King Rama VIII and the late King, His Majesty King Bhumibol Rama IX when the monarchs resided in Switzerland, for the annual Swiss Society Phuket Christmas Dinner at Rim Talay Restaurant, Amari Phuket. On hand to welcome the VIP guests was Brigitte Lehmann (Committee member of Swiss Society Phuket), Andrea Kotas (President of Swiss Society Phuket), Peter Gisin, (Secretary of Swiss Society Phuket), Paul Richle (Treasurer of Swiss Society Phuket), and Jürg Schwendener (Vice President and Webmaster of Swiss Society Phuket). @thephuketnews

24 EVENTS

FRI

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

6 JAN

Broadcasting Live89.5 FM live from the show each day. Entry is free. Come along and register and get a chance to win prizes. Not to be missed! For more details visit www.phuketboatshow.com Proudly sponsored by The Phuket News.

pudding – roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes – gravy, mushroom sauce, mint sauce. Reservation recommended 350 baht P.P., shakersphuket@gmail.com, 081 891 4381.

Mediterranean Sunday Brunch at Metzo’s

Fridays Wine & Tapas night WEEKLY BBQ EVERY FRIDAY Come join us for our WEEKLY BBQ EVERY FRIDAY at Two Chefs Kata Center, Karon, Kata Beach and Patong from 12-6pm! Indulge in All You Can Eat BBQ Pork Ribs, Cajun Chicken and Sides for ONLY 395 BAHT! Our BBQ is famous at Two Chefs! Come try us out and enjoy our mouthwatering pork ribs, flavorbursting chicken and more! Come for the FOOD Stay for the FUN at Two Chefs!!! www.twochefs.com.

Kata Beach 076-333-370 Kata Center 076-330-065 Karon 076-286-479 Patong 076-344-914.

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.

All you can eat Tapas with one bottle of Regular White & Red: Baht 1,490 net per person. Premium White, Red, Rose and Bubbly: Baht 1,790 net per person.

Tapas starts: 19:00 – 22:00. Located Vanilla Sky Bar, Cape Sienna Hotel, Kamala. 076 337 300.

SAT

7 JAN

Sunday Roast EVERY SUNDAY Come enjoy a Traditional Sunday Roast EVERY SUNDAY at Two Chefs Kata Beach, Kata Center, Karon and Patong for Only 395 Baht! Enjoy a Large ALL YOU CAN EAT selection of your favorites from 12-6pm! 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. Kata Beach 076-333-370 Kata Center 076-330-065 Karon 076-286-479 Patong 076-344-914

Live Sports at Expat Hotel

Feast to your heart’s content on our Mediterranean menu of mezze and tapas served family style at your table, live cooking station, kids’ corner and dessert buffet. After brunch, why not relax and take in the view of the Andaman Sea with complimentary access to the resort swimming pool. Starting from THB 990++ per person. Reservations, Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort, metzos@outrigger.co.th, 076 360 600.

MON

9 JAN

All you can eat BBQ night

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

SUN

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

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

8 JAN

WED

11 JAN

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.

Go Live Sunday Seafood Brunch

Sunday Brunch Saturday Live Music Every Saturday live music by the Soulcoustics, 9pm til late. Cariocas Bistro & Lounge Phuket Town, near BKK Hospital.

Every Sunday from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM Enjoy 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.

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.

Traditional Sunday Roast Angus O’Tool’s Karon Beach

Phuket International Boatshow PIMEX 2017 The 14th edition of PIMEX will take place at the award-winning Royal Phuket Marina on Phuket’s east coast. The 2016 show attracted over 5,000 quality visitors. An annual event since 2003, the show is firmly fixed on the calendar as Phuket’s biggest trade show.

The Banyan Tree Seafood Brunch experience returns with a generous selection of live fresh, local and imported seafood with exception Lobster dished, Japanese starters, mouth-watering meats, Asia wok and Western grill treats. Gourmet cuisine, exceptional service, Live Jazz and tranquil surroundings, The Banyan Tree has something for everyone! Every Sunday 12.00-15.30, price start from 2,800net per person.

Reservations, Banyan Tree Phuket, fb-phuket@banyantree.com, 076 372 400.

All you can eat Sunday Roast Buffet Beef, Pork & Lamb – Cauliflower, Broccoli, Peas, Carrots, fried mushrooms, grilled tomatoes – Yorkshire

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: otoolsphuket.com.

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EVENTS 25

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

WED

11 JAN

fees go to help bed-bound patients in Phuket City. The three running categories are 3.2km night walk, 5.8km fun run and 11.2km mini night marathon. Registration at: www.phuketnightrun.com or follow registration schedule posted in Facebook: Phuket Nightrun, call: 088-7574119. Proudly sponsored by The Phuket News and Khao Phuket.

SUN

29 JAN

local cuisine at Two Chefs! Enjoy our weekly specials and exciting daily Chef’s specials. They’re guaranteed to please! Every Monday Receive 50% Off All Desserts, Tuesday enjoy 20% Off All Tex Mex Dishes, Every Friday enjoy All You Can Eat BBQ Ribs & Chicken for 395 Baht from 12-6pm and Every Sunday enjoy All You Can Eat Sunday Roast for 395 Baht from 12-6pm. Don’t miss out! Come enjoy relaxing evening with our Two Chefs House Band nightly from 8pmlate. RESERVE Now: Kata Beach 076-333-370 Kata Center 076-330-065 Karon 076-286-479 Patong 076344-914. Website: www.twochefs.com

All you can eat BBQ Ribs night 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.

THU

12 JAN

PIWC Meet & Greet Coffee January

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.

SAT

21 JAN

Phuket Cycling Race The 3rd Thanyapura Phuket Classic Cycling Race is the first major sporting event for the new year! The exciting and competitive race takes riders on two different distances: the 45km and the advanced 106km.

Cycle through Northern Phuket’s lush jungles, mountains, scenic roads, and exotic coastlines. Registration: (1) Purchase tickets online at: https://www. eventbrite.com/e/thanyapura-phuket-classic-cyclingrace-tickets-26478598200 (2) At the reception desk (Thanyapura Club Services). For contact information see: events@thanyapura.com. Proudly sponsored by Live89.5 Radio.

EVERY DAY

7 Nights 7 Themed Dinners at Rim Talay Make each night unique! Enjoy our themed dinners with the cool sea breeze. World of Curries @790 THB++, Thai & International Buffet @790 THB++, Seafood Night @980 THB++, Ribs, Wings & Rings @770 THB++, Butchers Night @market price, Surf & Turf @950 THB++,Thai Seafood Gala @980 THB++.

The terms and conditions are subject to change without prior notice. For reservations, email rimtalay@amari.com or call 076 340106-14 #8027

St Joseph Catholic Church - Christmas & New Year Mass Jan 06, 2017 - 6:30pm - First Friday Mass. Jan 08, 2017 - 9am - Solemnity of the Epiphany & 11am - Solemnity of the Epiphany and blessing to all the children (Babies and children up to 12-years-old).

Festive Season Set Menu Festive Season Set Menu from 2,000 THB per person. Special retail promotions available until 6th Jan 2017. For more infomation call 076 366 381.

Fire & Ice Annual Fundraising 2017 Fire & Ice Annual Fundraising 2017 by Phuket International Women’s Club (PIWC). Firefly at The Pavilions, Cherngtatey. Ticket THB 2,500 includes grand buffet and one beverage. Ticket and info at info@piwcphuket.com

SAT

28 JAN

All Day Breakfast at Cafe Siam Night Run 2017 Try the unique experience of running through Phuket’s Old Town at night for charity. Phuket Night Run 2017 on January 28th, 2017, from 22:30-24:00 hrs at Limelight Avenue Phuket. Every 50 Bht from registration

@thephuketnews

La Gritta’s Discovery Menu Take your taste buds on a culinary tour through some of the finest Italian flavours. Chef Patrizia has created a six-course discovery menu consisting of the appetiser, main course and dessert, priced at 1,590 THB++ per person. The terms and conditions are subject to change without prior notice. Reservations, lagritta@ amari.com, 076 292 697.

Two Chefs Do you love flavourful, mouthwatering and innovative cuisine? Come try our wide array of international and

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.

DAILY EVENT UPDATES ON

26 TIME OUT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

Crossword by Myles Mellor & Sally York 1. Who became the Italian prime minister in 1922?

2. Who is by far the most famous creation of Michael Bond?

3. Which King’s defeat ended the War of the Roses?

4. What is a sapiosexual person most attracted to?

5. In 1980, who was the most famous international figure to be presented with the key to the city of Detroit, USA? Answers below, centre

SUDOKU

Across 1. Collector’s suffix 4. Priest of the East 8. Star in Aquila 14. Physique, slangily 15. Apple spray 16. Curly cut 17. “Even when liars tell the truth, they are never believed” (with “The”) 20. Opposer 21. Stepped 22. Christmas ___ 24. Acadian or Boobook 25. Smidgen 29. Chaplets 31. Clothes eschewer?

34. Spots 37. Druggie 38. “___ Beautiful” (Bing Crosby tune) 39. “Build your house on a solid foundation” (with “The”) 42. Metric measure 43. Hand over 44. Like some humor 45. Feeling 47. Houston ___ 48. Kind of wave 49. Packed away

51. Former UK prime minister 55. Electric illuminator 59. Bog down 60. “Don’t make promises you’re likely to regret” 64. Flowering shrub 65. Not docked 66. Mail Boxes ___ 67. To a great degree 68. 500 sheets 69. Franco-Spanish botanist .

Down 1. Founder of PLF 2. Peter of Herman’s Hermits 3. Sanctum in an ancient temple 4. Sixth note 5. Gazillions 6. Computer instructions 7. Cupid’s projectile 8. Copied 9. Source 10. City slicker 11. Fuss 12. ___ at ease 13. Whistle blower 18. Nelson or Mays

19. Most inactive 23. Nero’s tutor 26. Round trip?

27. “___ luck!”

28. Pretentious 30. Key 32. More than a scuffle 33. Sermonize 34. Narc’s find 35. Midafternoon 36. Field of play 37. Shoshonean 40. High marks 41. Introductions 46. ___ Singers 47. Will transfer 50. Golden Horde member 52. “Idol” runner-up, with 57-Down 53. Humdrum 54. Beginning of a conclusion 56. Rod’s partner 57. See 52-Down 58. Tell it to the judge 60. Inexperienced 61. Compact weapon 62. Cuckoo 63. It’s similar to a Balmoral

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s Pop Quiz: 1) Mussolini; 2) Paddington Bear; 3) Richard III; 4) Intelligence; 5) Saddam Hussein

GOT YOUR NUMBER

ISLAND VIEW

This week in history January 6, 1017 Cnut the Great is crowned King of England.

8

in 7 million is the probability of a human being living past 110 years old.

57

years old is the age of the oldest person ever to be in space – NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, currently on a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

January 7, 1697 Two gunmen commit mass murder at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, killing twelve people and injuring another eleven.

100

outbursts of laughter is equivalent to 15 minutes of exercise on a stationary bicycle.

January 8, 1697 Last execution for blasphemy in Britain; of Thomas Aikenhead, student, at Edinburgh.

1815

January 9, 1349 The Jewish population of Basel, believed by the residents to be the cause of the ongoing Black Death, is rounded up and incinerated.

was the first year a sandwich recipe appeared in an American cookbook. It was considered a British food at the time.

1.655 million

children in England have started secondary school overweight or obese over the past decade.

Source: Uberfacts

January 10, 49 BC Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signalling the start of civil war.

January 11, 1569 First recorded lottery in England.

Naithon Beach. Photo by Mondo Alexis Got an unusual or particularly beautiful picture of Phuket?

Email it to execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

January 12, 1998 Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning.

Source: Wikipedia thephuketnews

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Jobs

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

Trades & Services

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ADVERTISING SERVICES

CABLE TV SERVICES

CATERING SERVICES

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

IMMIGRATION SERVICES

EDUCATION

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

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HOME IMPROVEMENT

LEGAL SERVICES

MARINE SERVICES

MOVING SERVICES

OTHER

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

TATTOO

FISHING SERVICE

TRAINING

HOME DECORATION

TRAINING

MUSICAL

ADVERTISE HERE

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

Buy&Sell

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/thephuketnews

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @thephuketnews

LOST & FOUND Missing Person

Martin Perter Ingram (son of Roy Percival Ingram). Last known of in Thailand in 2010. Any person with knowledge of the current whereabouts of Mr Ingram is request to contact Title Research in the UK (info@titleresearch. com) or our local agent Spectrum Asia (02 626 0250).

ACTIVITIES, GROUPS Sign up today for a discount code

The new website for Tiya’s hammocks is ready! Visit now at: native-habitat.com and subscribe for a discount code to use for online shopping. Tiya: hammockphuket@yahoo.com, 076 631 841.

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 Business for sale

Phuket Car Rentals and Internet Shop is for sale as the owner has to return to his country to obtain a pension. The cost is US $27,000 and includes 4 cars, 2 scooters, 1 motorbike and 8 computers. Rawai is a pleasant area to live. The shop has pleasant accommodation upstairs. Ownership allows a work permit and 1 year visas. 0987075945, bobskibarnett@gmail.com

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.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 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

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 BMW 323i

323i. One owner since new. No accidents; excellent condition. 105,000km; cared for with BMW service. Full history available. 395,000THB, Thalang, Phuket, jrh1@me.com, 086 989 0919.

Convertible

REST-BAR-LOUNGE RAWAI BEACH

Beautiful decoration - Private terrace - Seaview - Sound system - Led lights - Air conditioned - Fully equipped - 400sqm - 2 levels - Parking - Ready 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

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

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

Mercedes CLK 200 Cabriolet W-209 Brabus Package - seat 4.

Excellent condition and fun to drive.

37,400km. 1,199,000 Bht. Eng - Thai 094 695 3536 / 063 992 3226.

Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8G VVTI

WEBSITES, IT

Honda Jazz 2009 1500cc t sa No, not a bar or guesthouse, but a manufacge n r turing business for wooden window blinds. U Auto 57,000km. One owner since new.

All the machinery and inventory of parts to be up and running in a matter of days. A very Regularly serviced by Honda. Tax and successful business in Phuket for over eight Insurance until the end of June and available now at right years. Price reduced to 2 mil Baht. Owner will partially offer. Reduced by 40,000 bht, REDUCED to 330,000bht o.n.o, Andy +66846909144, andysmalster@gmail.com finance. lamsden@phuketemail.com, 081 487 4812. @thephuketnews

Life Time Family Membership

Blue Canyon: 750,000 THB includes 140,000 transfer fee.

Loch Palms: 425,000 THB includes 72,000 transfer fee.

Tanita, 094 695 3536 / 063 992 3226

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. md@ tourasian.com, 080 826 4665.

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

MEMBERSHIPS

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

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

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PROPERTY FOR SALE House for sale

Rawai Samki 3 with Chonote. 2 Bed, 2 Bath, big living room, 1 storage, 1 laundry. House 160 sqm, land 280 sqm. 3MB. rico9963@hotmail.com, 083 640 9041.

House for sale

Good location in Chalong area. 3 Bedroom 2 Bathroom, 200 sqm.

House on 800 sqm plot. Including furniture, 084 745 5546.

PoolVilla Mission Heights

villa with salt pool, 330qm 3bed 3.5 bath, 900qm chanote, owner finance, near mission hill golf 2km.

6km PIA, 8km airport 087 060 8400.

16.900.000. picharly@gmail.com

Apartment

1.65mill. 60qm 2bed 2bath + 30qm balcony, liv-kitchen, 3 a/c, quality doors/wind., Dream Village near mission hill golf, tel: 0873838709.

Land for sale in Saku - Phuket

1 to 5 Rai. Chanote. 10 min south to the airport. Nice quiet location near Naiyang - Naithon Beach. Fixed price only 2.6Mil Baht per Rai. Kanchana, kanchanajit09@gmail.com, 087 076 6016.

X2 Vibe Phuket Bangtao

Welcoming investor with high yield return 21%. X2 is a privately owned chain of design hotel based out of Thailand 4.59 m. Hot deal Pro, Full Fur, Irene, 139 Soi Cherngtalay 16, Srisoonthron Rd., Cherngtalay, Thalang, Phuket, sales@oceanstone phuket.com, 095 037 8150.

Condominium for sale

Foreign Freehold 150 SQM Huge Ground Floor 2 Bed 2 Bath condo.

150m to Nai Harn Beach. 8.2M THB. paulover@hotmail.com, 089 875 4173.

Apartment Country Golf Club House

One room with kitchen in main house Country Club. 6th floor with balcony 75sqm. Membership in Country Club included. Price 3.3 Million THB. Contact pzw@gmx.at Per Dompert, 086 043 4315 (English and German)

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 4805 Thai, Eng, Deutsch.

PROPERTY FOR SALE New Sea View Villa

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

Being built on the highest point in the estate, only 80 meter from the ocean and located 3 mins away from Grand Ao Po 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 polution and no mass tourism.

Over 600 Sqm usable building area, 3 bedrooms, guest apartment, maid quater, games room, 10 metre infinity swimming pool, roof terrace and breath taking 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 27.9 mill baht.

For viewing or more information please contact our sales director, Khun Montha on: 081 343 0777 or email: montha_phuket@yahoo.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.

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

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

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. thephuketnews

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CLASSIFIEDS 33

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

Buy&Sell

PROPERTY FOR SALE 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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

MAI KHAO LAND

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

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 @thephuketnews

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PROPERTY FOR RENT Large apartment for rent

For family 130 spm. in Rawai. 2 Bedrooms, 1 bathroom, kitchen, fully furnished. Available from Dec 2016. For 1 year contract 29,000Baht/month. Contact Duangjai, 080 146 1393.

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. Bedsheet + pillows provided.

4000 THB/month, 089 600 0041.

PRIME LAND+BLDG @CHALONG PIER

Seaview Building with land 50m to Chalong Pier for Rent/Long Term Lease.

1.5Rai+bldg. Ideal for Hotel, Community Mall, Restaurants Wirote, 081 931 5189.

House For sale or rent Baan Manik (Cherngtalay)

Attractive 3 bed, 2 bathroom detached house for sale or rent. Set in quiet surroundings but with easy access to Laguna, Boat avenue, PIA, airport, Surin, Bangtao and Layan beaches. The property boasts many additional features including, Auto-gate, Western styled kitchen, security system, natural stone floors, imported ceiling fans, 12volt LED Garden Lighting and air-con throughout.

Asking 4.5 Million Negotiable Rent 25K Per Month Fully furnished or 20K per month unfurnished. 081 9686 051.

CHALONG BEACH FRONT LAND

Beach Front 40m. Long and short term. 1 and half rai(600sq.m.) Mr. Narin, narinpga@gmail.com, 081 826 9390.

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.

Apartment for rent

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016

R e P r duc ic ed e

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LAKEFRONT VILLA IN GREAT CONDITION, Laguna 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 490 sqm

35,000,000 THB

2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 210 sqm

Situated on a lakefront corner plot of 1200 sqm, this classic Laguna has recently undergone full cosmetic repair. Terrific location near Boat Avenue and the Bang Tao Bay. Must-See property!

Well-appointed villa in a gated community. Ideal location near shops and restaurants and a 5 minute drive from Nai Harn Beach. Good potential for a high rental return.

FREEHOLD 3-BED DUPLEX, Bang Tao

IMPRESSIVE SEA VIEW APARTMENT, Ao Po

3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 232.8 sqm

9,800,000 THB

WELL MAINTAINED POOL VILLA, Nai Harn

Unique opportunity to own a townhouse style condominium under a freehold title. Great location by between main shopping amenities and Bang Tao Beach with the new Catch Beach Club a few minutes away.

7,400,000 THB

2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 110 sqm

Situated in a quiet 32 apartment complex. Large terrace with a spectacular sea view with surrounding islands as a calming backdrop. Well-managed estate.

7,500,000 THB

ed uc M ed 1 R by

CHARMING 3-BED WITH BIG GARDEN, Chalong 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 200 sqm

12,465,000 THB

3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 115 sqm

Set on an expansive 1900 SQM land plot this standalone house is conveni-

Surrounded by jungle and a waterfall 100 meters away, this apartment features

ently located between Wat Chalong and Chalong Pier. Completed in 2004, the

vaulted ceilings with skylight windows. Wonderful of the common area pool and

garden space has endless opportunities to add additional value to the property.

LUXURY 3 BEDROOM VILLA WITH DIRECT BEACH ACCESS Bang Tao 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 167 sqm

14,000,000 THB

TOP FLOOR SPACIOUS APARTMENT, Kamala

A luxury beach front estate set around a 20 meter private swimming pool and a large patio with garden view. Also conveniently located near international restaurants and a 5 minute drive to Laem Singh and Surin Beach.

mountains. Reduced from 4.5m THB to facilitate a quick sale.

3,200,000 THB

ICONIC SEAVIEW APARTMENT, Kata 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 334 sqm

Situated within one of Phuket’s most luxurious and iconic seafront development, this 4-bedroom sky duplex offers the highest quality finishings.

65,000,000 THB

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016

PROPERTY 35

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

HIGH QUALITY MOUNTAIN VIEW VILLA, Naithon 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 389 sqm

15,900,000 THB

LEASEHOLD LAKE VIEW CONDO, LAYAN

2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 117 sqm

Nestled in the valley between Naithon and Nai Yang Beach, this high quality

This leasehold 2-bedroom offers a spacious terrace, open and bright. The colo-

pool villa has a private pool on a sizeable land plot. Just a few minutes from

nial style development is very well maintained with lots of greenery, swimming

6,900,000 THB

pool, kid’s pool and outdoor seating areas. Must-see development.

B e in st Su Va rin lue

Phuket International airport

2 BEDROOM CONDO 700 METERS FROM THE BEACH, Karon 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 92 sqm

This unit features view of the sea and located 0.6km from Karon night Market, 0.7km to Karon beach and only 100m from Karon Temple Wat Suvarnkiri.

Studio, 1 bathroom, 27 sqm

Priced nearly 35 % lower than other units, a motivated seller has 4 units on offer in this newly completed development. Beautiful communal rooftop with gym and views over Bang Tao.

2,700,000 THB

R e Pr duc ic ed e

8,800,000 THB

FREEHOLD CONDO, Surin

FREEHOLD STUDIO WITH SEA VIEW, Patong Studio, 1 bathroom, 38.4 sqm

3,900,000 THB

Located in Patong with it’s a wide array of local and international eateries.

Stunning view over the city and ocean. Excellent common areas facilities.

SPACIOUS 2 BEDROOM CONDO IN SECLUDED AREA, Rawai

2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 134 sqm

10,900,000 THB

@thephuketnews

With Stylish wooden interior, this freehold condo is also nestled right on the beach overlooking the Andaman Sea. Roughly 5 minutes to the shops and restaurants of Rawai and 10 minutes to Nai Harn Beach.

FREEHOLD 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

FREEHOLD CONDO 300M FROM PATONG BEACH , Patong Studio Bedroom, 1 bathroom, 35 sqm

This unit is luxuriously appointed with stylish decor and situated right next to Bangla Road. Ideal for someone who wants to be in the middle of Patong.

4,000,000 THB

36 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

10s set for May return Preparations underway for 19th edition of int’l comp RUGBY Matt Pond editor3@thephuketnews.com

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS Run #1614: Saturday January 7 Run Start Time: 3:30pm Hares: WTFIA, Kiss My Ring Location: To be confirmed Directions: From all directions: Go south towards Nai Harn lake and look out for the HHH sign at the Shakers intersection. At Nai Harn lake turn left towards Promthep Cape, then after 200 metres stay to the left. After a further 600m HHH laager will be on the left-hand side.

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

P

reparations are now well underway for the 2017 Phuket International Rugby 10s, which will once again be held at the Thanyapura Sports Club in Thalang.

Now in its 19th year, the 2017 event, to be held from May 26-28, will comprise of 16 teams in the Athena Siam Coffin Dodgers Vets Tournament and 24 teams in the Open Tournament, and with debutante teams from Australia and New Zealand, along with previous winners Moorabbin Rams from Australia and the island’s very our own Phuket Vagabonds, it promises to be one of the most fiercely contested tournaments in the history of the event.

Last year’s champions the Royal Malaysian Police have yet to confirm their return to defend the trophy, but previous winners The Roosters from South Africa will once again return to grace the hallowed turf and

The island’s very own Phuket Vagabonds will be hoping to regain the trophy they won in 2015. Photo: Ardmawr Photography compete for the cup honours.

The debutante teams competing in the 2017 Phuket International Rugby 10s include Lord Howe Island Woodhens from Australia, Changzhou Raptors RFC from China, The Madcatz from Kuching along with the Abu Dhabi Harlequins, who this year will have a tilt at the open tourna-

ment after many successful years in the Coffin Dodgers Vets Tournament.

The Athena Siam Coff in Dodgers Tournament will also feature debutantes The Tasman Wanderers and Queensland XXXX Goldies both from Australia and the VRQ-Ballymore Bar Flys, who have the distinction of

being the first mainland New Zealand team to compete at the Phuket 10s. It’s only taken 19 years!

The draw the tournament will be made closer to the kick-off date and will again be run by www.macoocoo. com, so teams will be able to get live updates during the tournament with all the

groups, knock-outs etc. updated in real-time.

As is customary, the 19th Phuket International Rugby 10s will continue its long relationship with the Asia Centre Foundation, who, as most of you know, have done a tremendous job over the years taking care of and educating underprivileged and orphaned children, and the event will again aim to raise funds for the scholarship fund which contributes to keeping over one hundred children in school and giving them an education and hope for the future.

The Asia Centre Foundation will again have a tent at the ground and will have information on all the kids involved in the scholarship program so teams can catch up on their sponsored kids and new teams can find out about sponsoring new ones.

Entry for supporters of the 2017 Phuket International Rugby 10s will be free so get on down and support your rugby team. A wide variety of food and beverages will be available at the ground for all to enjoy.

Island’s cricketers ready for ‘Shezza’ Cup CRICKET THIS SU NDAY (JAN 8), members of the island’s Patong (PCC) and Thalang (TCC) cricket clubs will once again compete in annual “Shezza” Cup, a game which is played in memory of Tristan Sheridan who was a very talented cricketer and added a lot to Phuket’s cricket scene.

The game will be the first to be played at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) for 2017.

Although the teams for

both the PCC and TCC sides are still being finalised, the Phuket Cricket Group (PCG) are inviting everyone to the ACG to watch and support, and to make the day a special one for Tristan’s family who will be flying over from Australia to enjoy the game.

The Shezza Cup is traditionally a 30-overs affair played between PCC and TCC and previous games have been highly competitive being played hard on the field and highly social afterwards, just like Tristan used to play the game.

In last year’s game, TCC won by just 25 runs and the game again produced inspirational performances by batsman and bowlers from both teams with a total of 589 runs being scored and 17 wickets taken, but TCC reclaimed the cup in fitting fashion.

Sunday’s game is set for a 10am start and should be finished around mid-afternoon.

The Boundary Bar will be open and providing food and beverages throughout the day.

The PCG look forward to

seeing as many of you there as possible.

There are cricket matches nearly every Sunday at the purpose built ACG in Thalang, and directions to this first-class cricketing facility can be found at www. acgphuket.com.

Anyone who may be interested in getting involved in playing cricket, umpiring/ scoring or simply wanting to watch and support cricket at a social level, please get in touch by emailing phuketcricketgroup@gmail.com.

Alternatively, you can log

Members of the island’s cricketing fraternity return to the ACG this Sunday (Jan 8) to compete in the annual ‘Shezza’ Cup. Photo: Michael Way onto www.phuketcricket. com and leave a message and/or contact PCG via their

Phuket Cricket Group Facebook page.

Matt Pond

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

SPORT 37

Upbeat Thais eye resurgence

After mixed results in 2016 BAT looks forward to better 2017 BADMINTON Bangkok Post

T

he Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT) is keen to put its 2016 disappointments behind and is looking forward to laying the foundation for long-term success.

The association had mixed results last year.

Ratchanok Intanon and Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk raked in six titles among them with the former briefly scaling to the world No.1 spot for the first time.

However, the BAT’s performance nosedived as it suffered from poor results at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where only Porntip Buranaprasertsuk made it to the second round.

“Our players were successful in many tournaments last year, but, overall, I am not really very happy,” said BAT president Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul.

“We should have done better at the Olympic Games and the Uber Cup.

@thephuketnews

Ratchanok Intanon won four titles including three consecutive Superseries crowns in 2016. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP “We want to learn from those disappointments and move on. We are now looking forward to the 2017 season and beyond with more commitment and enthusiasm.”

By the end of last year, the Thais were ranked top 10s in only three events.

Ratchanok, who won four titles including three consecutive Superseries crowns in 2016, finished fifth in the women’s singles.

Sapsiri Taerattanachai

and Puttita Supajirakul were ranked 10th in the women’s doubles while Bodin Isara and Sawitree Amitrapai signed off in the same spot in the mixed doubles.

In the men’s singles, Tanongsak, who became the first Thai male shuttler to win a Superseries title with his success at the Denmark Open, ended the year in the 12th place. He also won the 2016 Thailand Open.

The best Thai pair in the

men’s doubles are Bodin and Niphitphon Phuangphuapet, who are ranked 16th.

Khunying Patama, who was elected for a second term in the top office in December 2015, said well-known foreign coaches were being approached to help the Thai players improve in terms of skills, physical fitness, game plans and training methods.

“For some hopefuls, we will assign them personal coaches so that they can have

continuous training,” she said.

“We have already come up with a plan for the whole year.

“Every player will have a clear-cut plan and target for each tournament they are participating in.

“Our immediate plans also include renovation of the training and fitness centre for the players.”

The association will divide the national players into two teams to prepare for international tournaments in 2017.

Its goals for this year include reaching the semifinals of the Sudirman Cup in Australia in May and winning two gold medals at the SEA Games in Malaysia in August.

It also wants to see the Thai players winning the Superseries events and is expecting that by the end of the year, the Kingdom’s shuttlers will be ranked among the top 10 in all five events and will also claim medals at the Uber Cup and the 2018 Asian Games.

“The ultimate goal is to win the world title and also grab Thailand’s first medal

in badminton at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo,” added Khunying Pattama.

The BAT will be starting 2017 without veteran Boonsak Ponsana who recently announced his retirement after serving the country for more than a decade.

Porntip will take about 6-7 months to recover from her knee surgery, while Ratchanok is working hard to regain fitness in time to defend her title at the Thailand Masters on Feb 7-12.

In the absence of these stars, the BAT is banking on young prospects Adulrat Nam k ul, Kant aphon Wangcharoen and Pornpawee Chochuwong. Kantaphon is ranked top in the men’s singles, while Pornpavee is third in the women’s singles in the world junior rankings.

“Our hopes not only rest with the first-team players but also with the young guns coming up,” said Khunying Patama.

“With contributions from all parties concerned, we are looking forward to having a great year.”

38 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Once proud Bradford Bulls now liquidated RUGBY LEAGUE BRADFORD BULLS, ONE of the most historic clubs in rugby league, have been liquidated, their general manager said on Tuesday (Jan 3).

The Bulls – who were crowned English domestic champions six times, won the Challenge Cup five times and the World Club Challenge on three occasions – had been placed in administration for a third time in four years last November.

The writing on the wall for the Bulls – who were relegated from the Super League in 2014 – came when the administrators rejected a bid by a consortium last week.

“The solicitor acting on behalf of the administrators has told everyone that the club has effectively ceased trading and will be liquidated,” Bulls general manager Stuart Duffy said.

“The Rugby Football League have said they have contingency plans in place and someone could buy the club from the liquidators but at the moment everybody has been made redundant.

Coe: sport must update, backs Bolt’s new event ATHLETICS AFP

W Bradford Bulls’ captain Iestyn Harris lifts the Rugby League World Club Challenge trophy after beating Wests Tigers at The Galpharm Stadium, Huddersfield, England, in 2006. Photo: Paul Ellis/AFP “I’m hopeful something comes of this but in what league I don’t know.

“Everyone is very disappointed because we were led to believe that things would come to a successful conclusion today (Tuesday).

“Nobody has been paid their wages for December and we had been hoping to be paid tomorrow, so this is a bombshell.

“This is a nightmare for everybody involved.”

AFP

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

orld athletics chief Sebastian Coe on Wednesday (Jan 3) threw his support behind a new team event spearheaded

by Usain Bolt, saying the sport needed “brave, bold ideas” to stay relevant.

Nine-time Olympic champion Bolt will headline the inaugural Nitro Athletics in Melbourne next month, captaining the ‘All-Stars’ in the competition.

The meet will feature six teams – including Australia, China, Japan, England and New Zealand – and feature non-traditional events such as middle-distance and hurdles relays in an attempt to broaden athletics’ appeal.

IAAF president Coe said the new-look format across three days was exactly what the sport needed to keep fans interested.

“Athletics, in its traditional for m, remains the cornerstone of the Olympic

World athletics chief Sebastian Coe (right) has thrown his support behind a new team event spearheaded by Usain Bolt, pictured together during an International Association of Athletics Federations gala. Photo: Valery Hache/AFP Games,” he said in a statement released by the event organisers.

“And our world championships remain an incredibly strong and attractive event.

“However we need innovation and more opportunities for our athletes to interact

with fans and show their personalities.

“Nitro Athletics is a great example of what can be done and what needs to be done to revolutionise how we present our sport and how our fans connect with the sport and the athletes.”

Coe, who has been pursuing a reform agenda since becoming president in 2015, said athletes and fans wanted to have more fun, and the team element in Melbourne was a way to achieve this.

“Athletics is a global sport with a global following, but we need events that bring back the fun, the kids and the crowds and... add a different dimension to the recordsetting events like the world championships,” he said.

“We need brave, bold ideas that engage fans in events and across a range of platforms. The only thing stopping us is our imagination and the courage to try something new.”

The meet will involve 24 athletes, both men and women, with all eyes on Bolt who will kick-off preparations for what is expected to be his final major competition, the world championships in London in August.

The Nitro series will take place at Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium on February 4, 9 and 11, with Coe attending the final day.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

SPORT 39

PREMIER PREDICTIONS: ENTER NOW AT THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Wenger, Allardyce rue fixture pile-up

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 January 2017 will receive a B3,000 voucher to spend at Angus O'Tools in Karon.

EPL PREDICTIONS

FOOTBALL

MONTHLY STANDINGS

AFP

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despairing Arsene Wenger insisted Arsenal were put at a major disadvantage before his side staged an epic escape in their dramatic 3-3 draw at Bournemouth on Wednesday morning Thai time (Jan 4).

Charlie Daniels, Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser gave Bournemouth a shock 3-0 lead at Dean Court before Alexis Sanchez, Lucas Perez and Olivier Giroud netted to complete a stunning fightback.

But Gunners boss Wenger blamed his team’s sluggish start on an extra 24 hours preparation for Bournemouth, who played last Saturday (Dec 31), as opposed to Arsenal, who beat Crystal Palace 2-0 only 48 hours prior to this game.

And he suggested that Hector Bellerin, Laurent Koscielny, Gabriel and Alex OxladeChamberlain were not fully fit to play in a match that left Arsenal eight points behind leaders Chelsea, who had a game in hand at Tottenham on Thursday morning Thai

Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger speaks during a press conference following their draw to Bournemouth on Wednesday morning (Thai time). Photo: AFP time (Jan 5).

“It was a physical test and a mental test,” said Wenger.

“Congratulations to them but, as well, it is too uneven to have only two days to play against a team who had over three days’ rest.

“Hector Bellerin had a

*Times may be subject to change

START STOP

EVENT

TEAMS / INFO

Friday January 6 Cricket

07:00

14:00

Test 3, Sydney

Australia v. Pakistan, Day 4

Cricket

15:20

22:30

Test 2, Cape Town

South Africa v. Sri Lanka, Day 5

00:20

Champions Cup

Racing 92 v. Munster

Saturday January 7 Rugby Union 22:40 Soccer

Cricket

19:30

21:30

FA Cup Rd 3

Man United v. Reading

00:30

02:30

FA Cup Rd 3

Preston NE v. Arsenal

07:00

14:00

Test 3, Sydney

Australia v. Pakistan, Day 5

Sunday January 8 Rugby Union

21:25

23:30

Aviva Premiership

Wasps v. Leicester

Soccer

20:30

22:30

FA Cup Rd 3

Liverpool v. Plymouth

21:55

00:00

FA Cup Rd 3

Chelsea v. Peterborough

22:55

01:00

FA Cup Rd 3

Tottenham v. Aston Villa

@thephuketnews

AAY adamrosindale lufc YanuiPla aquamarine

OVERALL STANDINGS 7 7 7 7 6

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The Red Card Gang scottkip Sidwell Guduka carst chook

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English Premier League 2016 - 2017

Live Sports TV Schedule SPORT

MONTHLY SPONSOR

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knock, was uncertain to play, that is the problem when you had 48 hours. We had three or four players who we had to wait on till the warm-up.

“Koscielny, Gabriel, I did not start Oxlade-Chamberlain as I could not take a gamble with him. It complicates the job a lot but we have to shut up and cope with it.

“I’m ready to play again tomorrow as long as I play against an opponent who played today as well.

“That is what I call fair.

All the rest, we have to play when we are told to play. We want to play against a team with the same time of rest and preparation as us.”

Even Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe conceded his side had been given a helping hand by the extra day.

“I’m not going to deny that will have had an impact on the game but that’s why you change the squad,” he said.

Wenger’s frustrations continued when midfielder Francis Coquelin was forced off in the first half.

“Coquelin has a hamstring, I don’t know (how serious), it’s too early to say,” he said. “We have to wait 48 hours. Usually when he sits down and comes off it’s not so good news.

“We have mixed feelings after a game like that. We wanted three points and we got one. But when you are 3-0 down after 70 minutes you take a point as well.”

Bournemouth were without on-loan Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, who was ineligible to play against his parent club, and Howe admitted the watching England international was put through the ringer by the tense finale.

“Jack’s a key part of our team and has got better and better,” he said. “I don’t mind people talking about Jack. I think it’s good from both sides

Team

MP W

D

L

F

A GD Pts

1

Chelsea

19

16

1

2

42

13

29

2

Liverpool

20

13

5

2

48

23

25

44

3

Manchester City

20

13

3

4

41

22

19

42

4

Arsenal

20

12

5

3

44

22

22

41

5

Tottenham Hotspur

19

11

6

2

37

14

23

39

6

Manchester United

20

11

6

3

31

19

12

39

7

Everton

20

8

6

6

28

23

5

30

8

West Brom

20

8

5

7

28

24

4

29

49

9

Bournemouth

20

7

4

9

29

34

-5

25

10

Southampton

20

6

6

8

19

25

-6

24

11

Stoke City

20

6

6

8

24

32

-8

24

12

Burnley

20

7

2

11

22

31

-9

23

13

West Ham United

20

6

4

10

23

35 -12

22

14

Watford

20

6

4

10

23

36 -13

22

15

Leicester City

20

5

6

9

24

31

-7

21

16

Middlesbrough

20

4

7

9

17

22

-5

19

17

Crystal Palace

20

4

4

12

30

37

-7

16

18

Sunderland

20

4

3

13

19

37 -18

15

19

Swansea City

20

4

3

13

23

45 -22

15

20

Hull City

20

3

4

13

17

44 -27

13

Premier League prediction competition scores and league table correct at time of going to press. that our players are talked about positively.

“We like to think our story is quite unique and puts us in a good position. It helps raise our profile that we can accommodate big players.

“I’d imagine Jack will have mixed emotions about the result.”

In addition, Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce, who took charge for the first time at home when they played Swansea on Wednesday morning, also criticised the Premier League fixture scheduling after his “shattered” side were beaten 1-2.

Palace were playing for the second time in three days

and Swansea had an extra day between matches.

“The lack of energy the players had showed massively,” said Allardyce.

“Some people say it’s rubbish but it’s not – the players were trying 100 per cent but they were not physically able to reach their usual levels.”

“We struggled to keep up with Swansea – we hadn’t recovered properly,” added the former England manager.

“I should have made more changes but I still don’t know the squad too well.

“They are shattered. You can see it with your own eyes, you don’t need to be a football manager.”

Sport ‘ULTRA’ MENACES THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

editor3@classactmedia.co.th

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

Phuket Int’l Rugby 10s returns for 19th edition > page 36

Hardcore Thai fans pose a clear and present danger

The hardcore ‘Ultras Thailand’ let off flares following their victory over Indonesia in the final of the Suzuki Cup on Dec 17. Photo: Channel News Asia/Justin Ong

FOOTBALL Bangkok Post

A

s the Thai athletes prepare themselves for the tests and trials they are likely to face this year, the country’s sports administrators had better brace themselves for an altogether different challenge.

It’s a challenge which does not offer a level playing field and in which the rules of engagement are often hatched on the spur of the moment.

In short, the Thai authorities look destined to learn a great deal about a different ball game called football hooliganism in the near future.

Thailand are expecting a reprimand and fine from the international football authorities after their fans set flares alight in the dying moments of the Bangkok leg and some of these were hurled onto the field as well.

Some flares were also seen fired in the first half after Sirod Chatthong gave Thailand a 1-0 lead.

The War Elephants eventually won 2-0 against Indonesia in the second leg of the Suzuki

Cup Final as they converted a 2-1 deficit from the away game into a 3-2 aggregate victory.

The commendable effort at Rajamangala National Stadium on the night of Dec 17 made Thailand the most successful nation in the Southeast Asian championship with a record five titles.

However, a group, which goes by the name of Ultras Thailand, went about its business in a particular stand at the packed stadium, oblivious to the extent of damage it was causing to the country’s reputation.

Football Association of Thailand president Somyot Poompunmuang believes the flare throwing was an attempt by some vested interests to discredit him and there exists a chance that he may be right.

Somyot, a former National Police Chief, recorded a landslide victory in the election for FAT president in February 2016 following an acrimonious build-up to the polls.

What happened at Rajamangala National Stadium that night was the first full-scale manifestation of a nightmare which, in fact, started brewing many years ago.

In 2010, a King’s Trophy match at Supachalasai Stadium came to a premature end when Muang Thong took a 2-0 lead over Port. Ugly scenes were witnessed as some Port fans attacked those backing their rivals.

Fast forward six years and the supporters of the same two clubs had another free-for-all to settle the old score.

Muang Thong and Port fans were involved in a brawl outside SCG Stadium after their League Cup Semi-Final second leg in September 2016, leaving more than 10 people injured.

Muang Thong beat Port 2-1 on the night and reached the final with a 3-2 aggregate win.

Fans of SCG Muang Thong United and Port were banned from entering any stadium for the rest of the season and both clubs were fined.

There is no need to go into a detailed history of such incidents, which some football historians in fact date back to a match in Derby, England in 1846. The pitched battles fought by Russia and England fans in the stadium and on the French streets during Euro 2016 has already served as a great opportunity for the

media to drag their audience down the memory lane more than several times.

While the general impression is that football hooliganism is primarily a European thing, there have been quite a few high-profile violent incidents in Southeast Asia as well.

The rioting that followed Thailand’s 4-2 penalty shootout victory over hosts Indonesia in the 1997 Jakarta SEA Games Final following a 1-1 stalemate after extra time is one of the worst witnessed in this part of the world.

Unruly mobs ran amok on Jakarta roads, setting fires to parked vehicles. They pelted stones at public transport vehicles and injured scores of innocent compatriots while venting their anger over a sporting result in an event which is supposed to be all about friendship.

Later, during the 2014 AFF Championship, some members of the “Inter Johor Firm” attacked the Vietnamese supporters’ area and inflicted injuries on many as Malaysia went 2-1 in arrears.

In the 2015 Malaysian FA Cup, Singapore Lions XII players and their fans were

stranded at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium for many hours, after Terengganu fans turned violent over their team’s failure to qualify for the final.

Later in the same year, a World Cup qualification match between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia was abandoned. Trouble started when the Saudis went 2-1 ahead and their fans were attacked by the Malaysian supporters.

The flares thrown by Ultras Thailand were not the only act of violence in the 2016 Suzuki Cup. A little more than a week before the second leg of the final, the Indonesians had a close call in Hanoi as they drew Vietnam 2-2 in the away game to claim a shock 4-3 aggregate win in the semi-finals.

The Indonesian team bus was attacked by angry Vietnamese football fans, forcing them to take a U-turn and find a safer ground at the My Dinh National Stadium, the venue for the match where there was a heavy presence of security officials.

It was never expected that such a despicable phenomenon will one day plague Thailand,

a country which prides itself on its unmatched hospitality and tolerance.

Whether these incidents reflect a shift in the Thai mindset is something for the academics and social sciences experts to discuss, debate and decide.

As far as Thai football is concerned, an AFC ruling on the trouble instigated by Ultras Thailand is expected soon and it can lead to punishments which can include a fine, playing one or more matches without Thai fans and a suspension from international matches or even a mixture of these.

The world has failed to find an effective cure for the scourge of hooliganism, so only a plea can be issued to all those ‘Ultras’ out there that their country can ill afford such nuisances.

The Thai League has just assumed the semblance of being a professional football competition and Thailand have just started making their presence felt on the international scene. A few minutes of reckless excitement for Ultras can negate all that and result in a lengthy banishment for the country. thephuketnews