06-06-2014

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

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MUCH-LOVED PHUKET AUSSIE EXPAT DIES IN BANGKOK > PAGE 3

PARTY ON, PATONG

NEWS

PAGE 7

Power finally coming to Coconut Island?

LIFE

LIFE PAGE 10

Photo: Thomas Galvez

Our guide to Phuket’s best attractions

Relief in Phuket’s party central as curfew is lifted The curfew was imposed on May 22 after a military junta led by Royal Thai Army Commander in Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-Ocha seized power in the country. Initially, the curfew was from 10pm to 5am, reduced on May 27 to the period from midnight to 4am.

On Tuesday afternoon the military’s National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) announced the cancellation of the curfew in the three

Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

T

o the huge relief of the tourism industry in Phuket, especially the owners and operators of Patong’s raucous nightlife scene, the island, along with Pattaya and Koh Samui, was exempted on Tuesday afternoon (June 3) from the nationwide curfew.

tourist centres with immediate effect.

Under the curfew, people throughout the country were prohibited from being on the streets, with exceptions being made for those travelling overseas or coming from abroad, emergency workers, shift workers, and those who could show an urgent reason for being out and about during the curfew.

The lock-up hammered Phuket’s nightlife, with many venues being

forced to close right at the time their customers would normally arrive.

There was jubilation in Patong where, on Monday, Governor Maitri Inthusut listened to sombre complaints from entertainment operators who said their overall revenue had dropped from B10 million a night to half that amount, and asking him to intercede with the coup leaders on their behalf.

Their pleas were apparently heard.

SPORT

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EPL Masters to showcase football stars

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Around the World in 120 Minutes!

a Music and Arts Celebration 28th of June at Simon Star, Phuket Town Two Shows 10:00-12:00 / 1:00-3:00 300 Bht at the venue entrance HeadStart students present

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News 2

PHUKET NEWS

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Work on island’s light rail tram system to begin in three years – maybe > page 4

Patong back in business

Gen Ong-art: perplexed.

Mystery over police chief’s abrupt move AFTER EIGHT MONTHS AS police chief of Phuket, Pol Maj Gen Ong-Art Piewruangnon was abruptly moved on Monday (June 2) to Police Region 8 HQ in Surat Thani.

Gen Ong-Art was vague about the reasons for his move, which he stressed was temporary, and it has been confirmed that he remains Phuket’s top cop in title if not now in person.

On Wednesday Maj Gen Krajang Suwannarat, Deputy Commissioner of Region 8, who is senior to Gen Ong-art, arrived in Phuket with a brief to keep an eye on things.

Contacted as he packed on Monday for the move, Gen Ong-art admitted that the coup that brought the Army into power might have had something to do with this abrupt shift. “Maybe it’s about trust; the army may not trust me.”

He added, “Please say goodbye from me to the people of Phuket. If I upset anyone, I would ask for forgiveness.”

On Wednesday, speaking from Surat, Gen Ong-art sounded dispirited and still puzzled.

The official reason for his move is “to assist officials,” but Gen Ong-art said, “I have no idea why I was moved here.”

Crackdown leaders, from left: Army Maj Gen Peerapol Wiriyakul, Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen and Gov Maitri Inthusut.

73 drivers held for taxi abuses Anthika Muangrod reporter4@classactmedia.co.th

S

eventy-three taxi drivers from Karon, Kamala, Cherng Talay and Tah Chat Chai were arrested on Wednesday (June 4) in a massive joint operation by police and armed forces in Phuket.

Charges against them included conspiracy to extort, criminal association, uttering threats and putting people in fear of danger of life, freedom, reputation and possession.

Karon Mayor Tawee Thongcham, also surrendered to police to answer charges of collusion with the “mafia” taxi drivers.

The 73 were among 108 for whom warrants were issued, based on complaints that the taxi drivers had threatened businesses, extorted money from tour company drivers and threatening them with weapons, blocked hotel entrances, and forcing tourists to get out of minibuses that arrived to collect them for tours.

At Phuket Police HQ today

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen, Commissioner of Police Region 8 in Surat Thani, together with his deputy, Pol Maj Gen Paween Pongsirin, Maj Gen Peerapol Wiriyakul from Royal Thai Army Region 4 in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, and Governor Maitri Inthusut, explained to journalists why the crackdown had been carried out.

Gen Panya explained, “Realising the problem about mafia taxi drivers disgracing the image of Phuket, I set up a team led by Gen Paween and Pol Maj Gen Weerasak Meenawanich from Region 8 to investigate and collect evidence.

“More than 1,000 police, soldiers and local officials have been working on this.

“The plan was launched on January 30 this year; we have spent about three months now working on this problem.”

It was explained that of the 287 taxi stands in Phuket 70 were found to be involved in “mafia” behaviour.

It was explained that the targeted taxi drivers would

always claim that they were working legally, that they were just local people who were losing business to others, and claiming that they could act the way they did because they had permission from local authorities – and that this local authority support made it impossible for police to act.

Whenever the “mafia” taxi drivers did have a problem, they would always do three things: block roads, demand the transfer of the local police commander, and demand that they not be prosecuted for blocking roads.

“From now on, the police will not let this happen. No police officer will be transferred and anyone who blocks roads will be prosecuted,” he said.

Gen Paween highlighted the fear the taxi drivers have instilled over the years. “We could have arrested more people if businesses were not afraid to point out the wrongdoers.

Of 150 businesses in our list, only 51 of them would talk about it.”

Continued from page 1.

The President of the Patong Entertainment Association, Weerawit Kuresombat, told The Phuket News after the news broke of the lifting of the curfew, “I have to say thank you to the Governor. We are all happy after having had to close our venues at midnight [during the curfew].

“I believe that business will improve soon. I believe people in the entertainment industry will have a positive view of the NCPO. I hope everything will be back to normal soon.”

Gov Maitri said, “I am happy with this curfew cancellation, which helps Phuket tourism and the nightlife business in the low season.

However, I would ask that all entertainment venues cooperate fully and follow every announcement from the NCPO.” Paiboon Upatising, President of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation, told The Phuket News, “It is very good news. Phuket people’s livelihoods will improve and tourists will be happy to come here.

“Most of the tourists [in Patong], especially the French, Italians and other Europeans, sit down to dinner about 10pm and finish about midnight.

Some of them sleep during the day and enjoy the nightlife until the morning.

“But with the curfew there was nowhere for them to go after midnight.”

A manager of the Seduction night club off Soi Bangla, who asked not to be named, said, “I am happy that the curfew is cancelled. Our cus-

The ‘girls’ come out to play.

Photo: Earthbound Misfit, I tomers will learn about the announcement very soon and everything will go back to normal.”

Smaller businesses, too, were buoyed by the announcement, though with some reservations. “It’s good. Everyone expects that everything will good now,” said the owner of a restaurant in Karon.

But the owner of one small restaurant on Soi Tan in Patong, who earlier told The Phuket News she was struggling to pay rent and salaries, said, “I’m going to wait about two or three days. Let’s see what happens next.”

Thawatchai A r unyik, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said, “The lifting of the curfew in Pattaya, Phuket and Ko Samui is welcome news.

“This latest development announced by the NCPO should help reassure everyone coming for a holiday in Thailand that it’s very much business as usual and that there’s no reason for anyone to change their plans.”

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FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

PHUKET NEWS

Much-loved Australian expat dies in hospital Alasdair Forbes execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

ne of Phuket’s most loved expat characters, Australian Graham Doven, 63, died on Tuesday afternoon (June 3) in the Mission Hospital in Bangkok after two weeks in the ICU suffering from multiple medical conditions.

Graham was born in 1950 and went to school in Sydney, following up with a degree from the Bradford University School of Management in the UK. He was involved with the World Expo Authority in the production of Expo 88 in Brisbane, Australia, moving to Thailand not long after.

He first came to Phuket about 20 years ago to make videos for the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the King’s Cup Regatta, hotels and marinas.

He kept one foot in Phuket and the other in Bangkok.

Multi-talented, he was at vari-

O

Graham Doven with pals Sopa Srivipak, left, and Iddy Chutima. ous times a photographer and videographer, and a newspaper and magazine columnist with a dry wit. He was involved with magazine publishing (Phuket Magazine), property sales and property management on Phuket – he organised property shows in Hong Kong,

Bangkok and Samui – and industry, spending much of the past few years advising and setting up a factory for what he delicately called “a major aerospace company in Seattle” – Boeing.

In business he was known for his honesty and his ability

Phuket, along with other Southern provinces, may have outages. Photo: Anders Bergstrom

Power cuts likely June 13 to July 10 AU T HOR I T I E S H AV E warned that Phuket and other provinces in the south may experience more blackouts than normal between June 13 and July 10 because the natural gas pipeline from Malaysia will be closed for maintenance.

As a result, there will be a shortfall of 420 million cubic feet of natural gas a day, which in turn means that the Chana power station in Songkhla, which produces 710 Megawatts of electricity, @thephuketnews

will have to be taken off the national grid.

At a meeting on Wednesday (May 28) chaired by Governor Maitri Inthusut, officials heard that the power plant closure will result in a shortfall of energy across the 14 southern Thailand provinces, including Phuket, especially in the peak power use hours from 6.30 to 10.30pm, Monday to Saturday.

To offset the shortfall the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand will take steps

to increase electricity supply to the South from other power stations from 700 Megawatts to 950 Megawatts.

If demand exceeds that amount, the Provincial Electricity Authority will rotate blackouts from one area to another, though taking care not to affect areas with hospitals, airports, police stations and other security organisations.

During the maintenance period everyone is asked to try to reduce power use.

Suthicha Sirirat

to bring groups of disparate characters together in ways that benefited all – and sometimes even him.

But most of his friends in Phuket – and there are hundreds – will remember him for his bluff personality, his perfectly timed and often scurrilous

jokes, his many small kindnesses with no expectation of repayment and his absolute disdain for political correctness.

Known variously as the Deputy Mayor of Tinlay Place, a senior member of the Table of Knowledge, and a founder member of the Grumpy Old Men’s Society, Graham once described himself as “stupid sometimes, brilliant sometimes”, and his favourite activities as “eating and drinking, watching football and telling lies”.

Graham will be cremated at Wat Thip Phawat in Bangkok, near Suvarnabhumi Airport, on Sunday (June 8) at 4pm.

The following Sunday (June 15) close friends will take a boat out onto Phang Nga Bay to scatter his ashes and float wreaths. This will be followed by a wake at BB’s in Tinlay Place, Cherng Talay, starting at 2pm.

Many bars on the island, and many of Graham’s friends’ hearts, will feel emptier for his absence.

3

Colleges sign up to give driving lessons THE PROVINCIAL LAND Transport Office (PLTO) has signed agreements with four colleges who will provide practical lessons on campus for learner-drivers, as part of a national drive to boost driving standards.

The four colleges, Rajabhat University Phuket, Phuket Technical College, Phuket Polytechnic College and Phuket Skill Development Centre, have all agreed to provide lessons, and are ready to start immediately.

To qualify for the new test, applicants must have logged four hours of training at the wheel (or handlebars). At the end of it they will receive a certificate that is valid for six months.

The four hours will be increased incrementally to 15 hours of lessons by 2017.

In addition, a new written test has now been introduced, containing 50 questions – 30 more than the old test – and with a minimum passing score of 90 per cent (50 per cent for the old test).

Suthicha Sirirat

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PHUKET NEWS

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FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Phuket Seven Day Weather Forecast The Phuket News offers flexible advertising options both online and in print.

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Work on tram system to start in three years Wiparatana NaThalang reporter4@classactmedia.co.th

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ork on Phuket’s long-awaited light rail tram project may start within three years, after the official route and type of transport system were officially confirmed at a public hearing on Tuesday (June 3).

The route for the B30billion project will see the proposed tram system run from Tha Noon, on the southern tip of Phang Nga, across the Sarasin Bridge, to Phuket Town and then on to Chalong Circle.

The track will follow Thepkrassatri Road almost the whole way to Phuket Town, with a detour in the north to take in Phuket International Airport.

From Phuket Town the track will head south down Chao Fa East Rd, ending at Chalong Circle.

The total length of the route is 60km, with 20 stations along the way.

At an earlier public hearing held in December last year opinion was in favour of a light rail tram (LRT) system – rather than buses or a monorail – because of the lesser impact the environment and the lower construction cost.

Tuesday's meeting was more of a briefing on details of the LRT than an opportunity for discussion.

Consultants on the project explained that the vehicles will

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IN BRIEF MAI KHAO

Body found washed up on beach A tourist on Mai Khao Beach made a gruesome discovery on Thursday (May 29) when the body of a man was found washed up on the beach.

A tourist came across the body and notified Centara Grand West Sands hotel staff, who called police. The body was taken to Thalang Hospital.

Eakkapop Thongtub

PHUKET TOWN Artist's impression of the LRT going through the intersection with Phang Nga Rd in Phuket Town. Graphic: Apichart Jansangkul/Enrich Consultant be 30 metres long, each with a capacity of 400 passengers.

The trams will be powered by electricity from overhead cables and from onboard batteries. In Phuket Town, the trams will travel at between 20 and 40kmh, but will be capable of speeds up to 100kmh. The number of trams has yet to be decided.

The tram will run on rails set in a concrete pathway at ground level. Most will be single-track, but parts will be double track to allow trams going in different directions to pass one another.

For much of the route the trams will run along the central reservation but in Phuket Town, tracks will be laid through the existing streets, and a one-way system will be devised to reduce conflict with the traffic.

There are also tentative plans to build an underpass under the Heroines Monument

roundabout for cars, with the tram track going round both sides of the monument at ground level.

The committee estimates that travelling from Tha Noon to Chalong will take around 1½ hours, and from the airport to Phuket Old Town around 45 minutes.

Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut, who chaired the meeting, said even though the roads are narrow in Phuket Town, “We are going forward with this project. We received the budget to fund a study to decide the chosen route."

Studies are due to be completed by November this year.

Logistics specialist Dr Keerati Kitmanawat said the LRT route has been designed to take in important places such as main government offices, schools, parks and markets.

The system will, he said, reduce travel time for many

people. It will also help reduce the number of cars on the road, save fuel and reduce pollution.

He said car parks would need to be built near the stations, so people could drive to the stations, park their car, and jump aboard the LRT. Members of the public attending the meeting were generally in favour of the more detailed plan.

However, one worried about the potential for accidents due to the LRT being at the same level as the fast traffic on Thepkrasattri RD, while another felt the system should be extended to Rawai and Prompthep Cape.

Gov Maitri said there was “no perfect solution” for the transport system, and they would select the option most suitable for Phuket. “We need to think ahead for the next 10 years.”

A third public meeting will be held in October.

Brit tourist bitten by monkey A 51-year-old British tourist was taken to hospital on Saturday (May 31) after he was bitten by a monkey around 2.20pm.

The man, known only as Martin, was at the Khao To’ Sae Viewpoint on Radar Hill in Phuket Town with a friend when he was bitten by a monkey he tried to feed.

Suthicha Sirirat

THALANG

Two-vehicle shunt puts lights out A two-vehicle smash caused traffic chaos on Thepkrasattri Rd on Monday afternoon (June 2) when one of the vehicles demolished a traffic signal controller in Baan Lipon.

Thaya Thepnoo said he was rear-ended by a pick-up truck as he slowed down for an orange light, causing his car to crash into the traffic light control box.

Eakkapop Thongtub

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THE PHUKET REGIONAL Blood Centre and the Thai Red Cross has launched a drive for blood donations to coincide with World Blood Donor Day, which is on June 14.

The dates, times and venues of blood donations are as follows: June 11, 1-4pm: Phuket International Hospital, bypass road June 13, 8:30am-4:30pm: PRBC, Rattanakosin 200 Pi Rd, Phuket Town June 17, 10am-3pm: Out-

rigger Laguna Beach Resort, Cherng Talay June 18 , 10a m-3pm: Duangjitt Resort Phuket, Patong June 20, 10am-3pm: 3rd floor, Phuket International Airport passenger terminal June 24, 1-4pm: Siam Makro, Phuket Town June 26, Midday-6pm: Central Festival Phuket, Phuket Town June 27, 1-4pm: Patong Hospital June 30, Midday-4pm: Phuket Fantasea, Kamala. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Thai guides protest at Chinese competition

PHUKET NEWS

5

Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

P

huket’s illegal tour guides have again been brought to the attention of the police, after 200 legal Thai tour guides visited Chalong Police station to demand the police arrest the Chinese guides working illegally on the island.

Around 200 tour guides visited the station around 2pm today (June 2), to also demand the release of 23 legally working Thai guides, who had been taken in for questioning

by Chalong Police. Earlier in the day, the 23 had been questioned by police after they relieved information that guides at Prompthep Cape were intimidating tourists.

Jaifu Sealee, a legal Thai tour guide, who also speaks Chinese, said the group went to Prompthep Cape to take photos of the illegal guides working.

“We are collecting information and will report it to the officials. Someone told the police that we were threatening tourists, but we weren’t.

“Twenty-three of our fellow

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The torched motorbike burns fiercely at the work camp.

‘Encroachers’ torch Chalong work camp

Just collecting information: Jaifu Saelee, leader of the legal Chinese-speaking guides.

Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub tour guides were taken into custody by Chalong Police. They had their ID cards checked, and they were released when it was found they were legal.

“We want to be treated fairly, because many of our jobs are taken by illegal tour guides. Usually, Chinese tour companies do not hire Thai tour guides, they just hire Chinese speaking ones only who are

illegal. Yes, they might save money, but the Chinese guides are working illegally. We will not tolerate this.”

Mr Jaifu said he and his fellow tour guides would collect evidence of the Chinese guides working illegally, and present it to Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut.

“Chalong Police promised they will follow up the illegal

guides once I show them the photos,” he said.

Chalong Police Station Superintendent Pol Col Kitipas Dejintrasorn told The Phuket News that the gathering was not a protest.

“They just came to see their fellow tour guides. Now, they have gone back.”

Additional reporting

by Eakkapop Thongtub

A WORK CAMP IN SOI Pa Lai, Chalong was attacked twice on Monday (June 1) by people opposed to the land being cleared. In the second attack the camp was torched.

The attacks were made on a small work camp established to temporarily house people hired to clear the 83-rai site.

The confrontation began over land rights, with the four owners of the land wanting to clear it for use by a tenant, but local people already living on the land not wanting to move.

The owners had their lawyers post notices telling people on the land to prove that they had ownership papers, or leave.

The alleged encroachers became enraged, and on Monday vented their feelings in the

most emphatic way.

At about midday, a group of men came onto the site and fired guns, including at least one shotgun, to frighten off the workers. They also tried to set fire to a six-wheel truck, but the workers managed to stop the fire before it could take hold.

At about 5.30pm, 60 or 70 people gathered at the site, some armed with petrol bombs which they threw at the camp.

A container and a tent were partly damaged and a motorbike was destroyed.

Unable to identify who fired the shots or lobbed the petrol bombs, police charged some of the mob with encroachment and have issued summonses for others on the same charge.

Eakkapop Thongtub

6

PHUKET NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Sailor spends 77 hours in Laser, breaks two records Claire Connell editor1@classactmedia.co.th

A

local expat has completed a gruelling sailing trip alone in a Laser dinghy, spending 77 hours on board the tiny boat and battling storms and severe pain.

Yassine Darkaoui, originally from Morocco, has been planning for around two years to beat the Guinness world record for the longest distance sailed in a Laser dinghy.

However, unable to organise a support boat (a requirement for a Guinness record), he had to settle for unofficially breaking the records for longest time spent in a Laser dinghy, and the Asia record for the longest distance sailed in a Laser dinghy in Asia.

Mr Darkaoui said the previous record for Asia was 50 nautical miles, and he managed to do 211.

The current world record is around 300 nautical miles (555 km) and was set by Mexican sailor and Olympian Tania Calles.

Mr Darkaoui also says he broke the current record of 65 hours spend in a Laser dinghy – he spent 77 hours

Yassine Darkaoui arrived back at Ao On on Saturday, after his epic 77-hour sailing mission. on his tiny boat.

He set off from Ao Yon at 12.20am on Wednesday (May 28), and headed to Phi Phi and Racha Islands. He returned to Phuket at various times, not touching land but collecting more food and water from a boat near Ao Yon, and checking in with his support team on the shore.

“I had no support boat, and I was avoiding storms. Every time I

saw a storm coming I had to change my route.”

Although the records are not being officially confirmed, Mr Darkaoui said he will put all the GPS data on his blog site, for anyone who wishes to get more details or check his route.

“For the first maybe six hours I was scared, because I had a bad experience sailing around Racha

before, and I was thinking I should stop. But after that six hours, I started getting more comfortable and I decided I should stay and enjoy it.

“It is part of the game, to feel scared and cold. It was scary because a lot of fishing boats don’t have lights. When there were storms and lightning, it was a bit scary because the dinghy is a very small boat.

Many times I didn’t have cellphone

reception, and it was impossible for me to call [for help].”

Mr Darkaoui ended up having to return to Ao Yon (he arrived around 5.20pm on Saturday) after suffering severe pain and bleeding buttocks, caused by the humidity, the salt water and the rain. He says he also suffered hallucinations.

“I had to wait a lot because there wasn’t much wind, and it was very difficult to sail. I had to sit in very uncomfortable conditions. Physically I was okay, it was more about the pain – it was just too much. I was bleeding.

“The last 15 or 20 kilometres I had to kneel, because I couldn’t sit anymore. I knew I already had the Asian record and the time record, so I decided to stop.”

Despite the discomfort and the lack of any official record, Mr Darkaoui is pleased with his efforts.

“It was a new experience, and it was a very good experience. If I could do it again I would, but now with more confidence.”

For more details and a full account of Mr Darkaoui’s journey, visit his blog, andamanlaserchallenge. blogspot.com/

Tourist Police volunteer Marc Vanlommel, hotel receptionist Tanya, and Mr Berglund.

Tourist Police help Swede find hotel Claire Connell editor1@classactmedia.co.th

PHUKET TOURIST POLICE volunteers spent two days helping a Swedish tourist find his hotel again after he forgot the name of it.

Volunteer Divan Mydeen

said the volunteers were approached by tourist Karl Berglund, 67, on Friday night (May 30) while they were patrolling in Patong.

Mr Berglund told police he had checked in the previous day (Thursday) to a hotel and left his belongings at the

hotel while he went for a walk.

After some time, he realised he didn’t know the name of the hotel, or where it was located.

He spoke to several people who took him around some hotels to check, before Mr Berglund spoke to Patong police. He spent the night in a guesthouse using money locals had given him.

The next day, Mr Berglund visited the Tourist Police, and the volunteers – Mr Mydeen and Marc Vanlommel – drove around Patong trying to find his hotel, to no avail, so Mr Berglund spent the night in a guesthouse in Patong.

On Sunday (June 1), the volunteers began searching again, and finally Mr Berglund spotted the hotel he was staying in. He was reunited with his belongings. thephuketnews

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PHUKET FOCUS

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

7

Power at last for Koh Maphrao?

Anthika Muangrod reporter4@classactmedia.co.th

A

fter the people of Koh Maphrao (Coconut Island) have waited a decade for fulfilment of promises that they will get mains power supply, Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) now has a concrete plan to supply power from Laem Hin Pier on Phuket to their island.

But this does not mean that the islanders will get power any time soon.

The major sticking point is the underwater cable connecting the island with Laem Hin. “Our plan is to build a 33kVA underwater cable to carry electricity from Laem Hin Pier to Koh Maphrao pier so that everyone in the island can have electricity,” Wijarn Chuaiplod of Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) explained to The Phuket News.

But although the PEA has put the underwater cable contract up for bids twice, once at B69.5 million and again at B91million, there have been no takers.

“If we can’t get a contractor signed up soon, we may have to go for Plan B – to find a contractor to build a 500-kilowatt generator on Koh Maphrao to serve need of locals.

“We are focusing on the locals before the business sector [on the island] because the locals don’t have their own generator and this plan is a temporary fallback.

“The generator will not be turned on 24-7,” he added.

A second problem is distribution of power around Koh Maphrao from either the underwater cable or the generator.

Installing power poles is not easy, Mr Wijarn explained, because the roads on the island are narrow and are bordered mostly by rubber plantations.

“Because rubber is an economic crop we have to discuss with all the owners whether it’s possible to cut down the rubber trees that are near the poles.”

“Some of [the plantation

At the moment villagers get some power from solar panels. Below, Jittra Maithong with her antiquated charcoal iron. time of her great-grandmother.

“So I’m excited to know that we are going to have electricity soon. Our place is going to be brighter and we can get news [on TV and radio] then.”

She gave insights into island life without mains electricity.

“It’s difficult to live sometimes but it’s still fine.

“In the daytime we use solar cells that the PEA gave us a long time ago and at night we get some power from a communal generator at night.

We pay about B300 a month for the generator fuel. The Or­BorTor [Koh Kaew Tambon Administration Organisation]

owners] do not live on the island, so the lack of power is not a problem for them, and they are unwilling to give their permission for us to cut their trees. So we are now putting many of the poles on the edges of roads.”

This adds another potential problem because the road verges are actually earmarked for the digging of ditches, so the poles may have to be removed again at a later date.

“There’s one small village with about 15 houses located past some land on which the

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owner doesn’t want the PEA to set up poles. So, the people in the village still may not have electricity even if it will be available.

“Sometimes we have to remove poles that we have already planted, and move them to a new location. It all takes time but we aim to finish it by June.”

Jittra Maithong, a 56-yearold villager, told The Phuket News that she and others are used to life without electricity.

She said the islanders have been waiting for power since the

Working together: Village chief Younope Petchdee (left) with PEA engineer Rohem Madsom and Jirasak Petchdee of OrBorTor Koh Kaew. @thephuketnews

gave us three generators to be used by 40 homes, but two are broken.

“At night time I can use only a small TV and a fan. I can’t use electric cooking pots or irons.”

To iron clothes, she said, people use a centuries-old design of iron that is heated by placing hot charcoal inside it.

“In the daytime, I can’t watch TV because the battery attached to my solar panel is almost dead. It costs about B3,000 or B4,000 for a new one. I can’t afford that.”

Another villager, Sa Panthip, a widow, said, “I have

been hoping that one day [the electricity] will come. I’m now 55-years-old. Even if I’ve become used to life without electricity, I’m so glad to know that we are finally going to get it.”

Younope Petchdee, 56, the village chief, confirmed that the main problem on the island is about cutting down rubber trees and planting power poles on land belonging to people who don’t live on the island.

But he said he would try his best to make everything right.

“We still have a problem but I think people will finally agree with the plan. We have been waiting for this day for more than 100 years. Some people are very glad just to see the electricity poles being brought onto the island.” he said with a smile.

“We are going to survey some plots of land to make sure that the poles are not going to encroach on private land.

“I will try to persuade everyone to compromise. Seven or eight hundred people should not be kept waiting for one person who owns a particular piece of land. That doesn’t make sense.

“But we must wait until things are clearer.”

Building C1-C2 Premium Outlet-Gallery Zone, Bypass Rd., Phuket 83000, Thailand Tel: (076) 350-465 Fax: (076) 350-465 Email: abfabsales@gmail.com www.abfabphuket.com Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10 am-5.30 pm Closed: Sunday

8

PHUKET FOCUS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Class Act Media – owner of The Phuket News, Live 89.5, Phuket News TV, Novosti Phuketa and Phuket Ticketmaster – held its third annual Thank You Party on May 30 at the Blue Elephant in Phuket Town. Everyone had a great night enjoying the excellent food and entertainment. A huge thank you to the main sponsors: BB&B, Black Forest, Chalong Bay Rum, Bangkok Hospital Phuket, as well as our prize sponsors: Thailand Panama Hats, Sea Bees Diving, Holiday Inn Resort Phuket, Princess Yacht Charter, Aleenta Phuket – Phang Nga Resort & Spa, Thailand Pool Table, The Attitude Club, Bliss Beach Club, Maikhao Dream Villa Resort and Spa Phuket, The Kee Resort & Spa Phuket, The Pavilions Phuket, Pullman Phuket Arcadia Naithon Beach, Paresa Resort Phuket, RPM Health Club, Bon Cafe, Angsana Laguna Phuket, Sala Phuket Resort & Spa, Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort, Amari Phuket, and Silk Air. Thank you all for your support! Here’s to another fantastic year.

Jon Bone & James Neilson, Wahoo Luxury Yacht Charters; Darren Shaw, Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket.

Numnoi Singpatong; his wife Michelle Hawryluk, Haris & Hawryluk; and Angelica Cayzer, Asia Pacific Offices.

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Bart Duykers, BB&B; Simon Samaan, Class Act Media; Olivier Dubois, Belgian Beverage Asia.

Vincent Gerards, Angsana Laguna Phuket; Simone Allène, Sea Bees Diving.

Ian Phillips, Phuket Pride (centre left); Kenneth J. Miller, CC’s Hideaway Hotel (centre right) and friends. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

PHUKET FOCUS

Don Limnunthaphisit, Lard Yai; Kannika Hempraphah, Arrow Media; Somyote Pathan, Lard Yai; Dr Sommai Preechasilp, Vice Governor.

JJ (right) & friend.

Khun Thanet Traiwut, PIC Phuket & team.

Marine Lucchini, Chalong Bay Rum; Dave O’Connor, Live 89.5; Able Wanamakok, AWPR & Marketing.

Simone Allène, Sea Bees Diving; Kamolux Israngkul Na Ayuthaya (Mint), Angsana Laguna Phuket. @thephuketnews

9

Alan McAllister, Tile It; Simon Samaan.

Jaspal Singh, Jaspal Tailor’s; Salisa Limsakul, Andaman Embrace Resort & Spa; Jason Beavan, Class Act Media; Ian Phillips, Phuket Pride.

Nicha Chiwangkul, Bangkok Hospital Phuket (centre); Robin Lee, Sea Pearl Villas Resort – Phuket (glasses); Myo Minthu, SilkAir (right).

Opinion 10 OPINION

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

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KODCHANAT THINSEPON Editor

SIMON OSTHEIMER Managing Editor editor@classactmedia.co.th From Hong Kong; a decade’s experience as editor of magazines and newspapers in Shanghai (City Weekend, that’s Shanghai), Beijing (tbjhome, Urbane), Hong Kong (Time Out Hong Kong), Kuala Lumpur (Vision KL), Bangkok (Bangkok 101) and Phuket. Contributor to Esquire, Fah Thai, Tiger Tales, Conde Nast Traveler, Silkroad, Vacations & Travel, Travel & Leisure, Voyeur, SCMP, CNN, Surface, Dwell and others.

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

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J.P. MESTANZA

EDITORIAL

BACK ON TRACK T

he island’s tourism industry breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday afternoon when the nationwide curfew was lifted for Phuket, Pattaya and Koh Samui.

The NCPO declared the curfew across the country on May 22, hours after a coup was announced.

The 12-day curfew has had a serious impact on the island’s tourism businesses, and on tourists themselves.

Many visitors come here specifically for the island’s nightlife and party scene.

Having to be at their hotel by 10pm (later extended to midnight), surely encouraged many to move on to other countries, where they could have more fun.

And that’s only speaking for those who still made it

Sport Editor

STEVEN LAYNE Life Editor editor3@classactmedia.co.th From the USA; BA in Communication Arts from Bangkok University International College; six years’ experience at Nation Junior Magazine, Bangkok Recorder, Phuket.net, Farangs.com and Phuket Gazette.

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main tourist centres (outside of Bangkok and Chiang Mai) than Thawatchai Arunyik, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, who said, “This latest development announced by the NCPO should help reassure everyone coming for a holiday in Thailand that it’s very much business as usual and that there’s no reason for anyone to change their plans.”

Governor Maitri Inthusut – who has been fielding constant complaints about the curfew from local business owners – was also happy, saying the cancellation will help Phuket tourism and the nightlife business during the low season.

To the relief of most, Phuket’s tourism industry will be back on track in no time.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Curfew takes heavy toll on Phuket businesses Gov calls again for curfew to end asap in Phuket Curfew cancelled in Phuket Phuket home owner stabbed to death in her garden Phuket volunteers help Swedish tourist find his hotel after two days British tourist bitten by monkey Heavy weather heading for Phuket New t ype of ATM skimmer found in Phuket Power cuts in Phuket and South likely Much loved Phuket Aussie expat dies in Bangkok

Visit thephuketnews.com for all the latest news

HAVE YOUR SAY

editor2@classactmedia.co.th From USA; Degree in Journalism and Media Studies, from Rutgers University. Three years experience at The Jersey Journal, Sports Page Magazine, and My9 News.

here. Many would no doubt have rescheduled holidays before they even got to Thailand.

International media can have a powerful impact on tourists and their decision making, and the global news coverage of the coup was no exception.

The slightest hint of political instability can cause mass panic, as shown by many of the comments posted on social media by tourists from around the world, wondering if Thailand was still a safe place to visit.

Was the entire country in shutdown mode? Were shops open? Could people leave their homes? All these questions were posed by nervous travellers.

No one was more pleased with the news of the curfew being scrapped in the country’s

TOP 10 STORIES ON thephuketnews.com

Hole-in-the-wall security [Re. New type of ATM skimmer found in Phuket] No surprise. Those anti-skimming devices have always looked like skimming devices to me. A case of banks needing to show they are “doing something” when in reality thay are actually making it easier for the skimmers who can perfectly match any slot cover.

Google “ATM skimming device” and you will see they sometimes copy the entire front of the ATM. And why do they never seem to have video of the skimmers attaching the device?

My guess it they cameras only record 12-24 hours of video and sometimes these skimmers go months before being detected.

Perhaps banks should consider investing in better video systems? But why would they do that? When someone steals your money from a Thai bank, you won’t be refunded. So it’s no skin off their nose, so to speak.

Joe Blazy

They had better stick these things on good because I always give the card entry point a good tug before I insert my card.

If it ever comes off in my hand I’ll crush it under my boot before anyone can get a chance to stop me.

Icarus

Rescue credit [Re.Phuket volunteers help Swedish tourist find his hotel after two days ] It probably doesn’t mean a great difference to most people. But it does to me.

The volunteers who solve this problem in the very best way belongs to the Phuket Tourist Police and not the local Patong Police volunteer program under Region 8.

Confusing yes!

There are many police volunteer programs - but only one Phuket Tourist Police Volunteer program covering all of Phuket and PhangNga Province.

Per Butler

Test of endurance [Re. South African woman

completes 36km swim between Koh Tao and Koh Phangan] Bravo! Well done! Nice challenge!

Luke Right Luckily it was not during any moon party or she would have been run over by some drunk/ stoned speedboat operator for sure.

Chris Mulder

Call it what it is [Re. Phuket fake goods shopowners upset over alleged police extortion] “Don’t treat us like criminals”?! If you are selling counterfeit goods, you are criminals!

Eddie

The early shopper gets the deal [Re. Convicts’ products go up for sale in Phuket] My advice is to go the day before the sale starts, and do a deal as they’re unloading the trucks and setting up stalls.

This is because, the best items, and some are spectacular, will have ‘sold’ within the

first few hours of opening.

Geoffphuket

Priced out of the property game [Phuket ‘encroachers’ torch Chalong work camp] Thai people are suffering from the cost of rising prices and even Thais with Bachelor Degrees or Master Degrees are not able to afford to buy a piece of land in Phuket to built a house.

The future does not look promising for many of them...

We hope change will come to help them, before it is too late – as demonstrated by recent events, people taking their future in their own hands.

It’s a complicated issue; who is right? Who is wrong?

Who knows?

Whistle-Blower

Another setback?

[Power cuts in Phuket and South likely June 13 to July 10] Great. Just what the tourism sector is waiting for.

Seht1912

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

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

THAILAND NEWS 11

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Junta backs rail spend he dual-track railway project will go ahead, and the high-speed railway project will be subject to a new cost-benefit study, the junta has decided as it looks into the past government’s transport and infrastructure spending plans.

Former economy czar Kittirat Na-Ranong strongly pressed for passage of funding for the project last July, but the megaproject died after parliament was dissolved in December.

Other elements of the spending are likely to be reviewed, after National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha ordered state agencies to discuss the best ways to spend budgets secured by the past administration.

These include the controversial B2 trillion transport development project and the B350 billion water management scheme.

On Monday, Gen Prayuth chaired a meeting of his seven deputies and the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) to discuss ways to help the economy after months of protests threatened

T

@thephuketnews

to derail growth.

Deputy NCPO spokesman Col Nathawat Chancharoen said Gen Prayuth had taken note of Sunday’s economic affairs meeting, held by NCPO deputy chief and Air Chief Marshal Prachin Jantong.

Gen Prayuth has ordered agencies to study which projects under the B2 trillion transport overhaul would most help the public, Col Nathawat said.

The projects’ environmental impact assessments and transparency must be taken into account.

They also must undergo public hearings before they start.

The NCPO chief had authorised state agencies to conduct cost-benefit analyses of four high-speed train projects from Bangkok to Nong Khai, Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Bangkok to Rayong and Bangkok to Hua Hin. The four high-speed train projects, worth B800 billion, were part of the B2 trillion borrowing bill ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court in March.

If the NCPO decided to go ahead with the high-speed

trains, they would most likely be paid for as a joint investment between the public and private sectors, with funding support from domestic sources, he said.

The NCPO would move ahead with the dual-track railway development project, which should start this year, he said.

Col Nathawat said the NCPO also plans to call a

meeting with former transport minister Chatchart Sittipunt, as he could help supply the details needed.

In response to the offer, Mr Chatchart sent a Line message to reporters Monday saying he would be pleased to lend his support to the NCPO. Gen Prayuth also said some projects under the B350 billion water management scheme should press on, Col

Nathawat said.

He also said the military could help with dredging work to speed up the projects.

As for the companies chosen by the last government to handle the water management projects, the NCPO has yet to look into the matter, Col Nathawat said.

“The NCPO attaches importance to water management in line with the royal initiatives, such as building water catchment areas known as ‘monkey cheeks’ to hold flood water, and the dredging of canals,” said Col Nathawat.

“The military can take part in the 4,000 dredging projects for villages nationwide at a cost of B10 million each. This could help contain water and prevent floods.”

Col Nathawat said the military took part in many past government projects, which helped keep costs down and ensured they met deadlines.

He said military participation could also reduce corruption. The deputy spokesman said Gen Prayuth instructed state agencies to feel free to call him any time if they had doubts about his instructions.

Bangkok Post

IN BRIEF BANGKOK

Confidence up first time in 14 months: index

The Consumer Confidence Index in Thailand stood at 70.7 points, rising for the first time in 14 months, the Center of Economics & Business Forecasting of University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) stated on Tuesday.

“The Consumer Confidence Index improved for the first time in 14 months as people were confident of political stability and economic recovery in the near future,” said Sauwanee Thairungroj, the UTCC president.

Mystery coup arrest explained

The Lumpini district police chief on Monday confirmed his undercover officers detained and forced a woman into a taxi after she staged a one-person protest against the military junta on Sukhumvit Road on Sunday.

Pol Col Chaiya Kongsub said the woman was taken away because she acted aggressively to the officers, who took her to the police station to “calm down”.

12 ASIA NEWS

IN BRIEF CHINA

Gov blocks Google on June 4 anniversary Several Google websites were blocked in China for the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown on Wednesday (June 4), a censorship monitoring service said.

China prevents access to a host of websites including YouTube and Twitter using a system known as the “Great Firewall,” and restrictions are tightened ahead of dates the government considers sensitive.

PAKISTAN

Bomb kills seven people in Pakistan: officials At least seven people were killed and three wounded when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday in a suspected sectarian attack, officials said. The incident took place when a Datsun pick-up truck hit an IED near Parachinar, which lies along the Afghan border and is a hotbed of both Taliban-linked and SunniShiite violence.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

PM Al-Assad: Syria’s besuited Japan may visit autocrat with timid smile N. Korea in kidnap probe

S

yria’s President Bashar al-Assad, poised to return to power in Tuesday’s vote, is an autocrat with a courteous appearance, a cross between family man and warlord.

Unlike Iraq’s Saddam Hussein and Libya’s Moamer Kadhafi, now both ousted and killed after decades in power, the gangly Assad hardly resembles the stereotypical Middle East strongman.

With their rugged features and stern looks, Kadhafi and Hussein were often pictured in military fatigues or traditional Bedouin clothes.

Assad, 48, tends to appear in smart suit and tie, looking more like a senior civil servant or bank manager than the head of state of a country at war.

The former ophthalmologist’s fate changed radically when elder brother Bassel, lined up to inherit power from Syria’s strongman Hafez alAssad, was killed in a 1994 road accident in Damascus.

Bashar al-Assad had to leave London, where he had met his wife Asma, a BritishSyrian and Sunni Muslim who

A Syrian man shows a ballot paper bearing the portraits of the three presidential candidates (from left): Maher Abdel Hafiz Hajjar, Hassan Abdallah al-Nuri and President Bashar al-Assad on June 3, during the presidential election. Photo: AFP/Louai Beshara worked for financial services firm J.P. Morgan.

He took a course in military studies and was tutored in politics by his father, a former military man who ruled Syria with an iron fist from 1971 until his death in 2000.

During that time, the younger Assad became a key figure in the Middle East, especially on the Arab-Israeli

file.

He inherited his father’s cold, enigmatic character.

When Hafez died, his son took over as president, following a referendum. A second vote – also with no rival candidate – was held in 2007.

On Tuesday, he ran against rival candidates for the first time – MP Maher al-Hajjar and businessman Hassan alNouri, little-known figures seen as token rivals.

The Assad clan hails from the minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, in a country with a large Sunni majority.

When Assad first came to power, he started out by relaxing some of the heavy restrictions on freedom that existed under his father.

But months later, the reforms evaporated and leaders of the “Damascus Spring” movement for political change were jailed.

When the Arab Spring reached Syria and protesters took to the streets in March 2011 to demand change, he launched a brutal crackdown and the revolt swiftly turned into an armed rebellion.

Over the course of Syria’s war, which has killed more than 162,000 people and forced nearly half the population to flee their homes, Assad has not wavered and shown no inclination to step down.

Behind a timid smile, he is determined to crush a rebellion he brands a “foreign-backed plot” waged by “armed terrorist groups”. AFP

reservations.phuket@nikkibeach.com

PRIME MINISTER SHINZO Abe may visit North Korea, Japan said Tuesday, days after announcing a deal to re-open the probe into Japanese citizens kidnapped by spies in the Cold War. Any such visit would be controversial, especially in Seoul and Washington, which have led the charge to further isolate Pyongyang over its ballistic missile and nuclear programmes.

Tokyo and Pyongyang have no formal diplomatic ties, partially because of what Japan says is the North’s unwillingness to come clean over the abductions in the 1970s and 1980s.

But in a breakthrough last week, they said an investigation into the fate of missing Japanese would be re-opened.

In exchange, Japan would ease some of the unilateral sanctions it has imposed on the isolated state.

“We must think constantly what would be the most effective response and method in order to bring results,” Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told a parliamentary committee.

“In doing so, we will consider (Abe’s) making a visit to North Korea,” he said, according to Jiji Press news agency.

Kishida noted that the government needed to act swiftly as families of kidnap victims are increasingly elderly, but said that nothing had been decided about a possible prime ministerial visit yet.

Abe’s right-hand man, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, said at the weekend that the government would send officials to North Korea to monitor the probe.

North Korea admitted in 2002 to having abducted 13 Japanese people as part of a scheme to train its spies in customs and language.

Five of them returned home but Pyongyang said without producing credible evidence that eight of them had died, provoking an uproar in Japan.

There are suspicions in Japan that dozens – perhaps hundreds – of people were taken. The abductions issue is a highly emotive one that colours all of Japan’s dealings with North Korea.

However, the international community, led by Washington, is primarily focused on ridding the unpredictable regime of its ballistic missiles and its nuclear programme. AFP thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

WORLD NEWS 13

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Hero or deserter?

Debate rages in US over POW Bergdahl’s release Mathieu Rabechault

olitical and military officials in the US warmly welcomed Bowe Bergdahl’s release in Afghanistan, but questions about the circumstances of his kidnapping are becoming more insistent, with some soldiers accusing him of desertion.

From the White House to the Pentagon, officials have celebrated the recovery, after five years, of the 28-year-old sergeant from his Taliban captors; repeatedly citing the promise never to leave a soldier behind.

In his hometown of Hailey, Idaho, residents celebrated, with “Bowe’s free at last” signs posted alongside the traditional yellow ribbons tied in a show of support for US troops.

But unease quickly set in in other quarters about just how Bergdahl was captured on June 30, 2009 in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Paktika, where he was deployed at a forward operating base.

P

@thephuketnews

US President Barack Obama said on May 31 that US soldier Bowe Bergdahl (pictured above in captivity), held for half a decade in Afghanistan, has been freed. “Today the American people are pleased that we will be able to welcome home Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl,” said Obama, announcing the release of Bergdahl to US forces. Photo: AFP Some fellow soldiers, including members of Bergdahl’s unit, have accused him of abandoning his post, and perhaps even deserting in a bid to flee to India.

“Every member of my brigade combat team received an order that we were not allowed to discuss what happened to Bergdahl for fear of endangering him. He is safe, and now

it is time to speak the truth,” Nathan Bradley Bethea wrote in the Daily Beast website.

“And that the truth is: Bergdahl was a deserter, and soldiers from his own unit died

trying to track him down.”

Six soldiers died during failed efforts in 2009 to recover Bergdahl, Bethea alleged.

Bergdahl – then 23 and a member of Blackfoot Company, in the 1st Battalion of the 501st Infantry Regiment – left the base on foot, leaving his helmet and rifle behind but taking a compass, he wrote.

“His fellow soldiers later mentioned his stated desire to make his way from Afghanistan to India,” Bethea wrote, nevertheless adding: “I believe that Bergdahl also deserves sympathy.”

On Facebook, a group named: “Bowe Bergdahl is NOT a hero” – which had in excess of 1,500 likes on Monday – was circulating a petition asking the White House to punish Bergdahl for going AWOL (absent without leave).

“He walked off,” former private Jose Baggett, another member of Blackfoot Company, told the CNN network.

“He was there to protect us, and instead he decided to ... go and do his own thing.” AFP

IN BRIEF LIBYA

Fierce fighting kills 21 in Benghazi

Fierce fighting between Islamists and a rogue Libyan general’s forces in Benghazi killed 21 people on Monday, as violence intensified following the launch of an “anti-terrorist” campaign.

Hospital officials in the eastern city, the birthplace of the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi, said at least 11 soldiers were among the dead and 112 people wounded.

The gover n ment of outgoing prime minister Abdullah al-Thani said it was holding an “emergency meeting” on the violence.

ARGENTINA

30-years for killer of French tourists

A court in Argentina Monday sentenced to 30 years in prison the man who raped and killed two French women tourists out for a hike.

Gustavo Lasi, 27, raped and then murdered Cassandre Bouvier and Houria Moumni, in 2011 when they were visiting a park in the country’s northwest.

14 BUSINESS NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

WTO report offers food for thought on shopping Alasdair Forbes execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

T

Olivier Garrivier

Sofitel in Krabi signs up new exec chef THE SOFITEL KRABI PHOkeethra Golf & Spa Resort has appointed Frenchman Olivier Garrivier as Executive Chef.

Mr Olivier was previously executive chef at the Radisson Blu in Tunisia. He has more than 14 years’ experience in kitchens, including three years with the Sofitel Metropole Hanoi.

“Sofitel is renowned for its culinary expertise, and I look forward to introducing diners to my own particular range of traditional French cuisine with a modern twist” said Mr Olivier.

“I am keen to build on Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort’s reputation as one of the best dining experiences in Krabi,” he added.

he announcement (see The Phuket News May 16 edition) that the island is to get another large shopping mall – its largest yet – the Blu Pearl Phuket, coincides with the publication of a 60-page report from the World Tourism Organization (WTO) on shopping.

Shopping has come a long way from the days when mum would pop down to the shops to buy some groceries or take the kids to buy new school uniforms.

It’s gone from a chore (pleasant for some, boring for others) to become a “lifestyle activity” and now, according to the WTO, a very significant component of tourism which, as everyone in Phuket knows, is (to quote the WTO) “a driver of global economic growth and development”.

“Shopping has converted into a determinant factor affecting destination choice, an important component of the overall travel experience and, in some cases, the prime travel motivation,” says Taleb Rifai, WTO Secretary General, in his introduction to the report, Global Report On Shopping Tourism.

The WTO admits there are problems separating the amount tourists spend on shopping from what they spend on flights, hotels, tours and other

The WTO’s report on shopping as a key component of tourism offers plenty of insights for those involved in the industry. activities. But it gets help from the main credit card companies and from the figures for tax refunds for tourists offered in many countries.

Certainly, shopping is a huge, and growing component of tourism. “Shopping for pleasure is no longer a purely incidental activity to dip into while travelling for leisure.

Today, for millions of tourists, it represents the principal – or one of the principal – motivations for travelling,” the reports says.

It may even go further.

Lorrie King, Audit Partner of Deloitte Canada, asks, “Does shopping drive tourism or vice-versa?”

“There are key indicators linking the prominence of retail with the performance of tourism to the extent that tourism boards have begun to build campaigns promoting their cities as prime shopping destinations,” she writes.

“Are the days of enticing people with ‘what to see’ gone?

Are travellers now looking for ‘what to do’? Perhaps the answer to becoming a destination of choice now lies in the quality of its retail offerings.”

The report does not confine itself to malls and luxury goods when it looks at shopping.

The shopping experience in any country, it points out, ranges from roadside stalls selling food through vending machines to markets to urban centres and out-of-town mall and entertainment complexes.

Shoppers, too, can be divided into different categories.

For example, in New York City – where the most popular activity among the 10 million people who visit the city every year is shopping – the shoppers can be broken down into three categories – souvenir shoppers, goal-driven shoppers (a specific camera in mind, or a wedding dress, for example), and visitors for whom shopping is an essential part of discovering and experiencing the city.

The report offers case studies, advice on benchmarking the shopping attractiveness of a destination, and a section on Chinese tourists specifically.

The report notes that according to WTO data, “in 2012 China beat yet another world record becoming the largest spender on international tourism globally, as travellers from the country spent a record US$102 billion in international tourism during that year.

“By early 2015, WTO esti-

mates that Chinese travellers are expected to take more than 100 million overseas trips. By 2020 the figure should double to 200 million.”

And they spend a lot on shopping: “A study by Global Blue carried out in 2012 confirms this, with 68 per cent of respondents spending 21-50 per cent of their total travel budget on shopping.”

The numbers for AsiaPacific are drool-worthy. The section on the region quotes figures from Mastercard: in 2013, in the top 10 Asia-Pacific destinations, tourists spent a total of just under US$100 billion (B3 trillion). Bangkok topped the table, sucking up $14.3 billion (B430 billion).

In its conclusions, the report looks beyond plain shops and malls to the implications for destinations that want to attract shopping tourists.

Its recom mend at ions include developing public services, infrastructure and access to energy; developing financial services to support tourism businesses; improving workforce education; coordinating promotion and marketing; elimination of anti-competitive practices; and liberalisation of commerce and removal of trade barriers.

There is plenty of food for thought here for Phuket’s officials and all those in the retail industry. The reports can be downloaded free from tinyurl.com/WTO-shopping

Chartering a boat in Phuket

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CHARTERING A BOAT IS the only way to fully appreciate the stunning archipelagos of picturesque islands that surround Phuket. The charter fleet at Princess Yachts SEA features boats ranging from 13m to 23m in length and includes several brand new, fully equipped motor yachts.

Phuket’s spectacular marine environment attracts increasing numbers of sailing and motor craft to the island’s marinas and bays every year.

This also means more and more boats are being made available for charter, either for day trips around Phang Nga Bay or for longer cruises.

Different types of charter vessel suit different people’s needs, so it’s best to consider all the options and then match them to your idea of a perfect sailing experience. Here are

some of the choices offered in Phuket.

Bareboat and crewed sailing charters are designed for experienced sailors with the skills and certifications to skipper their own yacht.

A variety of sailing vessels are now available through agents for bareboat charters off Phuket, but most also come with their own skipper and crew.

Fly-bridge motoryacht and superyacht charters offer an altogether more indulgent, luxury cruising experience and come with a full crew and service staff to care for guests in style.

Flybridge yachts feature an upper navigation and relaxation deck with unobstructed views, which also means more space for guests to spread out and enjoy the boat.

Superyachts are skippered and crewed sailing or motor yachts over 30 metres in length, with luxurious furnishings, air-conditioning throughout and exclusive facilities for ultra-comfortable day or overnight cruising.

Princess Yachts SEA offers an impressive selection of yachts for charter from its base at Boat Lagoon. Rico Stapel, the company’s resident charter specialist, guides charter guests in making the right vessel choice.

Whether you prefer to run like the wind or sip cocktails on the fly-bridge, chartering a boat from Phuket will make your seafaring fantasies real.

For more information visit www.princessyachtssea.com/ charter or contact Rico Stapel, Marketing & Charter Manager, by calling +66 8 66 900 444. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Economists propose plan to boost growth T

he Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking has proposed a three-pronged strategy aimed at boosting economic growth, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and enhancing foreign investor confidence.

At the same time, economic growth of between 2 and 2.5 per cent is expected this year on the back of resumed public stimulus measures.

Requesting a two-year extension of the 7-per-cent value-added tax (VAT), the 20-per-cent corporate income tax and lower personal income tax, as well as accelerating free trade agreements with potential countries for exports and investments, are among the planned economic stimulus measures, Thai Bankers’ Association (TBA) chairman Boontak Wangcharoeng said after a meeting on Monday (June 2).

He said hastening the appointment of a new Board of Investment (BoI) main board aimed at accelerating investment incentive approval

The committee expects growth of up to 2.5% this year due to a rise in domestic consumption. Photo: George Walters to large-scale projects worth B660 billion was another notable measure proposed by the committee.

The committee comprises the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) and the TBA. Gen Chatchai Sarikalya, deputy head overseeing economic affairs, recently said VAT would be maintained at 7 per cent for at least a year.

Since SMEs have been experiencing a liquidity shortage due to the slowdown, the Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation should consider raising its

credit guarantee from 18 per cent to 50 per cent in order to offer a greater chance for SMEs to get loans from banks, said Mr Boontak.

He expects commercial bank loans to grow 10 per cent this year, up from the 6-8 per cent forecast projected earlier, in the wake of the stimulus measures initiated by the military government.

The economy is expected to grow by 2 to 2.5 per cent this year due to a rebound in domestic consumption, as many farmers have received their overdue rice payments, while investments would im-

New work permits slow to standstill THE LATEST FIGURES from the Provincial Employment Office show that the number of valid work permits came to a halt in April, in fact dropping back by six to 10,491.

The effects of nervousness caused by the coup are unlikely to kick in until the June figures are out. @thephuketnews

prove on the back of disbursing the rest of this year’s fiscal budget and accelerating fiscal 2015 expenditure, said Mr Boontak.

Initiating the process of infrastructure development projects is another factor driving this year’s growth.

The three-pronged strategy will be discussed further with seven private organisations and the result announced next week, said FTI chairman Suphan Mongkulsuthee.

TCC chairman Isara Vongkusolkit said the committee saw the importance of assuring foreign investors and tourists alike that the domestic situation remained safe and secure.

ACM Prachin Juntong, deputy chief of the National Council for Peace and Order, said the new BoI main board would be named within a week and pending investment projects worth nearly B700 billion cleared within two months.

“This will boost the confidence of the business sector, as many investors have been keeping an eye on this,” ACM Prachin said. Bangkok Post

BUSINESS NEWS 15

BAAC depositors pull their money out in February.

Rice loan auction shows confidence A SIGNAL OF CONFIDENCE in the current regime came on Tuesday (June 3) with the total lack of public reaction to the Government Savings Bank (GSB) winning the auction to lend the government B50 billion to help finance the rice-pledging scheme.

The lack of reaction from the public was in stark contrast to the days in February this year when the Pheu Thai government tried to involve the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) and the GSB in paying off just B5 billion of the debt owed to farmers.

The BAAC suffered a mini-run as depositors rushed to pull their money out, and promptly backed away from

dthe deal.

On Tuesday the GSB offered to charge an interest rate of 2.1792 per cent, a record low for government loan auctions and less than three-year government bonds.

The first tranche of B30 billion was due to be drawn today (June 6), and the rest next Friday (June 13).

The Public Debt Office (PDO) called for bids from banks interested in lending to government for the scheme.

Thanks to ample liquidity at present, 12 banks joined the auction, offering to lend B140 billion in total.

The PDO plans to take bids for another B40 billion to repay the BAAC on June 12. Bangkok Post

16 WEIRD NEWS

THE BIG LIST Big appetites These guys regularly chomp down more food than normals can eat in a week. They are true gluttons for pinishment.

Joey Chestnut: With career winnings of more than US$200,000, 55 eating contest victories, and 15 eating records, Joey Chestnut is the top-ranked competitive eater in the world according to the International Federation of Competitive Eating or IFOCE (yes, that does exist). He has won the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest a record seven times in a row, and the Wing Bowl (chicken wing) contest for three years running. His records include eating 45 slices of pizza in 10 minutes, 183 chicken wings in 30 minutes, and 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes. His arch enemy for many years was Japan’s Takeru Kobayashi.

Patrick Bertoletti: Currently the fourthranked competitive eater in the world by the IFOCE, Bertoletti has won more than US$130,000 in his career and holds 23 world records. Among his list of accomplishments include a staggering 2.9kg of calamari consumed in 10 minutes, 1.75 gallons of ice cream in 8 minutes, 266 jalapenos in 15 minutes, and 7kg of strawberry shortcake in 8 minutes. In 2007, Bertoletti ate 9.5kg of grits (corn meal) in 10 minutes, which stands as the most food by weight ever consumed in a competitive eating contest.

Sonya Thomas: The former secondranked eater in the world (currently, fifth), Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas has been featured in commercials and won over US$100,000 in her career. She only weighs about 48kg, but holds over 20 world records – including eating 60 hard-boiled eggs in just under 7 minutes and a 2.4kg turkey in 10 minutes. Her most coveted record, however, is 40 hot dogs in 10 minutes at the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2011, the first year women were allowed to compete separately. She has won every Nathan’s hot dog contest since.

Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi: For years, Japan’s Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi was the face of competitive eating. The former no. 1 ranked eater in the world was dethroned in 2007 by Joey Chestnut in the hot dog contest, but he still holds several records. The most disgusting of which is 8kg of cow brains in 15 minutes, as well as 58 bratwursts in 10 minutes. In 2003, Kobayashi battled a Kodiak bear in a hot dog eating contest that was televised in America – he lost miserably.

Tim “Eater X” Janus: The third-ranked eater in the world is known for wearing a mask to disguise his identity during competitions and has amassed over US$70,000 in his career so far. Tim “Eater X” Janus holds six world records, including 5.8kg of burritos in 10 minutes, 141 pieces of sushi in 6 minutes, 4.7kg of ramen noodles in 8 minutes, 2kg of tiramisu in 12 minutes, and 71 tamales in 12 minutes. The New Yorker makes pizza for a living, and is said to be focused on setting that record later this year.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Mother devours 4kg of steak

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hat’s a lot of meat T he Big Texa n Steak Ranch in Texas is known for their eating challenge, where diners can try their hand at devouring a 72-ounce steak (along with several sides) in under an hour.

Mother of four Molly Schuyler not only shattered the previous restaurant record by wolfing down the giant meal in four minutes and 58 seconds, but actually completed a second one right after for a total time of 14 minutes and 57 seconds.

“The second one, I wasn’t going really for time,” Schuyler told local media. “There was

no point. I had to do it in under an hour, so I was fine.”

Schuyler, who weighs just 56kg and is a competitive eater, scarfed down a total of 4kg of steak, two salads, two

baked potatoes, two shrimp sides, and two bread rolls. The previous record was eight minutes and 52 seconds (one meal) and was set by Joey Chestnut in 2008, a known competitive

eater who holds several world records most notably for most hot dogs eaten.

A video of Schuyler’s feat was posted online and restaurant employees can be heard talking about local media catching wind of the event.

“This was an unverified event, but if accurate it is clearly an advancement for the female gender and humanity as a whole,” said George Shea, CEO of Major League Eating, an organisation that sanctions competitive eating events.

“The skills demonstrated in this exercise are directly relevant to the survival and success of the species.”

Tokyo police hunt serial urine splasher TOKYO POLICE ARE ON the hunt for a serial urine splasher after at least six cases in which the liquid was splashed over young women by a motorcyclist, a newspaper said last week.

The first case happened in mid-April in the north of the Japanese capital when a motor-

Bronson butters up for jailhouse brawl KNOWN FOR HIS BRAWLS in prison, notorious British inmate Charles Bronson once again buttered himself up and fought with 12 prison guards.

The reason for the fight?

Arsenal defeated his favourite football team, Hull, in the final of the FA Cup. English news outlets obtained a letter that Bronson had written to a friend earlier this year which recounts the events that took place after the match. He explained how he greased himself up in butter to give guards a hard time getting hold of him.

The guards, however, were still able to restrain Bronson and broke several of his ribs in the process.

“Obviously I had my reasons and I’d sooner swallow teeth than my pride,” he wrote

cyclist threw a cupful of liquid over a woman on the street, the Asahi Shimbun reported.

The colour and odour led police to the conclusion that it was urine, the daily noted.

Since then, five similar incidents have happened within a 1.5-kilometre radius, it said, citing anonymous investigation

sources.

The police believe it is highly likely that the same man was responsible, it said.

All victims were young women, teenage or in their 20s, and the man in a helmet threw liquid at their faces or upper bodies without saying a word, it said. AFP

Students discover 7,000year-old mummy in Chile A GROUP OF STUDENTS discovered a 7,000-year-old mummy during a trip to northern Chile, local media reported last week.

La Tercera newspaper reported that the find was made by chance on May 24 during a visit to the Morro de Arica site by local students.

The children, at-risk youths enrolled in an archeology workshop, were performing excavation work

when one found a strange shape under dog droppings.

Ancient archeological artifacts have been forced toward the surface following the powerful 8.2 earthquake that rocked the region in April, reports say.

Trip organiser Hans Neira said the discovery of the mummy, part of the Chinchorro culture, showed that the area should be declared a protected zone. AFP

in the letter, “sadly I came off worst – got smashed up ribs.”

Bronson is notorious for fighting prison guards. The Brit was originally jailed for seven years in 1974 and has been incarcerated on and off ever since. A film of his life, Bronson, was made in 2008 . thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Mai Khao eco-village hailed by Governor

04

King Naresuan 5: new film review

13

HUBEI HOLIDAY

Photo: Tauno Tõhk

Looking for China’s Monkey King > page 9

@thephuketnews

2 BOOKS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

The point of no return

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hat Do You Pack If You’re Never Coming Back? This rhetorical question is the title of a new book by Roberto Di Marco. Subtitled “15 True Stories of Those Who Left Their Past Behind”, the collection of short stories should appeal to many expats in Thailand and Phuket, who could relate to the familiar motives relayed by the Italian author – a psychologist, who, according to his bio, pens a “sexology” column in the Italian edition of Playboy and spends much of his time in Pattaya.

Based on such a profile, one might expect the book to showcase sexpats who bought a one-way ticket to Thailand driven by one thing in particular. But a quick skim through the the table of contents quickly extinguishes such thoughts. In fact, only two of the stories focus on Thailand, and it is relieving to report that they’re not another “schemed by a cunning bargirl” story.

The 15 main characters – six from Italy and the rest from France, Russia, Romania, Sweden, the US, England, Germany, Denmark and Spain – find themselves, for varying reasons, needing to escape their home countries, and end up in places like Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Philippines, Brazil, Cambodia, the US, Japan, India, Yemen, Ethiopia, China, Switzerland and even Siberia.

As the author puts it in his own words, “The book consists of true stories of people who have cut ties with

their countries, never to return, facing unknown and distant cultures. The protagonists are involved in the social life. We will see how they adapt or not adapt and the motives that pushed them to leave their countries, family, friends, and so on.”

The reasons for packing vary: there are those who needed to urgently flee something/someone out of the will for survival, those who were simply unsatisfied with their mundane existence, and, of course, those driven by a need for “adventure, discovery and inner enrichment”.

Marco goes on to explain that the reader, “will have a real, live portrait of every country, useful for those who want to get an idea of what life is [like] in other countries, as opposed to the experience of a tourist or traveler who is not involved in social life.”

The book is not only aimed at expats who can relate to the characters, but also those who might be considering becoming one of the characters – getting up and going to a distant land.

“The book is a mix of adventure, information and also some practical advice for those who are considering just such a change,” says Roberto.

The 257-page book is available through publisher Orchard Press in Bangkok for US$25. For more information, visit orchidbooks.com, or for more information about the author, see bobdimarco.com

Not-so-smooth sailing in the South China Sea

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he South China Sea, supporting a third of global maritime traffic and carrying a large crude oil and natural gas reserve, is “becoming the most contested body of water in the world”, writes Robert D. Kaplan in Asia’s Cauldron: The South China Sea And The End Of A Stable Pacific.

China’s claim of 3.5 million square kilometres of the South China Sea breaches areas claimed by Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, resulting in intensifying territorial disputes.

Thus Kaplan opens his first chapter, titled “Europe is a landscape; East Asia is a seascape”.

Asia’s Cauldron explores the threat of China’s increasing aggressiveness and dominance in East Asia, in light of declining influence of the United States and its military powers. As an expert in foreign policy, Kaplan brings us across East Asia, examining the unique histories of each nation, assessing the ideologies and motivations of each country’s leader and its people, and how World War II and the Cold War have changed the region.

Written as a cross between a travelogue and a policy prescription, the book presents a comprehensive look into the future of our corner of the world. Bangkok Post

Lives of expat women in Asia detailed in new book

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new book detailing the experiences of expatriate women living in Asia has been released.

Edited by Shannon Young, an American writer living in Hong Kong, the book How Does One Dress to Buy Dragonfruit? is the first collection to explore in depth the varied and unconventional lives of expat women in East Asia.

The contributors include published authors such as Leza Lowitz, Susan Blumberg-Kason, and Suzanne Kamata as well as up-and-coming writing talents such as Edna Zhou, Ember Swift, and Saffron Marchant.

“They are artists, filmmakers, singers, teachers, professionals, mothers, wives, and diplomats. Their stories explore love, loss, and identity, and examine what it means to be a woman abroad,” says Ms Young.

“Their stories go far beyond the stereotypical image of a trailing spouse at brunch, and give voice to a population that is often sidelined.”

How Does One Dress to Buy Dragonfruit? is available for purchase online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and will be available at bookshops from June 10.

The e-book costs US$9.99 and the paperback is USD$18.95.

The Phuket News has one copy of How Does One Dress to Buy Dragonfruit? to give away. To enter, email why you would like to win a copy, along with your contact details to editor1@classactmedia.co.th, with “Dragonfruit” in the subject line. Entries close June 13. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

COMMUNITY 3

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Nick Walker editor@classactmedia.co.th

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weden, a country of roughly nine million – only about a million more than that of Bangkok – is a nation that punches above its weight on the world stage. And this is in large part thanks to a number of Swedish multinationals and brands popular in Thailand and around the globe, including IKEA, auto giants Volvo and Saab, and clothing and fashion store H&M, which opened a massive outlet in Central Festival here in April.

On our balmy island, the Scandinavian nation’s most palpable presence here are Swedes themselves. And consequently, probably the highest concentration of rather good Swedish eateries in Asia.

Over 342,000 million Swedish nationals visited the Kingdom last year. Proportionally, more Swedes choose to enjoy their annual holiday in Thailand than visitors from any other country, with about one in fifty Swedes choosing to visit Thailand on a regular yearly basis.

In time, some decide they like it here so much that they stay, and so a community of almost 2,000 Swedes has now formed on the island.

This writer is one of them, of sorts, being Stockholm-born and of mixed Swedish-British parentage. And I recently participated in a meeting of my (half-)compatriots, to discuss our place in Phuket society, cultural differences that we have overcome or still struggle with, and other related matters.

The venue was the Phuket Town’s

unofficial Swedish Embassy – and an excellent place for a leisurely meal or coffee – Rider Bar. Its locally well-known proprietor is Stockholm native son Teddy Fagerstrom, who also works as a doctor at Bangkok Hospital Phuket, and plays bass in various bands around town.

Also among this distinguished panel of long-term Phuket residents were: Jenny Nilsson, originally from a town called Kristinehamn in central Sweden’s Värmland province, and assorted members of Kiesbye Scholtyssek clan, from Stockholm and now residents of Kamala.

What do Phuket’s Swedes like best about their home away from home?

“The way people respect each other here, and the overall level of appreciation of this virtue in Thai society in general,” Teddy says.

Jenny swiftly adds: “I quite agree.

In fact it wouldn’t be a bad thing for all Swedish children to spend some time here, to learn about the importance of respect, as the concept seems to have largely been eroded in Sweden among the younger generation.

“Furthermore, they would also observe Thai children and young adults doing things around the house that they would never do in Sweden, but should, in my view. Thai youngsters take on a remarkable amount of domestic responsibility, and that’s a good thing.

“Another point,” Teddy says, “the relaxed attitude to life here. The approach of: ‘Sh*t happens. Get over it quick, and get on with enjoying life again.’ That’s really healthy.”

“Pride in being Thai and pride for the country is something I really admire

Clockwise from left: Jenny Nilsson, Teddy Fagerstrom, Maria Kiesbye Scholtyssek, Maria’s older daughter Amanda Kiesbye Scholtyssek, Amanda’s half-Thai son Jack, and Maria’s younger daughter, teenager (13) Alicia Kiesbye Scholtyssek. Photo: Life of M23 @thephuketnews

here,” Jenny says. “National pride is also something today’s Sweden is losing.

Young Swedes don’t even know the words of the national anthem. To display any patriotism these days in Sweden, one runs the risk of being labelled a dangerous right-winger or racist. This is the downside of Sweden’s increasingly multicultural society. However, one can be both proud of one’s country and live in a multicultural society, in my view.”

As for cultural differences between Phuket and the land from whence we came, almost 9,000 kilometres to the northwest as the Thai International Airways jet flies, Teddy took a nuanced view. “Initially I didn’t really see any cultural differences – folk are generally the some the world over – but certain things revealed themselves in time.

“For example, although dubbed ‘The Land of Smiles’, as a small businessowner I do develop a frown when I order a service – say a simple repair job – and ‘Thai time’ kicks in, as well as obvious inefficiencies and a certain ‘mai pen rai approach’, leading to a knock-on effect on my business. But in general, most differences are positive. And those that are vexing, I’ve learned to take in my stride.

Living in Thailand does enhance one’s patience over the years!”

What form of culture shock made the most impact on one of the young members of our Nordic fraternity? “The driving!” the teenaged Alicia says, rolling her eyes for comic effect.

Nevertheless, the Kiesbye Scholtyssek Family has put down deep roots here. “I don’t greatly miss anything about Sweden now,” Alacia’s mother, Maria, states emphatically.

“Hmm. I do miss Kalles Kaviar,” Teddy says, stroking his ZZ Top-style beard. He’s referring to the cod-roe-based condiment and sandwich spread beloved by most Swedes.

“Oh, you can get it at the Swedish Bakery in Kamala,” Maria says breezily, and with the smile that shows she’s long found the best of both world’s as a Swede living on the Andaman Coast. She is one of many.

On this special day for another Kingdom (Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf is 18 years younger than His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej), The Phuket News wishes all the best to Swedes over the island – both visiting and residing – and indeed to their compatriots across a nation that is so close to many Swedish hearts.

Photo: Ola Ericson

Local reflections on being Swedish Famous Swedes

The stunningly beautiful Ingrid Bergman (19151982) was an actress who starred in a string of box-office smashes during the middle of the 20th Century. Bergman won three Academy Awards, among countless other accolades. The actress is best known for her role as Ilsa Lund in Casablanca (1942), in which she starred alongside Humphrey Bogart.

Raoul Wallenberg (1912-?) was a diplomat who is managed to save up to one hundred thousand Jews from certain death in Nazi-occupied Hungary during the World War II. However, in January 1945, Wallenberg was detained by Soviet authorities and subsequently disappeared. The motives behind Wallenberg’s arrest and imprisonment by the USSR remain a mystery and are the subject of continued speculation.

Tennis legend Björn Borg (born 1956) won 11 Grand Slam singles titles between 1974 and 1981, including five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles, and is considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time.

Stieg Larsson (1954-2004) was a Swedish journalist and novelist. He is famed as the author of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, and its two sequels, all published after his death. Worldwide sales of these books are approaching 100 million copies, making him one of the bestselling authors of the 21st Century.

Agnetha Fältskog first found major fame as “the blond one” with the 1970s pop group ABBA, the most commercially successful act in the history of popular music since The Beatles. After the group disbanded in 1982, Fältskog enjoyed considerable success as a solo artist, interspersed by long periods of enigmatic seclusion.

Crossing the culture gap

In recent years, Sweden has received increasing numbers of visitors from the ASEAN bloc.

Blessed with stunning scenic beauty from the Arctic Circle to the Öresund Bridge linking the country to Denmark, and pictureque towns and cities packed with history, Sweden offers much to the visitor from East Asia and other parts of the world.

But a little knowledge of certain aspects of Swedish society, prior to arrival, will both minimise culture-shock and enhance one’s holiday-inSweden experience.

Unlike most of the West, shoes are always removed before entering a home. Not a big adjustment for Thais to make though.

A trickier adjustment for visitors is usually coping with the way of social relations. Swedes are often viewed by outsiders as reserved, introverted, solemn and reticent. Indeed, there is a perceived coldness to social interaction that can seem disquieting to the outsider.

However, this social detachment is out of consideration for the personal space of others, and is also simply part of the Swedish psyche.

Business visitors should be aware that Swedes tend to be highly egalitarian and are relatively less concerned over status and titles than most other nationalities. Swedes also maintain strict boundaries between work and private life, so being invited to the home of a business associate is rare.

Finally, there’s “Thai time” and there’s “Swedish time”. Swedes are punctual to a fault. It’s not uncommon for Swedes to stand outside the entrance to a party, checking their watches for the moment that the clock strikes the hour to enter!

4 ENVIRONMENT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Eco-village championed by Gov

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ocal village headman Somphon Tansakul has been named by the Phuket Governor as “Head Man of the Year” for his vision and efforts to position his village on the north of the island as a model sustainable ecotourism community.

Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut attended the opening ceremony of the Thachatchai Ecotourism Village (Moo 5, Thachatchai in Mai Khao sub district) on the evening of May 29, with ceremonies taking place on the Sarasin walking bridge.

The eco-village project has been championed by village headman Mr Somphon, who has had the vision in the last few years to develop this area as a sustainable tourism destination.

His tireless efforts, which include a number of economic and ecological

friendly community projects, have been been made possible by support from local businesses, community members, the governor of Phuket, as well as devoted staff and officers at the Phuket Marine National Park, Protected Areas Innovation Center, and Sirinart Marine National Park.

Capitalising on, while still preserving the abundance of natural resources in the area, vibrant Moken Sea Gypsy culture and the village’s overall excellent geographical location, this project is a great example of how tourism can enhance the community and environment rather than destroying it.

Drawing from local heritage, Mr Somphon’s programmes are designed to promote local cultural and environmental activities and generate revenues for the local community, which is one of the poorest in Phuket.

Mr Somphon has been working closely together with the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at the JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa to align their efforts in order to target this local community and maximise the impact.

A variety of community-based projects have been developed in conjunction with support by local businesses, such as buying their products and supporting their activities, as follows: • The Welcome Bracelet project has created employment for 30 local ladies, and produces between 5,000 and 10,000 items a month • The Jelly Fish project sees local fisherman gather pole-caught jellyfish and making local delicacies from the sustainable sea food • The Sea Gypsy Festival celebrates

the local seafarers’ way of life, and is an excellent community based tourist experience that is also possible for corporate groups to experience • Environmental excursions with the Marine National Park and Protected Areas Innovation Center provide opportunities for tourists to explore the mangroves on a kayak and with a local sea gypsy guide who shows them how they live their lives on the sea.

The uniqueness of these community driven initiatives is excellent and shows that sustainability is homegrown, especially in an area where the culture is very strong.

Readers are welcome to visit the eco-village in Mai Khao and experience some of these activities for themselves.

For more information in English contact Sean Panton on 083-391-5869.

Songkhla aquarium sending wrong message JOE DIVER Joe Blasy joeblasy@gmail.com

Joe Blasy is a dive instructor for Sea Bees Diving (sea-bees.com) in Phuket.

He can be contacted at joeblasy@gmail.com.

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promotional video made by the Songkhla Aquarium and posted on Youtube is going viral, but not completely for the reasons its creators intended.

The video, titled “Unseen Show in Asia – Aquarium Thailand” shows aquarium staff in scuba gear roughly man-handling sharks, rays and turtles for the amusement of onlookers. In the video, divers ride a large nurse shark, then pin it against the side of the aquarium and force it to wave one of its pectoral fins to the crowd.

The divers are seen roughly cuddling two small leopard sharks which look as if they want to get away badly. Turtles are adorned with T-shirts bearing sponsors logos and ridden like aquatic horses. Sting rays are spun like Frisbees, and so on. One shark is even used as an air-guitar, and no... it isn’t a guitar shark. Several aquarium patrons have uploaded similar content on Youtube which can be seen by searching Youtube for “Sonkla Aquarium”.

The video elicited a mix of emotions from mild disgust to outright rage by both Thai and foreign commenters.

“I’m not even going to look at the clip, its just pure f****** moronism. Anyone that would pay to go in an aquarium to look at that retarded behavior just defies words I can put on this page,” said Sam Kelly, a local expat dive instructor.

“Aquariums these days are the place for making money! I personally didn’t like the idea... They should operate it for educating

people! Yes. Your job is to keep marine life healthy, feed them on daily schedules, but to play with them that way...umm,” says Prasith “Mood” Boonsob, another local dive instructor.

Gwyn Mills of the Thai-based Dive Tribe Conservation organisation based in Pattaya had this to say: “[It’s] very sad to see and just another reason to boycott what is just a pathetic show for the public. If aquariums spent more time and money educating the public to the plight of our oceans and working with real conservation organisations trying to repair damage done, then this would be a major step forward.”

There is even an petition via avaaz.org asking sponsors to pull support from the aquarium. Readers can find it by Googling “avaaz Songkhla”.

Marine turtles are fully protected in Thailand, and one has to ponder the legality of the actions of aquarium staff witnessed in

the video.

I recently had a chance to discuss the Songkhla Aquarium video with the manager of our Phuket Aquarium.

“Not good...they should not be doing that,” he said.

The Phuket Aquarium is run by the Phuket Marine Biological Center, (PMBC), which is part of the Department of Marine Coastal Resources (DMCR). As a regular visitor to the Phuket Aquarium, I can confirm they do not play with sharks or harass turtles.

However, the Songkhla Aquarium is not part of the Department of Coastal Resources, but rather run by the Songkhla Or Bor Jor (municipality).

The actions of aquarium staff and the responses of many of the aquarium visitors illustrates the challenges marine conservationists in Thailand face when attempting to change the public perceptions towards endangered or vulnerable marine creatures.

It should be obvious to most that marine creatures are not our play things, and the Songkhla Aquarium should be ashamed.

Sharks, rays and turtles are majestic and graceful creatures, many of which are in great decline. We need a serious change in our attitudes before these Youtube videos are all we have left. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

HEALTH 5

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Dopamine – feel good, lose weight Photo: Mike Baird

HEALTH MATTERS Sarah Nockles sarah@santosaphuket.com

Santosa Wellness Center

With views of the Andaman Sea, the Santosa Wellness Center features state-of-the-art facilities, the centre boasts a five-star raw and vegetarian restaurant, a juice and coffee bar, eight colon hydrotherapy rooms, a pavilion with an expansive range of healthy activities, a herbal steam sauna, and a plunge-style ice bath. santosaphuket.com

W

e know that optimal health stems from an equilibrium between mind, body and spirit, so it should be no surprise then, that feeling good about yourself and losing weight are intrinsically linked.

There is quite a science behind the chemicals our brains release, which in turn impact our hormones, our mental and emotional state and finally the way in which our bodies function.

Today, I want to focus on how to stimulate dopamine, the “happy” chemical that our brain produces in response to pleasurable activities, like food or sex!

Known as the “reward” drug, in psychological forums, dopamine is also responsible for firing up metabolism and beating the blues into submission.

Feeling a little down? Lethargic? Uninspired? Suffering from weight gain or involuntary bodily movements, like the occasional twitch? Chances are, you are not producing enough dopamine. The best news – increasing the brain’s capacity to stimulate dopamine production is as simple as changing your diet and lifestyle… and it is so simple to do.

Tyrosene – In order to produce dopamine, we need to consume tyrosine. If dopamine is our brain’s happy fuel, then tyrosene is its engine. Our bodies synthesize and process it, and voila! Out rushes dopamine in response. Foods high in tyrosine include: avocado, blueberries, strawberries, prunes, banana (the riper the better), almonds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and lima beans.

Capsicain – the chemical compound in a chili that causes its heat. When we consume capsicain, our brains truly activate the pleasure versus pain response. When the body registers the heat in a chilli, it responds by activating a receptor named substance P. And this is where it gets interesting: our brain then tries to protect us by flooding our systems with the

Cadbury recalls pork-tainted chocolate from Malay shelves

C

Photo: Avi @thephuketnews

adbury Malaysia has recalled two types of halallabelled chocolate products after tests by the Muslim country’s Ministry of Health revealed the chocolate contained pork DNA. The chocolate products recalled were Dairy Milk hazelnut and Dairy Milk roasted almond bars.

On its Facebook page, Cadbury Malaysia posted, “We at Cadbury Malaysia understand that customers are disappointed to hear of the news on the recent test by the Ministry of Health on two of our products... We understand how important Halal is to the Muslim community...

“We would also like to reassure you that all other products made in Malaysia are not impacted by this test. We greatly appreciate your patience as we work through this matter.”

pleasure chemicals – endorphins and, you guessed it… dopamine!

Betaine – the amino acid known as nature’s Prozac. A natural antidepressant, betaine will not only lift your mood, it will get that dopamine production cog turning too. The best source?

Raw red beets.

Quercitin – consumption of foods containing the antioxidant used in the treatment of many neurological diseases, such as Parkinsons, is another fantastic way to trigger dopamine. The best natural source is the humble green apple.

Folate - another key component in dopamine stimulation – leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, papaya, lentils and chickpeas are fantastic sources.

In order to ensure a steady and reliable supply of dopamine, avoid junk.

Processed, sugar laden, calorie heavy food may give you a temporary high, but are proven to inhibit levels of dopamine production, amongst all of the other well

documented drawbacks. The Glycemic index plays a major role here – the more our blood sugar is prompted to rise and fall is basically equivalent to the amount that we are prepared to torture our brains. Regular exercise and adequate sleep are crucial too.

Why not challenge yourself? How are you going to get your dopamine boost today? How about indulging in a pleasure laden lunch – a special dopamine-boosting raw, organic salad, made with spinach, avocado, papaya, strawberries and blueberries, and a little added crunch – sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds!

An apple cider and chili vinaigrette could accompany your “happy salad” and of course, it should all be washed down with a beetroot and apple juice!

After consuming all of these dopamine triggers, a very happy day could only turn into an even better night… oh, did I neglect to mention that high levels of dopamine also increase libido!?

6 EDUCATION

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Congrats Class of 2014

T

he Phuket News would like to extend congratulations to all of the British International School, Phuket graduates. Here is a list of all 29 of the fresh graduates and their plans for the near future.

Alexandra Peremezhko – Undergraduate Degree in Biomedical Sciences; University College London (UCL), UK Anon Boswell – Undergraduate Degree in International Hospitality Management; Oxford Brookes University, UK Anusra Sachdev – Communication; Nanyang University, Singapore Bao Han Tran Le – Undergraduate Degree in International Relations; London School of Economics (LSE), UK Christopher Hickman – Psychology; Webster University, Vienna, Austria Dominic Lowry – Undergraduate Degree in Marine Biology; Bangor University, UK Hyun Kyu Jang – Undergraduate Degree in Primary Education with QTS; Edge Hill University, UK Igor Rudyak – Undergraduate Degree in Banking and International Finance; City University London (Cass Business School), UK Inthu-on Lueangworaphan – International Preparation for Fashion (Certificate in Higher Education); University

of the Arts London (London College of Fashion), UK Jack O’Brien – Law and Geological Science; University of Canterbury, New Zealand Jooyeon Shon – Fashion Design; Yonsei University, Korea Joshua Aarons – Entrepreneurship opportunities in Sweden Josie Ann Paul – Undergraduate Degree in Psychology with Professional Placement; Cardiff University, UK Katie Mitchell – Undergraduate De-

gree in International Hospitality Management; Oxford Brookes University, UK Ksenia Gruneva – Undergraduate Degree in Management Studies; University of Leicester, UK Liam Kealy – Biomedicine; University of Melbourne, Australia Linna de Crissey – Undergraduate Degree in Marketing Communications; Bournemouth University, UK Louis Kapschefsky – Proceeding to the German Navy Luke Phillips – Undergraduate De-

gree in Law; University of Nottingham, UK Metavee Anderson – Undergraduate Degree in Accounting and Finance with Industrial Experience; University of Exeter, UK Napasorn Leelasinlapasart – Undergraduate Degree in Chemistry with Biomedicine; King’s College London, UK Nathanon Khanijow – Foundation Diploma in Art and Design; University of the Arts London (Central Saint Martins), UK Paul Mulloy – International Hotel Management; Institut Vatel Bordeaux, France Peter McGoldrick – Undergraduate Degree in Business and Management; Bath Spa University, UK Phachara Henry Boucher – Gap Year followed by City College of New York, USA Piers Grassmann – Undergraduate Degree in Linguistics; University College London (UCL), UK Sophie Marie Manners – Undergraduate Degree in Journalism, Media and Sociology; Cardiff University, UK Young Ho Kim – Hult International Business School, San Francisco, USA Yu Sasada – Undergraduate Degree in International Media and Communications Studies; University of Nottingham, UK

School uniforms help keep pupils in line THE WAY I SEE IT Richard Thézé info@headstartphuket.com

School uniforms are the norm in Britian (right photo: Robertvan1) as well as in Thailand and Malaysia, where kids gain a sense of pride from wearing them.

Richard Thézé is Lead Teacher Secondary English at Headstart International School, Phuket

A

fter completing my degree and obtaining my teacher training qualifications in Aberdeen in Scotland, my first job as a qualified teacher was at a large and unconventional school in Milton Keynes in England. It was very different from most schools in that there was no school uniform and teachers were called by their first names by staff and students alike. It was a great school and I enjoyed working there very much. It is where I learned to teach and still, as a teacher today, I draw on the valuable experience I gained there.

The reasons I mention my old school are twofold: Firstly, it is ironic that even though students were allowed to wear more or less whatever they wanted to, they all came to school each day dressed in largely the same way. Peer pressure, rather than school policy dictated which clothes were acceptable and that meant expensive designer jeans and trainers. Secondly, in June 2012, the Daily Mail newspaper ran a story about the school which reported the following: “Its free and easy ethos was once seen as the way forward in secondary education.

But nearly 40 years after the school opened, parents now seem to be less than enthused about its ‘liberal’ approach to teaching. The comprehensive school, which has no uniform and lets pupils call teachers by their first names, is facing a boycott from families who would prefer to send their children to traditional schools. And in an effort to win them back, governors have decided to scrap the relaxed clothing policy and introduce a uniform from September. The decision comes amid nationwide concern about the lack of discipline in today’s schools.”

There are a number of highly valid reasons why good schools have a uniform policy.

Such policies often also contain rules about hair, cosmetics and jewellery and, whilst they can be unpopular with some students and parents, school uniforms have some distinct benefits.

Primarily, school uniforms give students a sense of belonging to a particular school; they help to instil the spirit of teamwork and create an identity for the school in the community. It shows that students are part

of an organisation and that they and their parents buy into the values, morals and ethos of the organisation. Wearing it says we are all in this together. It is a badge of pride.

Just as importantly, a school uniform teaches students to dress smartly and take pride in their appearance. Uniforms help students to prepare for when they leave school and are required to dress smartly or wear a uniform in the work place. Despite the well-known idiom “you can’t judge a book by its cover”, a person’s style of dress reflects their sense of pride in themselves.

In other words, how we dress reflects who we are. Imposing boundaries can prevent students from resorting to extremes of dress, hair and make-up and are a way to teach them the value of a respectable appearance which is a lesson that can positively impact their self-respect and self-esteem.

Students in school uniforms generate a more positive, polished image of themselves, the significance of which should not be underestimated.

Uniforms by themselves cannot solve all of the problems of school discipline, but they can be one positive contributing factor to discipline and safety. Other initiatives that many schools have used in conjunction with uniforms to address specific problems in their community include aggressive truancy reduction initiatives, drug-prevention efforts, student-athlete drug testing, community efforts to limit gangs, a zero tolerance policy for weapons, character education classes, and conflict resolution programs.

Working with parents, teachers, students, and principals can make a uniform policy part of a strong overall safety program – one that is broadly supported in the community. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

COLOURING PHUKET!

@thephuketnews

KIDS 7

8 DINING

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Jazz and seafood the perfect duo Claire Connell editor1@classactmedia.co.th

Clockwise from top left, lobster; cold cuts; dessert table; and the selection of breads and cheese.

T

he island of Phuket is full of many fabulous places to enjoy a relaxing and delicious Sunday brunch, and Banyan Tree Phuket has firmly secured itself as one of the top places to enjoy it with its Live Seafood and Jazz Sunday Brunch.

Launched in April 2013, the brunch offers a wide range of dining options, suitable for the whole family.

Some of the highlights include the fresh live seafood steaming station, serving up steamed Canadian lobster or blue crabs with garlic cream or Thai seafood sauce.

As the name suggests, the seafood is the main highlight of the brunch. Recommended is the Norwegian smoked salmon (this reviewer’s favourite), and the fresh, made-toorder sushi. The freshly shucked oysters are also delicious.

Over at the barbecue station, you’ll find Southern Ocean crayfish, tuna, Wagyu

rump and marinated pork ribs, plus Thai style chicken on bamboo.

For something different, try the foie gras terrine or pan seared foie gras with fig jam, pistachio toast and condiments.

There’s also a great range of tapas, including delicious round potato hash browns

and bite-sized quiche pieces.

Once you’re full of all the meats, salads and seafood available, hopefully you’ve still got room for dessert. This is another highlight of the brunch – there is a wide range of sweet treats available.

Recommended is the fruit crumble – one of the best I’ve had in years – served with vanilla icecream. There’s also a chocolate fountain, where you can dip marshmallows and brownie pieces.

The Live Seafood and Jazz Sunday Brunch is held every Sunday – through both the high and low seasons – from midday until 3.30pm.

It is priced at B3,200++ per person including one bottle of French bubbly per couple, or B2,600++ per person including free flow of soft drinks and brews.

For reservations, contact Banyan Tree Phuket on 076 372 400 or send an email to FB-Concierge@banyantree.com

Japanese cookbook shares creative ice-cream recipes

I

f you are so fond of ice-cream that you are thinking of trying to make some of your own, this book is definitely for you.

Originally published in Japan as Yasai To Kudamono Ta-Ppuri Happy Ice Cream 100! and translated into Thai by Duangjai Sampanprida, this beautifully illustrated volume was penned

by Megumi Hasegawa, who studied Japanese literature in her home country and then went on to work for a firm of “interior coordinators” for a

100 Ice Cream Homemade by Megumi Hasegawa. Translated

by Duangjai Sampanprida. B295 while before finally turning her great passion for this popular dessert into a money-earner, opening a shop called Ice Cream Kobo BOBOLi.

Hasegawa starts out by introducing the tools needed for the job at hand.

These include a digital scale, whisk, rubber scraper and a commercial ice-cream maker (she discusses several different brands). She lists five rules designed to ensure you produce rich, tasty ice-cream and gives information on how to choose basic ingredients such as milk, whipping cream and granulated sugar.

The book is divided into five chapters which focus on ice-cream flavours sourced from a bewildering range of ingredients, including fruit, vegetables, wine, liquors, flowers and even cheese and yoghurt.

Some of the more unusual flavours Hasegawa champions are lavender, green asparagus, Japanese horseradish, red wine and oolong tea.

Each recipe has a list of required ingredients, detailed instructions on how to prepare and mix them and tips on how to achieve perfect results.

Bangkok Post thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

In search of some monkey business

Wudang Shan. Photo: Tauno Tõhk Karnjana Karnjanatawe

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TRAVEL 9

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

simian warrior with supernatural powers acquired through Taoist practices, the Monkey King is the muchloved hero of the Chinese literary classic Journey to the West. Most recently portrayed in a Hong Kong fantasy flick, the immensely strong protagonist – Sun Wukong in Mandarin – rebels against the Jade Emperor of Heaven and the character may well have been inspired by a real-life creature, the Sichuan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana).

This very distinctive-looking creature is now found only in a handful of forested areas in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi and Hubei and one of the few places that visitors can see the animal at close range is in Hubei’s Shennongjia National Park.

“The golden snub-nosed monkey is a rare species and is protected by the Chinese government. The importance of its existence and protection is on a par with that of the [giant] panda,” explained Lee Jun, who acted as our guide during a recent visit we made to Hubei, a province in the easternmost part of central China. “Anyone caught hunting these monkeys can be fined up to 100 million yuan [about B522 million] and face a prison sentence of up to 20 years,” he added.

Listed as an endangered species and included on the “red list” maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), it goes by a variety of names including Sichuan golden-hair monkey, snub-nosed leaf monkey, snow monkey and orange monkey. The fur on its body and limbs is actually a yellowish-red while its face is hairless and can look pale blue under certain light. It varies in height between 50 and 70cm, has a long tail and lives in montane forests between 1,400 and 2,800 metres above sea level where snow cover can last for up

to six months of the year. It eats seeds, fruit, tree bark, insects and small vertebrates and the IUCN estimates that there are now only 16,000 of them left in the wild.

“About 1,600 of them live in this national park at present,” Lee told us, adding that this figure was a substantial improvement on the situation a few decades ago when the local population numbered only about 300.As part of Beijing’s ongoing protection efforts, a team of rangers has been specifically assigned to take care of the snub-nosed monkeys in this park, feeding them daily with fresh fruit like apples. “Food is one of the most important factors in maintaining numbers, especially during the winter when the whole mountain is covered in snow. Feeding helps more of the monkeys survive,” Lee noted.

Before being allowed in to see the monkeys up close, we were told that there are two simple rules that all tourists need to follow. First, we had to don military-issue camouflage jackets to cover our own upper garments (presumably so that our garb would look like the uniforms worn by the park rangers, to which the animals have become accustomed). The second regulation was that the monkeys could only be fed peanuts that had been bought from park officials; this, our guide said, was intended to protect the monkeys from digestive problems or even poisoning from unsuitable foodstuffs.

A wooden walkway fenced on both sides leads directly from the visitors’ car park to the designated viewing area. A five-minute stroll along this brought us into the fringes of a pine forest where I had my very first glimpse of a snubnosed monkey. It was perched nonchalantly on the branch of a tree overhanging the walkway, munching on what looked like a piece of bark.Not far from me was a boisterous group of Chinese visitors. They began shouting and laughing and screaming when a monkey that they had been posing for pictures with got chased away by another, much bigger

Golden snub-nosed monkeys. Photo: Giovanni Mari specimen.A troop of monkeys, perhaps a family group, could be seen on the other side of a small stream, but they were in an area into which visitors were not permitted to venture. We had been instructed not to stray from the wooden walkway, but several of the monkeys saved us from temptation by coming quite near to us. I counted five scampering along the top of the fence or just sitting on it.

I gripped my camera tightly to my chest as I approached the first of them. I was afraid they might behave like those naughty macaques one often encounters in Lop Buri temples, sometimes aggressive creatures that grab or steal things from unsuspecting tourists. But these distant (and much more endearing) furry cousins of those Thai macaques didn’t seem particularly interested in us humans or our belongings, for that matter.They only had eyes for one thing: the tidbits we were carrying.

“Put a peanut in the palm of your hand and close your fingers around it like you’re making a fist,” was the advice from our guide, Lee. “Then extend your arm in the direction of one of the monkeys.”

So I did as instructed. The little fellow nearest me certainly had lightningfast reactions, reaching out both his

Travel information Thai AirAsia operates daily flights from Phuket to Wuhan via Bangkok. Visit airasia.com for schedule and prices.

The distance between Wuhan and Yichang is about 300km. Transportation options include domestic airlines, a high-speed train, public buses and passenger ships that ply the Yangtze River. Visit travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/hubei/yichang/transportation/ Shennongjia National Park has been open to foreign visitors since 2009. The entrance fee is 140 yuan (B731). Bring a jacket or a heavy sweater because this upland forest district is cool all year round. The average temperature during the summer months is 20C. Visit the Hubei Provincial Office website (en.hubei.gov.cn) or the Wuhan Tourism Bureau site (english.wh.gov.cn). @thephuketnews

Wudang Shan. Photo: Tauno Tõhk

hands to hold mine and then gently folding back my fingers to reveal the peanut underneath. It plucked the treat from my palm, broke open the shell and greedily devoured its contents.When I repeated the process with an empty fist, he again peeled back my fingers, but finding nothing edible inside he merely moved on to check out some other people standing nearby to see what pickings might be on offer.

Although visitors can stay and watch the monkeys as long as they please, Lee knew that our time was up when park rangers started to distribute apples around 10.30am. Most of the monkeys quickly abandoned us and darted over to the feeding spot, which was about 50 metres away across the brook. It was time to move on and explore other parts of this vast national park.

Shennongjia covers an area of 769.5km² and the main attractions, according to Lee, are unusual rock formations (he called them “stone forests”), a wetland area home to many varieties of bird and larger species of resident wildlife. There have even been sightings here, he claimed, of that mythical hairy creature, the Yeti (what some term Bigfoot).

Apart from its abundance of unspoilt nature, Hubei also has a number of historic and cultural attractions. A visit to Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan, the provincial capital, was an entertaining way to spend a few hours.

This is a great place to learn about the ancient state of Chu, which flourished on the territory of present-day Hubei during the Eastern Zhou dynasty, which developed its own unique culture, quite distinct from that of the Shang/Zhou civilisation of northern China.

Hubei is now best known, of course, as the location of the Three Gorges Dam, the largest engineering project of its kind in the world. It spans the Yangtze River in Yichang, the second largest city in the province.

The People’s Republic of China is a massive country and first-time visitors should be aware that travelling from one part to another may require considerable expenditure in terms of time and effort. If you want to explore Shennongjia National Park, as well as the cities of Wuhan and Yichang, you will need to allocate at least five days of your holiday to do them justice.

According to our guide, the autumn months of October and November are the best time to visit Shennongjia. The park is at its most beautiful at this time of year, he explained, as the leaves on all the deciduous trees change colour, creating impressive canvases in many shades of yellow, orange and red. Bangkok Post

10 EXPLORE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Banish the rainy day blues Ways to have fun in Phuket when the sun isn’t shining, and even when it is

Every now and then, the sun will come out, sending the rains on a break for the day. So when one of those days presents itself, it’s best to take advantage

I

t’s official – the southwesterly monsoons have settled in and won’t be checking out of Phuket until the year’s end – it may be the wet season, but that’s no reason you have to spend the next few months sulking at home indoors. There’s plenty to do on the island these days, much more than ever before. The Phuket News has compiled a list of recommended activities for the wet season – ideal for an outing with friends or family, if not some good old “me time”.

PLAY ALL DAY

With the recent expansion and official grand opening of The Kids Club in Patong, children now have a new safe and fun place to play, bake and learn magic tricks all day long.

While kids partake in one of the fun activities, or simply play in the padded adventure play area on the entire second floor – the island’s biggest indoor playground – of the Promenade Mall off Rat-U-Thit Road, parents can work or relax in the large, wi-fi serviced lounge area, or enjoy a break out on the town, leaving

their little ones under the supervision of friendly and trained staff.

Operated by St James Properties, the 800sqm venue was upgraded last month with the installation of imported playground equipment including bigger slides, a climbing wall, adventure walkways, a trampoline, a flying fox, party rooms and an indoor soccer pitch – plus a “tired tots” rest area.

Creative cupcake franchise Joob Joob is also offering incredible edibles and edutainment at the Kids Club with a daily variety of freshly baked cupcakes, crepes, waffles and natural ice cream, plus Illy coffee at the colourful counter and in comfy chairs in the lounge area. Children and adults can learn the secrets of Joob Joob’s famous creative cupcakes from the Joob Joob sisters, Ant and Kea. Classes can be booked in advance and are conducted in English, Thai and French.

More recent additions to The Kids Club expansion are a Magic Shop run by resident magician Koko the Clown, who performs magic shows and teaches young customers how to do their own magic tricks, plus a party supply store with shelves stocked full of themed treats and toys to make any kind of party go off with a bang. Customers can also order helium balloons at the store.

The Kids Club is open daily 10am to 9pm. For more information visit thekidsclubphuket.com

SURF’S UP

Along with the monsoon winds has come the swell. But perhaps you’re not quite ready yet to paddle out into the

fury that is the Andaman Sea. For all you aspiring surfers who can’t ride the waves on Kata, Surf House is your golden ticket. Flowboarding is one of the region’s fastest growing sports, and the centre has several professional riders who will help anyone “hang ten”.

After you’ve finished catching waves, take advantage of their wide variety of cocktails, drinks and meals.

Surf House is the place to be for twofor-one specials and discounted rides, all just one block away from the beach.

Every Friday night, ladies can ride free from 9pm to 11pm while riders can enjoy a free sangria (with a food purchase) from 2pm to 8pm during Sangria Sundays!

Surf House is open daily 10am to midnight. For more information visit surfhousephuket.com

MAKE A SPLASH

Every now and then, the sun will come out, sending the rains on a break for the day. So when one of those days presents itself, it’s best to take advantage. Splash Jungle is the island’s only water park and features a number of zones and slides suitable for everyone – whether for grandma or little and big kids alike. For those who seek a little (if not a lot of) spin and thrill with their splash, you’re definitely in for a treat with the Boomerango and Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, youngsters can get their kicks on one of the many kids’ slides as well as the Aqua Play pool. But if lowkey relaxation is what you seek, then max out in the wave pool or on a tube tour of the Lazy River. thephuketnews

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EXPLORE 11

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Surf House is open daily 10am to 6pm. For more information visit splashjunglewaterpark.com

IT’S FUN FORE SURE

Phuket Adventure Mini Golf is not your typical amusement park. Instead, think of this Bang Tao destination as a shrunken-down version of real golf (18 holes), complete with sand traps and challenging obstacles that make those hole-in-ones worth it. The course is floodlit, perfect for twilight and night golfing. In addition, their restaurant – “Off Course” – has some of the best pizza on the island. You can combine both with their Fun and Easy Package that includes a round of 18 holes, a drink, a meal, and some premium gift! Perfect for children and adults alike.

Phuket Adventure Mini Golf is open daily 11am to 11pm. For more information visit phuketadventureminigolf.com

In the age of “selfies”, vanity is no longer considered sinful or shameful – it’s actively encouraged. There’s one particular place in Phuket where you can go to take dozens of self-portraits.

And you can be sure that each pic is a potential masterpiece, at least it will be unique and command many ‘likes’ on your Facebook album, even if you’re not Thailand’s next top model! We’re talking about the Phuket Trickeye Museum, of course. This fairly new attraction, located on the corner of Phang Nga and Montri roads in Phuket Town is an interactive museum that simulates your creativity and imagination using “trompe l’oeil” (literally, “trick of the eye” in French), a special and trendy art technique that allows the viewer to magically become the subject of a realistic picture.

Phuket Trickeye Museum is open daily 9am to 9pm. For more information visit phukettrickeyemuseum.com

AN AMAZ-ING TIME

CULTURE CATCH-UP

Dubbed “Thailand Must See Show” Siam Niramit is an ideal show for both tourists and residents, adults and children alike. A truly magical experience for the whole family, get ready for stateof-the-art effects, flying ferries, uberintelligent elephants, sparkly costumes and an all-around finely-coordinated and inspiring stage production. The three-act, 80-minute (not including intermission) show features over 100 performers, lavish costumes and stunning set designs, and you may even learn a thing or two about Thai culture/ history. Other than the show, be sure to have a stroll around the cultural Thai village for some authentic souvenirs, or perhaps you would like to sip village spirits like only the locals can. The international buffet can be purchased with/without the show.

Siam Niramit is open six days a week, closed Tuesdays. For more information visit siamniramit.com

ILLUSIVE IMAGERY

@thephuketnews

And if the photos you got at the trick eye museum weren’t enough to impress your social networking circle, then try again, this time at Baan Teelanka or The Upside Down House, an all-new photo-friendly attraction on the bypass road. Here’s the chance to finally defy the laws of gravity and lounge around on the ceiling... Well, at least you can pretend you did with the convincing pics you’ll get. And there’s more, the site also features Phuket’s first and only maze, a 950 sqm garden hedge labyrinth designed by award winning Adrian Fisher Ltd of the UK. Baan Teelanka is open daily 10am to 6pm. For more information visit upsidedownhouse-phuket.com

THE GREAT ESCAPE

Chamber of Secrets is the island’s newest group-activity attraction. Inspired from an online flash game, you and your family, friends or colleagues are trapped inside one of three Thai myth/ history-themed rooms, and you’ve got 60 minutes to escape (don’t worry too much about claustrophobia, the Patong premises span 1,000 square metres).

This is where teamwork, communication and logical thinking comes in; Your senses will be fully engaged by fully-automated and state-of-the-art machinery to provide an interactive, dynamic and culturally-rich cinematic experience.

Chamber of Secrets is open daily

11am to 11pm. For more information visit facebook.com/cosphuket

LEARN A LITTLE

Phuket has plenty of museums to keep curious minds engaged for days. History buffs should head to the Tin Min ing Museum nestled in the hills behind Loch Palm golf course in Kathu, to learn about the island’s way of life before tourism came on the scene. And if history and heritage is your thing, then be sure to have a stroll through the Thai Hua museum (thaihuamuseum. com) on Krabi Rd in Phuket Town to learn more of the island’s cultural history, and in particular its Peranakan Chinese roots. Speaking of which, the historical Standard Chartered Bank building on Phang Nga Rd is set to reopen later this year as a Peranakan museum. But perhaps, history won’t keep the party captivated for long. If that’s the case, the aquarium at Cape Panwa (phuketaquarium.org) or butterfly garden (phuketbutterfly.com) in Sam Kong are always a hit for the kids.

THAT’S NOT ALL FOLKS Let’s face it, there’s so much going on in

Phuket, no matter the weather. Other than all the activities mentioned above, you can always enjoy a good old fashion time at the cinema, at Jungceylon’s SF Cinema City and in Phuket Town, where there are two theatres to choose from – though if you’re looking to catch an international flick, then you better stick to SFX Coliseum (sfcinemacity. com) at Central Festival, as the cinema at Ocean Plaza (phuketoceangroup.com) only plays Thai-dubbed movies.

And there are two bowling allies too – in Patong at Jungceylon (not so far from the movie theatre, jungceylon.com) which has optional bumpers for kids, while the other bowling alley on the top floor of Big C in Kathu next door to Central Festival (bigc.co.th), though slightly older, offers reasonable rates and decent food.

And don’t forget, Phuket is also home to two professional footy clubs – Phuket FC (11-a-side football club based at Surakul Stadium, phuketfootballclub.com) and Phuket United (5-a-side futsal club based at the Saphan Hin Gymnasium) – both of whom are midway through their respective seasons.

Tickets for matches are only B100. See sports pages for the next matches.

12 TECHNOLOGY IN BRIEF NSA scoops up images for facial recognition

The US National Security Agency is scooping up large quantities of images of people for use in facial recognition programs, reports said last week, citing top secret documents.

Documents, obtained from fugitive former intelligence analyst Edward Snowden, show an increase in reliance on facial recognition technology.

The report said software was being used to exploit images included in intercepted emails, texts, social media posts, and other communications.

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

WWDC 2014: bite-sized breakdown J.P. Mestanza editor2@classactmedia.co.th

One of the biggest improvements is the ability to streamline all of your work across every Apple device

The Pirate Bay co-founder arrested

The co-founder of filesharing website The Pirate Bay, Peter Sunde, was arrested in southern Sweden after two years on the run, Swedish police said last week.

Police said the 35-yearold has to serve an eightmonth prison sentence for violating copyright laws he received from an appeal court in Sweden in 2010.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

E

very year, software engineers and computer enthusiasts flock to the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) to learn about the company’s latest innovations and products. The keynote address, which took place last Monday (June 2) saw Senior Vice President Craig Federighi introduce some much-anticipated updates, and provide yet more reasons for Apple-heads to rejoice.

OSX Yosemite Move aside Mavericks – it’s another year, another new operating system. Aside from polished aesthetics, OSX Yosemite also has streamlined search (Spotlight) with a display in the middle of the desktop that allows users to launch apps and tap into internet sources.

The OS also brings muchneeded updates on email, with at-

From top: Continuity allows photos to be viewed across all Apple devices. Apple’s Craig Federighi introduces OSX Yosemite during the keynote address at WWDC 2014.

tachments allowed up to 5GB and the ability to doodle on pictures in email. In addition, the Notification Center works similar to the iOS device, allowing users to execute several functions in one place. iOS 8 The Notification Center is now interactive as users have the ability to respond to messages, send photos, and reply to emails, without having to open the corresponding app. Group messaging is now available with shared locations and the talk-to-talk feature is much more prominent. In addition, third party developers can now make widgets for the Notification Center.

HomeKit Users now have the ability to control their household items through their phone (provided the items are integrated with specific Apple hardware). Certain devices (doors,

ovens, thermostats, etc) can be grouped into “scenes” and integrated with Siri.

“You can say something like ‘get ready for bed’ and be assured your garage door is closed, your door is locked, the thermostat is lowered and the lights are dimmed,” Federighi said.

Continuity One of the biggest improvements is the ability to streamline all of your work across every Apple device. Handoff, a new Apple feature, allows iPhones, iPads, Macbooks, and iMacs to communicate with each other in real-time. That means a draft of an email on one device can be finished in another.

The feature is most prominent in messaging (text and phone). If a friends calls your iPhone, the user can pick it up on their desktop or Macbook, complete with ID, and use it as a speaker phone.

SilkAir Studio allows in-flight wireless streaming for users

W

ireless streaming has finally come to f lights coming in and out of Thailand through SilkAir’s new in-f light entertainment system.

SilkAir Studio allows passengers to use the wireless service, along with the existing overhead system, for a more diverse and customised in-flight entertainment experience.

The technology does not require passengers to download a separate mobile app prior to boarding but instead allows users to

simply turn on the system through their own personal mobile devices (laptops, tablets and smartphones).

The complementary service will also include use of

tablets for business class customers who are aboard flights for more than two hours.

“It is a service that will give passengers an innovative new way to enjoy entertainment content in the air, using personal devices of their choice to enjoy the latest and greatest programming from our SilkAir library,” said Leslie Thng, SilkAir Chief Executive.

The service will offer up to 20 films, 26 short features, and up to 100 music albums. silkair.com thephuketnews

FILM 13

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, FRIDAY,APRIL JUNE 4, 6, 2014 2014

IN BRIEF R-Pat, De Niro team up for flick

KING NARESUAN 5

Battling the Burmese FILM REVIEW J.P. Mestanza editor2@classactmedia.co.th

For the uninitiated, however, the story of this sequel works as a standalone film, as Nanda Bayin and his son are clearly The Joker and Two-Face to Naresuan’s Batman

Starring: Wanchana Sawatdee, Taksaorn Paksucharern.

Chatchai Plengpanich, Intira Jaroenpura, Jakkrit Amarat, and Napatkorn Mitr-em Director: HSH Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol Running time: 133 minutes

I

t’s not often that a Thai film piques my curiosity, but King Naresuan 5 did more than that.

It’s not just because it is an action flick based on historical events. What’s really interesting is that King Naresuan’s story – particularly in regards to the specific events that occur in this, the fifth film in the franchise – is ultimately a revenge tale, and I’m a real sucker for revenge tales...

Going into the movie, I knew very little about King Naresuan and the epic tale of the elephant battle that secured victory for Siam back in 1594. The battle is held in such highregard by Thai people that Royal Thai Armed Forces Day is celebrated on January 18 to commemorate the event.

The story of King Naresuan has been told in the previous four films, including how he was taken as a child hostage by the Burmese King Bayinnaung, and then – after being released – led a campaign against Bayinnaung’s successor, Nanda Bayin, to declare Ayutthaya a sovereign state.

King Naresuan 5 takes place over a period of several years, as Nanda Bayin’s forces surround Ayutthaya. King Naresuan (then a prince), a keen military tactician, attacks the Burmese troops and gravely wounds Nanda Bayin. Later, we eventually see Nanda Bayin’s son, Prince Minchit Sra, gradually inch towards warring with King Naresuan, to avenge his father’s death.

Meanwhile, the Thai royal accumulates power within his kingdom as a cast of side characters help give the story a bit more flesh. Some of these personalities include

@thephuketnews

21:30 15:10, 20:25 12:00, 12:30, 13:00, 13:40, 14:10, 15:45, 16:20, 16:50, 17:20, 17:50, 18:30, 19:00, 19:30, 21:15 14:40, 20:00 12:45, 15:30, 18:15, 21:00 13:55, 16:45, 19:30

World War Z sequel in the works

While Juan Antonio Bayona has already been tapped to direct the sequel to 2013’s World War Z, the film finally has a screenwriter attached.

Steven Knight, who wrote and directed the 2013 hit Locke and the Academy Award-nominated film Eastern Promises, will pen the script. Though the film was based on the 2006 novel, the storyline established its own plot with few similarities.

Knight will continue the storyline that the film established, though it is unknown how much of the novel’s plot he will incorporate. .

Tarantino will still shoot Hateful Eight childhood friends, a mute elephant keeper, and a military-minded monk. Things escalate when Nanda Bayin begins abusing Naresuan’s sister, Supankulayanee, who was traded as a hostage for the release of Naresuan years earlier.

For the uninitiated, however, the story of this particular movie works as a standalone film, as Nanda Bayin and his vice-royal son are clearly The Joker and Two-Face to Naresuan’s Batman. The tale culminates in an epic clash of warring elephants, which is foreshadowed in the beginning of the movie.

If we do have one quibble, considering that the film is one of the most expensive Thai productions ever made, and several assistants from The Hobbit were on staff, the effects could have been better. Several times, the battles scenes suffer from unrealistic backgrounds and over-used CGI (computergenerated imagery). The aforementioned elephant battle at the end, while epic in scope, was a missed opportunity for the film to redeem itself and put the action back into a believable and satisfying place.

That said, many of the scenes are brilliantly acted and hit the right notes, namely the showcase of evil that takes place in Burma and most of the non-CGI battle scenes.

Ultimately, as well as being a fascinating slice of history, King Naresuan 5 is a moving story that needed to be told and heard.

SFX Coliseum Phuket (Central Festival)

Bad Neighbours (E) Godzilla (T) King Naresuan 5 (T/E sub)

X-Men: Days of Future Past (E) X-Men: Days of Future Past (G) X-Men: Days of Future Past (T)

French director Olivier Assayas is set to direct both Robert Pattinson and Robert De Niro in Idol’s Eye. The film, which also stars Rachel Weisz, is based on a 2007 Playboy article that told the story of a group of thieves who mistakenly robbed a pawn shop owned by Chicago mafia boss Tony Accardo.

Billed as a “sophisticated heist/action thriller”, Idol’s Eye does not have a set release date yet.

The Hatef ul Eight, the new film written by Quentin Tarantino, will go into production in November 2014.

The film’s plot revolves around a band of stagecoach passengers stranded during a blizzard in post Civil War America. The cast list includes Bruce Dern, Michael Madsen, Kurt Russell, Amber Tamblyn, and Samuel L. Jackson.

The news comes as a surprise to many after Tarantino had publicly quit production on the film after the script leaked back in January.

US BOX OFFICE TOP 10 Film

Weekend

Gross

$70M

$70M

2 X-Men: Days of Future Past

$32.6M

$162.1M

Ways 3 AtoMillion Die in the West

$17.1M

$17.1M

4 Godzilla

$12.2M

$174.7M

5 Blended

$8.4M

$29.6M

6 Bad Neighbours

$7.7M

$128.6M

7 The Amazing Spider-Man 2

$3.8M

$192.7M

8 Million Dollar Arm

$3.7M

$28.1M

$2M

$6.9M

$1.4M

$81.1M

1 Maleficent

9 Chef 10 The Other Woman

SFC Jungceylon Phuket (Patong) Bad Neighbours (E)

12:30, 14:40, 16:50, 19:00, 21:10

Draft Day (E)

13:00, 18:20

Godzilla (E)

15:40, 20:40

King Naresuan 5 (T/E sub)

14:20, 16:00, 17:00, 18:45, 19:40, 22:15

X-Men: Days of Future Past (E)

12:30, 13:20, 15:15, 18:00, 20:45, 21:25

As some movies and movie times change every Thursday morning, after The Phuket News has gone to press, the accuracy of the following information cannot be guaranteed.

For up-to-date information, visit sfcinemacity.com, or call the cinemas directly: SFX Coliseum Phuket 076-209000 and SFC Jungceylon Phuket 076-600-555.

14 ENTERTAINMENT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Spreading the gospel Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter3@classactmedia.co.th

And since God’s story is not that complicated, neither are the songs, which provide for easy listening and an accessible path to understanding the story of the creator

L

ocal Christians and music lovers are getting hyped up for a free gospel concert on June 7 by newlyformed Thai gospel group W501.

The evening show will be held at the 4,000-seat Saphan Hin Gymnasium in Phuket Town.

W501 was formed earlier this year by a group of prominent Thai Christian musicians, led by Reungkit “Wern” Yongpiyakul, along with superstar composer, Boyd Kosiyabong.

The main aim of the independently managed group is to spread the word of God through music.

And since (the Judea-Christian) God’s story is not that complicated, neither are the songs, which provide for easy listening and an accessible path to understanding the story of the creator.

But W501 hopes to improve the quality and understanding of God's word through gospel music – made by professional Thai musicians and for Thai people.

To spread the word around Thailand, they're planning to create 52 songs – one for each week of the year – which they hope will be adopted and cherished by music lovers around the nation for years to come.

Not only will they spread the musical word through concerts, but also through music training seminars.

Group founder Reungkit “Wern” Yongpiyakul and the other eight members are backed by plenty of experience in the music

industry.

Before devoting his life to gospel music, Mr Reungkit was a producer and songwriter for Sony Music and Grammy, creating many hits for famous Thai singers over the last 20 years.

The most popular member of the band, Boyd Kosiyabong, is a Thai singer, songwriter and music producer, mostly associated with romantic and inspirational music.

Boyd created the popular label Love Is in 2004 and to this day has backed a number of successful singers in Thailand.

Other members include Saksit “Tor” Vejsupaporn, a Thai pop singer and pianist, and Wut Wongsunsern, formerly a member of The Begin band and part of the musical production team for The Voice TV show.

The other members are Paul Hudson, Bongkote Hudson, Pom Panya and Pissanu Saingam.

The group’s current tracks, to be performed in Phuket, include “Fill Me Up”, “Day of Praise”, “More”, “New Life”,“Come Back”, “I Need You”, “This Is The Time”, “My Heart Will Praise You”, all of which were written by Boyd.

Note that although the titles of the songs are in English, the lyrics are all in Thai.

For more information, visit w501.org and facebook.com/w501. The concert is free but you must be invited by a member of the local Christian community.

If you would like to be invited, call the Zion of God Church on 089 957 2443 or 080 943 1594.

The Voice auditions coming to Phuket Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter3@classactmedia.co.th

K

een singers will have a chance to appear on the third season of the popular television show The Voice when auditions are held in Phuket at the end of June.

People aged between 16 and 60 can audition for the singing competition.

Auditions will be held at the Millennium Resort in Patong on June 28-29. Foreigners are eligible to enter the competition but must provide evidence they live in Thailand, and also must speak fluent Thai. The Voice is a popular singing

television show which originates from the Netherlands, and is now shown in 40 countries around the world.

For more details on how to register, visit thevoicethailand.com or call 086 373 1783.

Thai superstar to root for island in futsal showdown with Chonburi

T

hai musician and soap opera star Pakorn “Dome” Lum, a celebrity team board member of the island’s pro futsal team Phuket United, has confirmed his attendance of the club’s June 8 clash with reigning AFC futsal champions Chonburi Blue Wave (See sports pages).

The superstar said that his soap opera acting obligations should be all clear by the Sunday showdown between Thailand’s top two five-a-side clubs.

Phuket United, currently in second place in the Futsal Thailand Premier League (FTPL), are looking to deliver

1st place Chonburi their first defeat of the season on Sunday.

The match, which is expected to draw another record turnout of more than 2,000 fans, will be both side’s 18th of the 30-fixture season.

Back in February, Phuket lost to Chonburi away 9-0. However, Phuket have not lost at home yet this season. thephuketnews

16 ISLAND SCENE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Gary Murray, CEO of owners Destination Properties, and Mark Whittle, Senior VP, Hooters.

HOOTERS COMES TO THE ISLAND

Celebrities at the opening included soap star and singer Louis Scott (second from left) and Tongpoom ‘Big’ Siripiphat (second from right).

Noi is crowned as the first Miss Hooters Phuket Thailand.

Hooters celebrated its grand opening on May 31 in Patong.

Miss Hooters International Marissa Raisor.

The local Harley Club enjoyed the scenery.

HELPING THE KIDS

The second Elephants for Orphans fundraiser for Baan Sri Thammarat Orphanage was held on May 31 at La Vie en Rose Restaurant & Wine Bar.

Developer Chitchanucha Pakdeesaneha.

GRAND OPENING Developer Chitchanucha Pakdeesaneha, second left, and Aaron Franklin (representative from Thanyapura).

Massa Luna Condo, Nai Yang Beach, held its grand opening party on May 31. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

ISLAND SCENE 17

FUN AND GAMES Nikki Beach Phuket held its first annual volleyball challenge on Sunday, June 1.

GIVING BACK Mรถvenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket team invited 20 underprivileged children from The Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation to visit the resort for fun activities on Saturday, May 31.

Teacher Larry Schultz, centre, and The Phuket News Executive Editor Alasdair Forbes, right.

KIDS AT CLASS ACT Phuket International Academy Day School (PIADS) PYP4 students and their teacher Larry Schultz took a field trip to Class Act Media offices. The children spent time learning about the newspaper, radio and television.

FUN TOGETHER The Together Festival was held at BITEC in Bangkok on May 31 to a rave reception.

@thephuketnews

18 EVENTS

FRI

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

MON

6 JUNE

9 JUNE

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

Aussies in Phuket Sundowner Free Sausage Sizzle for Aussies in Phuket (AIP) members (come along and become and AIP member on the night). Shades will be shouting a drink or two. Other drinkies available. From 6pm. Shades factory garden, Kwang Road, Chalong, 0864797471

Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs A family musical from London. A wonderful watch for children, parents and grandparents! A great visual treat with dances, music and pictures to be taken with your favorite character! Buy tickets at Villa Market - Chalong, Les Diables - Boat lagoon and Laguna Canal Village. For English call 0913260276, Thai call 0814776828.

SUN

8 JUNE

BBQ All You Can Eat at Shakers Mondays & Thursdays. BBQ all you can eat: pork, chicken, beef, prawns, fish and squid with salad buffet, cold and hot sauces, garlic bread, baked potatoes, potato salad and more for B325 per person. 7pm-11pm. Located in Patong on Rat-U-Tit 200 Pee Road next to Hotel Mercure. patongshakers.com

9th Laguna Phuket Marathon Pool Competition at Expat Hotel Pool Competition at 9pm. Expat Sports Bar, Soi Taipan, Patong. expatsportsbar.com.

Weekend Indulgence

Indian Curry Night on Fridays Come to Navrang Mahal in Karon Sea Sands Resort & Spa for an authentic Indian Feast every Friday in Karon Beach.

Try out our delicious naans, mutton vindaloo, chicken tandoori, dal makhini, butter chicken, samosas, lassis and many more mouth-watering dishes. For only 499/- nett and special reduced prices on drinks.

SAT

Leave all your worries behind and enjoy a day of pampering and relaxation with The Pavilions’ ultimate Weekend Indulgence, designed to make you feel on holiday - even if just for a day! Every Saturday and Sunday enjoy 50% off all our Spa Pleasures, heavenly treatments designed to revive and energize body & mind in the privacy of your own Spa sanctuary. After your pampering session, let us treat you to complimentary afternoon tea in pure Pavilions style! Spa opening hours: 10.00 am – 8.00 pm Afternoon tea is served from 3.30 pm to 4.30 pm Book your Weekend Indulgence by contacting: spa.phuket@thepavilionsresorts.com

7 JUNE

Welcome to the 9th Laguna Phuket International Marathon will take place on Sunday, 8 June 2014. The 8th event was another great success with more than 5,000 participants from over 50 countries join the race with start and finish at Laguna Phuket.

More Information - phuketmarathon.com.

Proudly supported by Class Act Media.

Phuket Walking Street Phuket Walking Street, “Laad Yai” is a Village & Community Development Potential Project (SML) of the “Old Phuket Town Community” in Laad Yai, Phuket Town.

The visitors can enjoy the Old Phuket Town atmosphere which benefit to the local economic growth in the Old Phuket Town community. Open every Sunday from 16.00 - 22.00 Hrs. For more info visit facebook. com/phuketwalkingstreet or contact: 089 474 5253. Proudly supported by Class Act Media: The Phuket News, Novosti Phuketa, Live 89.5, The Phuket News TV.

Phuket FC VS Roiet United Cheer on your hometown team Phuket FC,”The Ronins” on Saturday 7 June at Surakul Stadium,in Phuket Town. When they host Roiet United with kick-off at 18.30 pm. Come to join the thousands who will make it out at the stadium. Tickets are 100 baht. See more at www.phuketfootballclub. com Proudly supported by Class Act Media - The Phuket News, Novosti Phuketa, Live 89.5 & The Phuket News TV.

TUE

10 JUNE

Half Chicken Spit Roast Tuesdays and Saturdays: Half chicken spit roast with french fries, salad buffet, potato salad & gravy sauce for B225 per person.

7pm-11pm. Located in Patong on Rat-U-Tit 200 Pee Road next to Hotel Mercure.

WED

Jungle Yoga for Kids Spend a day in the newly opened Santosa Detox and Wellness Center in Kata and bring your children (4-12 years) to our FREE Jungle Yoga class this Saturday at 2pm. We will guide them through an adventurous, playful and fun yoga class. Parents can enjoy the day relaxing and enjoying healthy delicious juices, tasting some of our delicious vegetarian and raw food in the Santosa Restaurant and treat yourself with spa treatments form the Santosa Spa. Call +66 (0) 76 330 600 or visit www. santosaphuket.com for more information

Thai market night Experience an authentic taste of Thailand and simple a wide variety of dishes prepared fresh for you. Market night price is weight of chosen items every Monday at Ban Aroi from 6.30 - 9.00 pm. For bookings, please call Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort and Villas on 076 336 900 # 781.

11 JUNE

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

BBQ Ribs All You Can Eat Wednesdays and Fridays. BBQ ribs all you can eat with salad buffet and potato salad for B295 per person. 7pm-11pm. Located in Patong on Rat-U-Tit 200 Pee Road next to Hotel Mercure. patongshakers.com

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

THU

EVENTS 19

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

12 JUNE

MON

16 JUNE

Increase your memory power by 300%

Ladies night A women networking event full of surprises at the new Santosa Wellness and Detox Center in Kata. A great opportunity for women to meet, connect and experience a rejuvenating evening. We will treat you with massage angels; our amazing chef will offer some hors d’ouvres from our Santosa vegetarian restaurant AND you will also get to try some of our own Santosa handmade natural beauty products. We will finish the evening with a fascinating and insightful talk on anti- aging, this Thursday 7.00 pm. Call +66 (0) 76 330 600 or visit www. santosaphuket.com for more information

FRI

USA Memory Champion Ron White LIVE at Phuket Rajabhat University.

- Give speeches or presentations without notes.

- Recall names, faces and read faster.

- Train your mind to work like a human computer.

Full day seminar, Jun 16, 2014. Early bird, before May 31,2014 - THB 5,500 per personBring the mind of Einstein to your organization! Limited seats available.

More info visit phuketticketmaster.com

SAT

21 JUNE

the MUSICAL. All members of the Phuket Community are invited to attend this evening filled with drama, laughter, singing and dance at the new KIS Performing Arts Hall at the Kajonkiet Campus in Kathu. Entrance is free of charge. Please RSVP your seats by email IP@kajonkietsuksa.ac.th or call 082-4250104. Let the show begin! Proudly supported by Class Act Media.

THU

10 JULY

Multihull Solutions Regatta The Multihull Solutions Regatta Phuket will take place on 10th July to 13th July 2014.

Organized by the Ao Chalong Yacht Club,all private and charter multihulls are welcomed to participate. THB 4,500 boat entry including skipper/ THB 2,000 per crew. Proudly supported by Class Act Media.

EVERY DAY

13 JUNE

A Taste of the Orient Australian Business Forum: Phuket AustCham is pleased to welcome members and friends to the second Australian Business Forum (ABF) presentation in Phuket.

The ABF is a Chamber initiative, supported by the Australian Government. It facilitates business discussions, networking and knowledge-sharing. For this Phuket ABF event, we are pleased to present: Andrew Langdon, Executive Vice President at Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels and Hospitality Group. JLL’s Hotels and Hospitality Group is a global leader in real estate services for luxury hotels, select hotels and other hospitality properties.

Speaking from his experience with JLL’s Hotels and Hospitality Group and his knowledge of the Phuket hotel and tourism industry, Andrew will explore supply and demand, trading performance and major hotel transaction trends that have occurred in Phuket in recent years. And an Embassy Update. Following the presentation, guests can network whilst enjoying a selection of delicious drinks and canapés. Presentation starts at 16:45, The Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce (AustCham), Holiday Inn Resort Phuket, 52 Thaweewong Rd., Patong Beach, http:// www.austchamthailand.com/event-912414, office@austchamthailand.com

@thephuketnews

Retro Pool Party - Dewa Resort Saturday 21st June, 2014 at Dewa Phuket Resort on Nai Yang Beach from 3pm - 9pm.

Bringing you back to the good old days of Rock & Roll, Motown, Jazz, Pop, ... think polka dot pink, soda floats, breakdance, kids games that does not require batteries... think retro! THB 1,500 net / person.

Inclusive of food, Free flow selected beverages, Pop Sodas, Soda Floats. ** Prize for best Retro Dressed Male and Female Call 076 372 300 or facebook.com/dewaphuketresort, Dewa Resort, Naiyang Beach, sales2@dewaphuket.com

WED

Meze is a way of life that traces its roots to the beginnings of culinary history. Spanning cultures across the Middle East and beyond, it is a fun and explorative dining experience. Variety is a key element, with a potpourri of flavors, textures and spices.

Experience the epitome of oriental dining with a gourmet selection prepared by our culinary team including traditional Babaganoush, Hummus, Fatosh salad, Lamb Kofta and Chicken borek accompanied by crispy Pita bread. Our Meze Platter to share is available at The Plantation Restaurant throughout the month of June at 1 200 THB++ per couple, The Pavilions, Phuket, restaurants.phuket@thepavilionsresorts.com, 076 317600

25 JUNE

FREE Herbal Steam Sauna & Ice Bath

Art Exhibitions Oasis ed.Phuket

Roald Dahl’s MATILDA the MUSIC Kajonkiet International School Phuket (KIS) proudly presents Roald Dahl’s MATILDA

WAGYU TOMAHAWK STEAK An Australian Darling Downs Wagyu Tomahawk Steak Promotion! For sharing with a steak weighs approx. 1.2 kgs. At 2,990++ THB. Wagyu beef is praised the world over for its rich flavour and buttery tenderness. Enjoy an extraordinary breed of cattle. The naturally grain-fed beef with a marble score of 4-5, served with Madeira or peppercorn sauce and two side dishes.

Amari Phuket Resident Privilege Card holders will receive an extra 20% discount on food & beverage. The card is available and is complimentary for all Phuket residents. Amari Phuket, La Gritta Restaurant lagritta@amari.com, 076 292 697.

Oasis ed.Phuket hosts a new Art Exhibition at The Book Cafe in Rawai.To be engaging and enhancing peoples experiences with art. Till 12 June 2014 “Child-like”–Water Colour paintings by Vincent Henon For more info: info@oasisedphuket.com Proudly supported by Class Act Media.

At the newest Detox and Wellness center in Kata. We invite you to experience a relaxing and rejuvenating evening in our herbal steam sauna and ice bath. This is FREE every day from 4 – 8pm. If you would like to continue the evening with a sunset dinner overviewing the ocean the Santosa restaurant has a wide variety of raw food, vegan and vegetation meals. Call +66 (0) 76 330 600 or visit www.santosaphuket. com for more information.

20 TIME OUT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Crossword by Myles Mellor & Sally York

1. By what name was Saloth Sar better known?

2. Where was Miley Cyrus born?

3. Who was the ‘Godfather of Soul’.

4. Which is the world’s second-longest mountain chain?

5. ‘Gear Bench’ is an anagram for what well known beverage?

Answers below right.

SUDOKU

Across 1. Approval 6. Clink 10. Shoot 14. Escalator feature 15. River in Italy 16. Yawl call 17. Aging devil dog?

20. Debut of March 3, 1923 21. It can be criminal 22. King topper 23. Kind of job 24. “Forget it!”

28. Hawaiian island 30. Garden-variety 32. Ancient Roman coins 36. ___ in (eat) 37. Took a break to work on furniture?

42. Theater sound 43. Some art 44. Baton wielder 47. Orbital point 51. Absolute 52. Dateless 55. Grp. concerned with defense 56. IRS employee 59. Dish cooked in a pot 60. Pay-as-you-go

dialect 27. Safecracker 29. Bustle 30. “___ it the truth!”

31. II x IV 33. Literary adverb 34. Big top?

35. Earth Summit site 37. Schools of thought Down 38. Literally, “king” 1. Pertaining to Ohio, 39. Butter 40. Destroy disk data e.g.

41. Accident 2. It’s used to treat bruises 45. Medium meeting?

3. Servant 46. Align 4. Circular 48. Zen enlightenment announcement 49. Spain and Portugal 5. Anomalous 50. Tom of fiction 6. Biblical Assyrian 52. Brown ermine king 53. They may have abs 7. Saw of stone 8. Tranquil scene 54.

Elbow’s site 9. Weak 57.

Time to act 10. Tailor 58. Like some rumors 11. Key letter 59. Have the lead 12. Long stretch 60. Signal 13. River in Wales 18. African grazer 61. Hart Trophy winner, 1970-72 19. Teen spots 23. Bank holding 62. “Rocky ___” 25. Dry riverbed 63. Global financial overseer 26. Opposed to, in college quarters?

64. ___ acid 65. “C’est la vie” 66. Romanian queen 67. Foe of the Iroquois 68. Cycle maker 69. Carmelite

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s Pop Quiz: 1. Pol Pot, leader of the Khmers Rouges; 2.Nashville, Tennessee; 3. James Brown; 4. The Rockies; 5. Chang Beer.

GOT YOUR NUMBER

20

Millions of dollars Nicholas Cage got for playing Superman – even though he never did.

Pet

of the week

Priscilla Presley opens Graceland to the public. The bathroom where Elvis Presley died five years earlier is kept off-limits.

69

■■ June 8, 1949 Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell’s sinister novel about a dystopian future world society, is published.

■■ June 9, 1934 The car toon character Donald Duck makes his debut in Disney cartoon The Wise Little Hen.

2,749

Number of years it would take you to spend a billion dollars at the rate of $1,000 a day.

■■ June 10, 1935 Dr Robert Smith takes his last alcoholic drink. He and his friend Bill Wilson found Alcoholics Anonymous in Akron, Ohio, in the United States.

1,700

The number of words invented

by William Shakespeare – equivalent to 10 per cent of all the words he used in his plays and poems.

Number of muscles in an elephant’s trunk.

Source: Uberfacts

■■ June 6, 1944 D-Day. 155,000 Allied troops land on the beaches of Normandy in France in the largest amphibious military operation in history.

■■ June 7, 1982

Number of children born to a Mrs Vassileyev between 1725 and 1765. She had sixteen pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets before dying at the age of 40 with a world record that stands to this day.

40,000

This week in history

■■ June 11, 1955 Eighty-three spectators are killed and at least 100 are injured after two race cars collide at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the deadliest accident in motorsport history.

Luke is a one-and-a-half-year-old cat, who is served by Rob and Kiew. What a cutie!

Want to see your pet here? Email photos to editor1@classactmedia.co.th

■■ June 12, 1964 Anti-apartheid activist and African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela is sentenced to life in prison in South Africa for sabotage.

Source: Wikipedia thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 17

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Property PROPERTY FOR RENT

2 BR. PRIVATE POOL 180SQM APT Rent from 65,000THB. Incl. c l e a n i n g , l i n e n ,t o w e l s c h a n g e weekly. Fast fibernet. Cable TV.2 big bathrooms.Wash/dry machine.

Big complete kitchen.Quiet location.

Only extra cost electricity. Contact: 086 940 6560, E-mail: 4711en@ gmail.com

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/thephuketnews

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @thephuketnews

5 mins to PIA and Nayang Beach

Beautiful Villa For Sale: 4 Bedroom/4Bathroom detached villa on 164Sq.Wah with swimming pool.

Superb location between ChalongPhuket Town. Now 8 Million Baht. Call for appointment to view. 089 868 5143

3 beds, 2 Bath, western kitchen, Indoor utility/storage room, lounge, dining area, covered terrace, covered car port, small front garden. Quality furniture throughout. Internet TV. 120 sqm interior space. 4 Air Cons. 25,000 Baht per month for 1 year long term rental.

Available Mid May 2014. Contact: kanaloa55@yahoo.co.uk, Call: 084 189 5149

Retail space for rent Unique retail space for rent with excellent positioning on Surin beach Road.

For more information, please call 081 8941820 , 076 271 241 or wirote@ paradisephuket.com - See more at www. theplazasurin.com, Wirote, The Plaza Surin, wirote@paradisephuket.com

dcondo Creek in PK for rent

GOLF villa at Loch Palm:

DELUXE PENTHOUSE/ LOFT 120SQM Rent from 29,000THB/month, Long/ Short term, Inc. weekly cleaning, towel & linen change. Fibernet 65MB,Cable T V, King bed, big bathrooms,terrace 20 SQM. Quiet, 500 M to Chalong pier. Only extra cost electricity. Email: 4711en@ gmail.com, Call: 086 940 6560

GOLF villa at www.lochpalm.com with pool on 8th hole green. Luxury 3 bedrooms with en-suites. 12 month lease.

Avail 1st March. THB 55000 per month plus bond. Call Tim 0858942268, Email timshaw@bigpond.com.

Brand new fully furnished condo for rent. Studio of 29.82 sq.m. Fitness, clubhouse,100-meter-swimming pool length. Great location. Starts from 11,000 THB/mnth, Tel. 076 681 188, www.plus.co.th, Email: Phuket@plus. co.th

House for Rent at Kata 1 bed room with separate pantry Fully furnish and big balcony 5 mins to Kata beach 18,000.- per month 1 year contract (minimum 6 month contract) Tel: 087-507-0325, 18,000, Khun Araya, Kata, araya_ea@hotmail.com

Rent- 2 Bed Bungalow Nai Harn NOW OPEN!!

NOW AVAILABLE!!

NEW DE LUXE BIG STUDIO 70SQM Rent from 24,000 THB/MONTH. Inc. weekly cleaning, towel & linen change. Extra cost electricity.

Queen bed,terrace 20 SQM. Big bathroom, Wifi Fibernet 65MB. CABLE TV, complete kitchen set.

Email: 4711en@gmail.com, Call: 086 940 6560

1,2,3,4 bedroom different private pool villas for RENT in Naiharn-Rawai., start from 15000 baht/month. (Holiday rental, Short-Long term) Please contact: 087-877-2320 En / 084-854-9889 Th

IN THE NATURE ROMANTIC THAISTYLE RESORT Daily 1500Thb, Weekly 7500Thb, Monthly 30000Thb Included: Daily room cleaning, Linen changing once/week, Internet Wi-Fi, Cable TV, Smart TV, Electricity, Free bicycle, BBQ grill, Exes to Cinema room. www.coco-palace.com

DELUXE STUDIO 34 SQM

@thephuketnews

PROPERTY FOR SALE Sea Front Land For Sale Kamala Sea front land for sale Kamala.

6 Rai. Chanote. 089 874 2141, Thongchai, 0 89 874 2141, thongchaiwong8@hotmail.com

GRAND VIEW CHALONG BAY: VILL A & L A N D: 3 bed room, 4 bath room, 2 livingroom, 1 dinningroom, 1 kitchen (american style), 1 garage (2 cars), 1 swimming pool (10x4), 1 bed room for a maid, 1 bath room for a maid, Internet, Security 24/24, Sea view and jungle view, Total sqm 556.92, Total land sqm 581, a.p e ll e gr in o2810 @ gm ai l.c o m, 084 241 3387. Price 4.24MB.

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

Supalai Hills house for rent Rent from 13,000 THB/month, long/ short term. Extra cost electricity.

Furnished, Wifi Fibernet 65 MB, Cable TV, microwave, blender, water boiler, plates, weekly cleaning, towel & linen change.Quiet area, Lot of parking space. Email: 4711en@ gmail.com, Call: 086 940 6560

Air Condition – Color TV, Free UBC cable Platinum Package. Free Internet.

Master bed, excellent mattress, Sealy Posturepdic. Couch + chairs w/ end tables. Counter bar w/ stools. Cooking Equip / Fridge. Short term – 16,000 per month, Long Term – 13,500 per month Plus Damage Deposit. Available now 1--April-2013. Call Nok 087-244-1322

Land for Rent Kata beach Classifieds / Property / Property for rent 5 mins from Kata beach 2 rai land for rent at Kata 3 MB. rai/year Tel:087507-0325, 3,000,000, Khun Araya, Kata, araya_ea@hotmail.com

The Villa is 244 sqm.Which has 4 comfy bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, fully equipped kitchen, set in private, secure surroundings and conveniently located as it’s just a 20 minutes drive to the BIS and PIA international schools.Only 15 minutes drive away from Phuket’s top beaches Bangtao and Surin.0848519795 Email : robert. anthony.krause@gmail.com

KATHU 3 BED HOUSE FOR SALE: Large 3 bedroom, 4 bathLand & House for sale:

Luxury 1 Bedroom F/F Apartment

65 Sqm. cable T.Vs(2)& wifi cleaning and laundry service available. Great location central Patong (Soi Sansabai) short or long term welcome. Tel Ian 087-8879070 e-mail Ianscondo@ yahoo.com

Apartment for long term rent Patong Tower ( M 704 ) fully furnished 68 sq. mtrs for long term rent. Included: Cable TV ; Satellite TV ; Wifi internet access ; parking ; security ; Price 18,000/M, Contact: Jaspal Singh, jaspalt@loxinfo.co.th

2.5 rai (N.S.-3 K document) near Kathu waterfall. 2 houses, 1 small house & 2 pools, big garage. 3 way Entrance. B28 million. Call 081 893 0540, 076 385 775 email: anong540@hotmail.com.

room, 2 storey detached house on quiet cul-de-sac in Kathu. Western kitchen.

Mountain views. Priced for quick sale.

Full details at www.kathu-property.com 5,300,000, Pete Harris, 98/19 Moo 6, Soi Phuket Hope Land, Kathu, Phuket 83120, info@kathu-property.com

18 CLASSIFIEDS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

PROPERTY IN PHUKET PROPERTY FOR SALE CONT.

List your classified now at thephuketnews.com 7th Floor Suites (Hotel) Building For Sale

NEW PRIVATE POOL VILLA CHALONG 5.9 MB. 165 SQM. Rent 45,000 THB. 2 STOREY .3 Bathrooms, 2 Bedrooms. 4 AIRCON. Modern Western style. Thai company. Good Parking. Email: 4711en@gmail.com, Call: 086 940 6560

Pr ic e 14.9 M B.TH B/ Rent from 100,000THB/month, 200m. from the beach. Gated.24 hours security. Resort 33 units. Good rental return,8pct.

Thaicompany. Email: 4711en@gmail. com, Call: 086 940 6560

17 MB.THB/RENT 150,000THB/ MONTH. New Deluxe Patak villa 300. Quiet area. 5 bedrooms,4 kitchens,6 bathrooms.10 air cons. Good Parking. Many possibilities. Holiday rental 4 units. Email: 4711en@gmail. com, Call: 086 940 6560

2 separate Chanote titles each about 1,200 sq metres (4.5 and 5.5M), or will sell as one lot.

Underground services. 081 273 7326, email: kmar74@hotmail.com.

For serious interest email: maurice.phuket@gmail.com, Tel: 081 788 8280

New House For Sale Kathu

Special Sale Luxury Apartment 2 really big beds rooms, big kitchen and living 135 sqm include furnishing in the center of Kata - sea level close to shops and sea in a charming property: with-poolsauna-parking etc; market price (10.5 mill bth) NOW 7.5 mill bth Tel: 0817888280 or mail maurice. phuket@gmail.com

For Sale 2 villas with this view

Situated at Ao Por, 2 modern contemporary villas. Infinity pool, 3 bedrooms, 4 bahtrooms, study, large living area, terrace and covered parking for 2 cars.

Priced from 24 MB. info@thecurvephuket.com, www.thecurvephuket.com.

Sin gl e H ou se Sp e c i a l Price Rent/Sale: Nice house fully furnished with teakwood furniture, ready to move in. 240 sqm. 4 bed 4 bath, close to Kathu waterfall and market. Near Loch Palms, major stores, BIS and KIS. B45,000 per month. Call Oranwan 086 883 3169.

Special Sale Luxury Apartment

2 BEDR. KATA GARDENS 6B 180SQM

Total 1.5 rai (2,450sq metre) on gently sloping land with sea view of Phang Nga Bay.

Price total 38 million Baht (9.50.000.euro) include chanote and Thai company.

Sabai Village Kathu behind Red Mountain Golf Course , 2 Bedroom , 2 Bathroom with off street parking. 42.9 Sq Wah in a small QUIET boutique estate. Full Chanote Title. CALL GIM 081 606 5772

2 BEDR. KATA GARDENS 6B 180SQM

East Coast Sea View Land

Kata Beach Center 9 apar tments and a 300 sqm Penthouse on the roof plus fully equipped restaurant and pool with terrace are free of rent and now available.

Townhouse for sale, Chalong House for sale. B5 MLN. Residential complex Ananda Garden Hill, Chalong.

Closet to HomePro. 150 sq.m., 2-storey, 2 beds, living room, kitchen, 2 balconies, 2 baths, office, carport.

Fully furnished. Price : B 5,000,000, mvs97@yandex.ru, 091 805 3725

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

1-bedroom 60 sqm include furnishing in the center of Kata - sea level close to shops and sea in a charming property: with-poolsauna-parking etc; market price (4.1 mill bth) NOW 2.6 mill bth Tel: 0817888280 or mail: maurice. phuket@gmail.com

One Sale 3 Luxury Apartments 1. 2 really big beds rooms big kitchen and living: 135 sqm 2. 1 bedroom 60 sqm 3. 1 bedroom 58 sqm a total of 253 sqm in the center of Kata - sea level close to the shops and sea in a charming property: with-pool-sauna-parking etc; Total market price (18.4 mill bth) NOW 13.4 mill bth Tel:0817888280 or mail: maurice.phuket@gmail. com

Great investment oppor tunit y i n Pa t o n g . I h ave 2 N E W LY RENOVATED condos in same complex near Simon Cabaret. Both condos fully funished + free hold.

Condo no.1 4th floor studio unit 50sqm already rented out. Condo no.2 just funished renovation 3rd floor 1 bedroom 50sqm every thing brand new. This one never use and could be your residence plus earn income from other condo.Complex has huge pool + garden and 24 hrs. security. I want 5 MB for both. Eng 085 471 9246 Thai 087 621 3405.

Modern Villa in Marina: A spacious family home in Boat Lagoon.

Modern contemporary style with 4+1 beds, 4 bathrooms. Large dining area, private swimming pool and fully furnished. 29.5 MB. Size 616 Sq.M. Call 076 238 948.

Land & House Park, Chalong: Villa for sale, 4 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, 1 Kitchen, 1 Living room, Fully furnished and equipped, Garden 240 SQM. B6.8 M Tel. 083 394 4536(Eng) /084 443 5389(Thai/Eng) flaviofurlanis@yahoo.it.

EXCLUSIVE UNIQUE RESORT W LAND 4 separate buildings with 11 different custom maid rooms, restaurant / cafeteria in a sweet and idyllic sanctuary for the sense. Surrounded by lush green mountains and tropical forest. The Resort is an oasis of natural beauty and only a couple of minutes walking to beautiful Naiharn beach!

Location Soi Naya PRICE 33.3 MB. Cotact: oliver@thurmanngroup.com, Call: 087-877-2320

AO POR SEAVIEW LAND:

DELUXE STUDIO 34 SQM

1.5 Rai cleared, tiered land with constructed, drained access road from “Beach Road”. Chanote. 400m from Ao Por Grand Marina. Building will have 270 degree view of islands and Krabi. B10,000,000, 082 277 5971.

6.8 MB.THB/rent from 60.000THB. At Twinsands ABSOLUTE 5 Star Hotel and Spa! Just outside Patong, Sea view. Pool view. Excellent restaurant. Modern style. Parking space. Good rental return 10 pct.

Email: 4711en@gmail.com, Call: 086 940 6560

Patong Free Hold Condo:

Patong Condo for sale: A nice foreign freehold condominium for sale in Patong is located in a recently complete development of one & two bedrooms condominiums. Located on the fourth floor of a total of five. 080 052 8082.

Land Plot for Sale: Chanote title at Cherng Talay / Pasak7 (Phuket - Surin Beach area) Phone 090 487 8084. Email: utaipan@ yahoo.com.

Land for sale: 2 rai of land in the South of Phuket. Unique location on the hills between Naiharn and Rawai, 5 mins from the beach.

Panoramic view on Chalong bay and Naiharn. Easy access via private road, reputable neighborhood (German village), tropical forest.

Ready project for a 3 storey villa.

3200 sq. m. Call Svetlana 086 743 4657 or Alexander +7 926 914 5555, oxum@mail.ru; samat2011@yandex.ru, Price : 18.5 million for 1 rai .

Kamala Pool Villa:

Large 3 Bedroom house in mature estate offering high security. (Option to build 4th bedroom)Located in a peacefull no thru road, min’s from beach. Recently renovate, available for immed move in. Chanote title, Price 12.5 MB Call 087 078 9707 Email: kiwigolfpro@outlook.com.

Freehold House for sale: Freehold house for sale in estate in Cherng Talay. Land 735m2, floor area 230m2, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom. Many upgrades incl new carport included. Price B11 million. Call 083 509 8797 for info or viewing.

House for sale in Kathu Urgent!!!

House for sale, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 2 living area , Large laundry, Large Balcony, Western kitchen, Fully Furnished 5 LCD T Vs, Pool Table. At Kathu.

Tel: 086-0826078. Email:astroboy1959 @hotmail.com

Luxury Villa in Chalong: Perfect condition, 660 sqm on 3 levels, 1,600 sqm land, 5 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, swimming pool 12.5m x 6m with jacuzzi, large sala, double garage. Top quality construction. Reduced price: B25.5 million www.tamata-phuket.com crishausb@hotmail.com. 086 271 3260 or 086 273 4149.

3 Bed Pool Villa Pa Khlok: 3 Beds, 2 Bath 6x3m pool. Full aircon and funishings. Ready for occupation and rental. Secure estate, private parking. 6km from Heroines monument. Close to PIA, BCS and shops. 081 737 0722.

The Title: Rawai Condo New 2 BR, 1.5 Bath, Building B, 2nd Floor, Sea view, 6.7 million ThB. Sinking fund and first year fees included.

Contact: Teddy 0897727136 (English).

3 & 4 Bed Pool Villas: Laguna / Layan. Luxur y pr ivate pool villas in secure development.

Available now. All beds ensuite.

Fully furnished. Rental programme available. B12-20 million. Contact owner: 085 549 7110.

Beachfront Condo in Cape Panwa: Two floors 282 sq. m of

WALK TO BEACH LUXURY VILLA. California style Luxury living 300 meters from Bang Tao Beach – In small luxury villa compound built to European standards by Swedish developer.

Gated 24 hr security. Management & maintenance on site; Maid, Concierge Services. 3 spacious King bedrooms with en-suites and rainfall showers.

Fully equipped kitchen and laundry.

260 sqm open plan living area; 50 sqm private pool, Jacuzzi. Sold fully furnished and decorated directly by owner. Secure legal ownership: Freehold via BVI company; land lease via off-shore structure. 21.9MB Contact: PEDER BERGGREN, Email: peder.berggren@hotmail.com, Tel: 0923578710, Fax: 076202641

living space with stunning views. 3 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms + Study + large kitchen. Fully furnished.

Communal 40m pool 5 steps away.

Beach 15 steps! 091 876 2330.

Nai Harn Baan Bua: When only the best will do!!!!4 bed/pool villa in Phukets best kept gated community.410 sq.mtr villa.812 sq.mtr land.Overlooking lagoon.Beautiful.Ph: 0812704291. or thailandmls@gmail.com.

Price 22.5 MB.

Home Office Near Thanyapura: New 2-storey home

office near Academy for sale, 280 sq metres, Chanote title, 2 beds 3 baths, nature mountain view. Main street, multiple entrances and exits. 10 minutes to Airport. Only B4.95 million. Call: 086 948 2294.

LUXURY 3 BR IN The Residence

3-storey villa for sale

New 3-storey villa in Phuket for sale.

Glass elevator, pool, ocean view.

700 sqm. Close to Villa Market mall.

Freehold possible. Priced at 13 MB. Contact: Mattias, Call : 090 067 3444 Email: info@progressivephuket.com

3 bedroom 4 bathroom, Land area 580 m2., Spacious living quarter’s feature open plan living & dining areas, a fully equipped, open-concept gourmet kitchen. The Villa comes fully furnished, Contemporary and expansive indoor and outdoor living spaces are offered, private pool.

Services as Restaurant, Gym, Spa, Maintenance ,Security and Maid.

Massivly Reduced price 18.9 MB! Contact:oliver@thurmanngroup. com Call: 087-877-2320

Sales - D Condo Mine:

Sales - down payment 250,000 B D Condo Mine Phuket Town by Sansiri. Finished in March 2014.Corner room on the 7th floor with nice view. 2 Bedrooms Call:089 159 3239.

Villa with Pool for Sale: Freehold 3/4 Bedroom Villa. 3 Air Con. 4k. to Ao Makarm Beach. 10x5m pool with 4th bedroom / office on other side. Plot size 104Sq Wah. 416Sqm. Reasonable offers. Call 089 831 4703/084 304 6723.

250m road frontage near Bypass: 16 rai next to Phumundra,

behind Premium Outlet. 250m road frontage, 300m deep. Sloping upwards, starting at 15m and ending at 65m above sea level. 6M/rai. Contact owner direct at 081 893 6630.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 19

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

PROPERTY IN PHUKET

List your classified now at thephuketnews.com PROPERTY FOR SALE CONT. Kamala Boutique Resort:

This boutique resort business which consists of 5 individual villas. The resort is fully occupied presently with long -ter m rentals of fer ing excellent rental income with very little maintenance. The resort land plot totals 2,080 sqm with a built up area of 750 sqm. There are 3 villas, 200 sqm each with 4 bedrooms,3 bathrooms, 1 villa with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom and 1 villa with 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom. Each villa is open plan living & dining area and an open plan western style kitchen. Storage room, office room, air-cons, satellite TV, telephone line and Internet. This is an ideal investment for the nearly retired or retired couple whom wish to enjoy life with a monthly income. There is also a beautiful 20-meter common pool for all residents to enjoy and relax in the beautiful landscaped gardens.

Remote controlled gated security and car parking. 076 279 280.

House for Sale - Chalong: House on The Corner f o r S a l e: Q u i e t l o c a t i o n

and only 50 0m from the main road. Thepkrasattri, Heroines Monument. 70sqw x 28 0sqm, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, big living room with open-plan kitchen (9 x 9 m),1 s e p a r a t e d k i t c h e n , carpark for 3 cars and a small storehouse, 2 aircons, cable TV, 1 phone line TT&T. Price: 2.7 MB. including furnitures. Must See! jochenschmitz16@gmail.com, 081 607 8000.

Quiet stand alone villa, 3 bed, 2 - 5 star baths, 5 aircon, full furn, garden dining lush green, 50 Wah, quality new paint, excellent condition, B3.5 million, firm. Contact: peterb@inter globalau.com, 084 843 3492.

M A I K H AO L A ND: D I R ECT

OWNER 5.1 RAI VERY QUIET 1 KLM TON SEA, CAN BUILDING OR INVESTMENT. 2.750000BTHS. THAI; 082-8123486

The Aqua pool villa-sales/ rent: In Land & House Park Phuket 25 year lease for sale. Well situated in fast developing and sought after area close to Laguna. Some fixed rent applies. Contact 087 884 0644 for more info.

2 Rai, Cherngtalay:

(Manthana Zone) Land area = 440 sqm.

Home area = 300 sqm. 3 bedrooms 4 bathrooms 1 living room and kitchen 1 swimming pool (3m*10m) out door jacuzzi and pavilion Sales: from 1112.8MB. Rent: from 85,000 - 120,000 B/Month. 088 751 2389.

Cheapest Seaview land for Sale: Panorama view of sea view

Resort for Sale: Resort 2 rai, with

chanote. 22 double villas with kitchens, large pool and big coconut garden with own well. Restaurant and bar with satellite TV and Adsl. Opened for 15 years, with lots of repeat customers, parking, quiet. 086 940 1860.

Price Reduced, 4beds Villa: Comfor table 4 bedrooms villa, plus maid room. Approx. 450Sq.M building, corner plot, energy saving, management ser vice available for investor.Located in secured gate community, near British International school. info@mindproperties.net.

Adjacent to Mangosteen Resort, quiet residential area. 3 different sizes: 1-1-86.5 rai - 11.80 MB 2-0-87.5 rai 16.64 MB 3-0-35.5 rai - 22.50 MB Best land and best price in the area. Quick sale, price negotiable.081 536 5846. hajo_von_keller@hotmail.com

And for rent. Sea view and mountain views. Freehold from 64 to 448 sq metres. Phone no: 080 692 6114. Email: orsoreal estate@hotmail.com.

FOR SALE Penthouse in Rawai: 360 panoramic breathtak-

ing views of Chalong Bay, mountain views and Big Buddha. Two bedrooms, 310 sq.m of spacious living area and balconies. Contact Izzy 0862788300 or Danai 090 170 0429.

House and Business for sale: 3 storey, 5 bedrooms, good

location, off road parking, busy road.

Contact Thai 084 630 6920, English 082 534 7410, jeedyvcd@hotmail.com, davidweath@yahoo.com.

Khao Sok, 25+ rai, B400,000 per rai: 25 rai, 3 ngan in Khao Sok, Klong Sok district. B400,000 per rai. Close to Khao Sok National Park entrance. PNSS3 title, to be upgraded to Chanote soon. Phone 081 693 2759.

@thephuketnews

Pool Villa Mission Heights: 5 year old fantastic

bungalow style (no stairs) pool villa in a small gated community 1,2km from mission hill golf club 6km to PIA, 3bed 3 1/2 bath, huge living room, large saltwater swimming pool, newly planted garden, 2 car carport, 2 telefon lines, fiberoptic internet, price 12mill./13mill. or 15mill. depending on your needs, picharly@gmail.com, 087 060 8400

Beach Land on Koh Yao Yai:

6.26 rai direct beachfront, power, water, road, unobstructed views, chanote title, white sand, peaceful.

Only 5.8 mil baht per rai. Doesn't get much better than this! Beautiful beach land. 081 649 3557.

New House for Sales low price than Project, Phanason Villages at Bang Joe for 50 Sqm, 3bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Free contract. Contact: 089 729 9503.

New House for Sales:

Kalim Sea View, Freehold Condo for Sale: 11.9 MB 2 min

walk to beach, big balcony & sunset view, 180 Sqm, 2 Ensuite Bed rooms, big living space. 089 617 2312, PhuketAREA.com - Search C146.

House for sale: Baan Manik area, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, ceiling fans all through out, 2 aic con units, furnished. 2.7MB, no offers. For more info - Farang - 080 323 1918, Thai 081 607 9874.

next to the new tourist attraction in Mai Khao. Perfect for investment in future like shops, guesthouse. Please email for mobile number and more details. ohmidzi@gmail.com.

Patong Apartment Reduced Price: Condo 4 years old. Swimming

PAT O N G c o n d o s f o r sale: Beautiful, modern Condos/

Villa and farmland for sale:

A big beautiful house with 7 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, fully furnished. Located in stunning panoramic hilltop scenery in Takuapa, Phang Nga, covering an area of 127 rai. Surrounded by fertile farmland with fruit trees. Price 96MB. Contact K. Peerawat: 08 4 308 8484. Email: peerawat002@hot mail.co.th

Pool Villa Rawai: 4 Bedroom/ 4 Bathroom European style single storey house with self contained guest house and pool in Rawai on 736m2 plot. Large master bedroom with en-suite, walk in wardrobe. Modern western style kitchen with granite tops, built-ins throughout. Established 7 years. Plenty of outdoor living area with several verandahs and under cover car park, air-conditioning in all bedrooms and lounge. Situated about 2km from Chalong circle in a quiet lane 1km from Viset Road. House & Guest house 180 sqm Land area 736sqm (184TW). 3 bedrooms Master ensuite, 4 Bathrooms 7x3.5m salt water pool.

Electric gate. Well water. Concrete road access. Call 087 891 9349.

pool, security 24/7, cafeteria. Studio 46sqm fully furnished. Freehold for foreigners. Price: 2.6MLN. Urgent sale, no agent. Tel: 089 728 4005. Email: thamad17@yahoo.com.

Seaview Townhouse Patong: Bet ween the c it y and

the jungle at the northern edge of Patong. 70m alt. 10mn walk to the beach. 4 storey + 290 sqm, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 1 toilet.

4 aircon, partly furnished. Email: andamanhills@gmail.com.

Apartments, furnished, best/quiet locations, garden, s-pool, from 36-67sq metre, sea-city-mountain views, from B2,375. Call 087 819 2162 or caltirol@hotmail.com.

3 Bdrm House for sale Thalang: House for sale. 3 bed and

New house for sale: At Siri Village, Pa Khlok, 2 flrs, 3 beds, 2 shower rms, kitchen, living & dining area, garden, car park, 2 aircons, unstair curtains, 1 furnished bedroom.

3.8MB Contact Kirana 088 760 6083.

Seaview Land For Sale: Land

located right in the heart of Chalong with panorama view of Chalong pier.

Close to a number of sandy beaches; Naihan Rawai Kata and Karon.

Easy access to major depar tment stores. Surrounded by public facilities including education institutes and hospitals. You will benefit from a perfect location that's rapidly increasing in value. 3 rai and 1 Ngan with Chanote title. Call 087 278 7206, 089 215 5041 e -mail: kubesjoy@ hotmail.com.

3 bedroom 3 bathroom, Chanote (Freehold), Land area 402.80M2 Living area 208 M2. Luxurious one-storey villa offers privacy and features your own garden and pool to enjoy the ambiance of outdoor tropical living. Fully furnished, large kitchen with built-in basin, stove, and cabinets. Private and Peaceful area. Only 9.6 MB. Contact: oliver@thurmanngroup.com, Call: 087-877-2320

12 Rai Chanote to sell: One of the last pieces of beautiful sea view land between Ao Makham and Ao Yon Road. Infrastructure done B210 million.

Call 081 917 0377, 10am-5pm.

Sea-View Chalong-Residence: Dream pool villa with

5 bedrooms all with ensuite on 1 rai of land. Big hall, office, maid’s room. Brand-new construction opposite Wat Chalong on the way up to the hill. A huge 685 sq.m of living area, fully furnished. Modern European-designed kitchen. Big sea view pool terraces incl sala and attractive bar area. Security alarm system. Selling price on request. By owner directly. Call 085 654 4011 or 089 404 0737. Email: schulz.th@gmx.de.

3 BR LUX POOL VILLA IN NAIHARN

Mai Khao Prime Location Land: I will sell my piece of land

Patong Tower for Sale:

Bed.4 Bath 2 en suite, 4 air con. OR 2 adjoining semi-detached. Live in one, Rent one ? Water storage with pumps. Secure Parking. Quite Soi. All in Excellent condition. B3.5M. kimera5@yahoo.com 082 738 3007.

Lagoon. Free hold 2 separated apartments. 6.2 MB., picharly@gmail.com, 087 060 8400.

golf course view mountain view land for sale. Near Mission Hills Golf course.

6 rai chanote title. B3 million per rai.

087 675 9555, email: pee_bang56@ hotmail.com.

RAWAI PRIME LAND PLOTS:

D E TA C H E D O R S E M I DETACHED: Large detached 4

House for sale in Boat Lagoon: House for sale in Boat

2 baths, large living and dining room, 4 X aircons, 2 X car ports and garage.

House 7 yrs 1 owner , well maintained with 135sqm living area. Land Chanote 92tw. 3.5MB 081 737 3116.

Luxury 3 Bed Villa For Sale: Luxury Condo Rent / Sale:

2 B e d r o o m, L- r o o m a n d f u l l y equipped kitchen, 160 -212sqm.

Very high standard with a nice view.

Big balcony, swimming pool, gym.

Location: Kathu, 10 min. Patong Beach, 5 min. Phuket Town and all department stores and international hospitals. Rent Long term: B45,000 – B63,50 0 Buy: B8,50 0,0 0 0 – B11,500,000. Contact 086 268 7901 or send e-mail to: condophuket@ yahoo.com.

This luxury three bedroom home is located in a secure estate with security and office. It is only five minutes from Bangtao Beach and Laguna Phuket including the Laguna Phuket Golf Club and 20 minutes from Blue Canyon Country Club and Phuket International Airport. The villa comes fully furnished with luxury leather lounge suites and quality furniture, all bedding, kitchen utensils and cooking facilities.

For details and inspection, see www. phuketselect.com or contact graham@ phuketselect.com or call 081 897 0225.

House for sale: Cherngtalay area, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, ceiling fans all through out, 2 air con units, furnished. 2.7MB, no offers. For more info - Farang - 080 323 1918, Thai 081 607 9874.

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PROPERTY FOR SALE CONT.

ale s t en g r U RAWAI VILLA: BARGAIN PRICE

FREEHOLD - LAGOON VIEW!!!

F. MODERNIZED 1 BEDR. CONDO, ALLAMANDA 1 FOR SALE BY OWNER. EUROPEAN KITCHEN, GRANITE/MARBLE BATH, DOUBLE SINKS, FURNISHED, INCL.2 GOLF MEMBERSHIPS. INFO & PRICE : E-MAIL : ORNILS@SBG.AT

Spacious property in 1,000sqm garden. Private 9x4m pool. Three large beds, all a/c and en suite. Big Western kitchen. Plus guest house. Furnished.

Private access. Price cut for quick sale.

MB12.9. Call 087 273 0141, alangath@ gmail.com

Modern Family House for sale: Beautiful 3 bedrooms villa in Rawai. 160sqm indoor. 400sqm outdoor. Shared swimming pool. Modern villa renovated in 2011-2012. Fully furnished. For more info: phuketvilla jasmine@gmail.com

New Luxury Villa For Sale:

Lu xu r i o u s G o l f V i l l a @ Laguna Village: MUST BE SOLD

3 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, living room, kitchen, private swimming pool (12 metre). House area of 600 sq.m., land 1.5 rai (2400 sq metre). Located on the shore of the ocean on the Koh Kho Khao, Phang-nga. larion2555@ gmail.com. 084 226 4574.

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Seaview 1 BDRM New Condo Patong: Stunning seaview,

city view 1 bdrm condo on hill 500m from Patong beach. Fitness centre, roof top pool, security, car park, freehold. Only B4,400,000. Keith 084 628 3430, keithb025@gmail.com.

Highfield Mission Hills Phuket: 10-terraced hilltop Building Plots. Fantastic sea & mountain view. New road - water - electricity.

Only 10 minutes to Airport & Tesco Lotus. 2.5m-4.5 Baht. 087 978 5803-4 / stanjsmith25@yahoo.com

Sea View Land for Sale: Ao Makham. 5.5 rai, B10 million per rai.

Contact Siriporn 089 649 9939, email: siri_phuket@changrunner.com.

! Surplus to family invest needs. 3-bed, plus maid's qtrs. This home has been lovingly cared for. Leasehold/freehold.

BVI status. POA. Ph 082 810 4184, phuketres@gmail.com

RPM Owner Direct Unique luxury condo 2 bed, 2 bath, 155sqm. Foreign FREE HOLD. Recent architect remodel. New Jacuzzi. Views to lake, mountain, marina, pool etc.

Completely furnished to very high standard. Motivated owner leaving.

Reduced by 600,000B. ONLY 16.9MB.

Contact Brian (Owner) 089 054 4354, +632 906 435 7146, Alan 087 999 6174, bggvirgo@gmail.com.

See RoyalPhuketMarinaCondos.com for complete details.

Hill Land for Sale: Very nice locaPANORAMIC SEA VIEW LAND: Spectacular view of Phang

Nga Bay, James Bond and Phi Phi Islands. Road access, underground utilities. 4.5 km from Heroine Monument. 1.99 Rai at 5.9MB per rai.

Chanote title. 089 473 8338, PhuketOne@gmail.com.

tion hill land by the Bangwat Dam, total 60 rai, 96,000 square metre. Contact: Attapong 081 892 0610 (Thai), Jantiwa 081 890 8268 (Eng). e-mail: jantiwa_ j@ hotmail.com.

Beautiful Naiharn Pool Villa:

1.5 Rai Private Land Cape Yamu: 1.5 Rai flat land at Cape

SeaView near Airport: 4 plots (3 connecting, 1 separate) 1km north of Airport, along the road to MaiKhao Beach. Sea view towards south east.

NorSor3Gor. 4.5 Rai in total. B4 million per Rai. Contact owner: 081 893 6630.

Yamu. 2 x 0.75 Rai adjoining plots.

OrBorTor road access to quiet end of soi location. Sale direct from the owner.

B3.75 Million per rai negotiable. Call 081 087 9237.

Hot Price Sale- PuriAnda Villas: New Pool Villa in Rawai

2 Bed/3 Bath, Built-In & Partial fur.

Private pool & jacuzzi, sala, 50 0 m.to beach Price 7.9 mil.Baht with Chanote title Tel.081 691 3029, E: kris. silanachai@yahoo.com.

Secure private hillside by Naiharn Beach. Quality furnished throughout. 3 big bedrooms, office, 4 baths, 230 sm plus carport etc. 1050 sm land. New condition. 15x4.6 m pool. Freehold.

Nice. Only 17.5MB. Contact 089 727 5407, villa-sale-phuket.com.

HIGHEND CONDO PHUKET

Free Hold Condo For Sale:

43 Sq. Free hold. 1 balcony (Great view). 1 bed room. 1 living room.

2 air conditioners. Full furniture.

Internet.Swimming pool. Gym. Automated door lock and key card.

Call 080 040 9077.

DUE TO DIVORCE SETTLEMENT, PA R T I N G W I T H M Y A M A Z I N G SE AVIEW STUDIO WITH UNBELIEVABLE VIEW. DESPERATE, CASH PRICE OFFER AVAILABLE. UNIT IN PHUKET’S MOST HIGHLY ANTICIPATED HIGHEND DEVELOPMENT. SERIOUS OFFERS CALL 081-8928788, 081-891-4086

Apartment on Golf Course: 3 Bedroom Pool Villa, Rawai:

Donsak Beachfront Land 3 Rai: 67 metres absolute beach

frontage, fully infrastructured, ready to build. Close to ferry going to Koh Samui. Chanote title. 4.5 MB for all. Email: nhoj0512@hotmail.com.

160m2 Private Pool Villa. 3 Bedroom, 4 Bathroom (3 En Suite), Kitchen, Dining Room, Living Room, Large Balconies & Terrace, Carport. Freehold, Chanote title. 2 minutes from beach! See proper tyforsalephuket.co.uk.

Royal Kamala Condo-Sale & Rent: In Kamala. Freehold 1, 2, 3 Bedroom apartment with kitchen, living room, balcony, swimming pool, fitness, security guard, parking. Ready to move. 085-368-3009, salesdirector@ royalkamala.com

Golf View, Kathu. Tastefully renovated large (83m2) apartment in Phuket Country Club. Golf view. 1 bed but easily converted to 2. Store, large Western kitchen and all furniture included. Ideal (holiday) home.

Contact 081 273 7326, Email: keith marshall747@gmail.com.

Land area 500m2, House area 164m2. 3 bed, 4 bath, fully furnished, aircon in all rooms, fans, Internet, satellite TV, swimming pool, independent water supply wells. Finish work December 2012. B8.5 million. Call 088 838 3242.

Mission Heights:

town. L and: 8 5 5 sq.m. H ouse: 650sq.m. Furnished. 3 beds, 2 offices, 2 staff quarters, 1 free room. 2 Parkings. Price B38 mill.Tel: 081 895 3628 E-mail: jin_koy@yahoo.com.

Furnished House for Sale Phuket Villa 5: 3 bedroom

furnished house near Kajonkiet School. Secure area, Cul De Sac. Nic e gardens, t wo bathrooms.

B3.5M negotiable. Call 081 370 8114 (Thai) 087 889 3838 (Eng), email:davidgem98@hotmail.com.

206.4 sqm, Chanote title in Phanason residence(next to Makro). 1 min to Central festival, 5 min to town. Call 084 061 4314, 076 393 965.

Land for sale:

Reduced for Quick Sale:

Studio condo at The Point near Lotus, Big C, Central. Fully furnished. Great views 6th floor. Cost B2.8M. Reduced to B2.25M. Call 087 889 3838 or 081 370 8114.

Email: davidgem98@hotmail.com

Luxury brand new villa, fully furnished and ready to move in, 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms with infinity 10 metre long swimming pool and truly beautiful sea view. Located in a small development, only 50 metres from the sea and 3 mins from Ao Po Grand Marina. For sale B19.9 million or for long term rent B150,000 per month. Call 081 343 0777, email: montha_phuket@ yahoo.com.

Spac ious one bed room apar tment with ocean view, nor th of Patong. Floor area 96m2 internal and 72m2 terrace including water feature with sala and jacuz zi. Per fect bachelor pad with rental income. Email for info: bart duykers@mac.com.

For sale:

2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom with Off street parking in small QUIET Boutique Estate behind Red Mountain Golf Course.

Full Chanote Title Contact Gim English/Thai Ph 081-6065772 for an Inspection !!

Investment Proper t y for sale!: New, modern waterfront town-

home at the Boat Lagoon for sale.

Rented out long term at B570,000 per year. 3 bed/4 bath, 2 balconies, terrace at canal, 6 m berth in front of house.

250 sqm living space. Top condition.

Luxury finishings. Brokers welcome.

B9.9 million. 086 747 9292 (English) or 081 970 5204 (Thai/English).

rary 2 story house, pool. 400 M. to ThungWualen. Situated in a green belt of jungle,palm plantations, 10 mins walk to the beach No traf fic jams. Chanote title. Total 2648 sq.M., Contact: chitsamon@hotmail.com, Tel: 083- 391 4405. Price: 10.9MB.

Beaut iful L and L aguna Cher ngt alay: Chanote t it le,

Land for Sale Cherngtalay:

Beautiful 2,400sqm (1.5RAI) Chanote titled land plot in Pasak 8, located on the highest point of a gentle slope.

Quiet and safe area. Only 8.5MB. Agents welcome. Phuketlandvilla@ hotmail.com, 089 875 9609.

Ocean Front Villa for Sale:

Ao-Yon, 13.5 rai, chanode title.10m/ rai.Call Siri 089 649 9939, email: siri_phuket@changrunner.com.

NEW House For Sale

Serenity near the Beach, Chumpon: 210 sq.M contempo-

Sea-View Contemporary Pool Villla: Located near Phuket

Sea View Land for Sale:

yellow zoned, save area. Nearly 4 rai, direct from owner. Subdivided i n 6 p l o t s e a c h c a . 1, 0 0 0 s q m . ready to build. Only 7.5 MB per rai.

K hun Chanc hira, 0 81 3 67 76 8 3. chanchira.panpaen@googlemail.com.

Condo At The Heights, Kata: Immaculate 2-bed foreign-

freehold unit in award-winning project. 195 sqm, sea view, near gym & pool. Quality furnishing throughout.

Designer kitchen with utility-store. phuket.pn@gmail.com.

Pool villa for sale or rent:

Hillside setting. Luxurious 6 bedroom, 5 bathroom pool villa for sale or rent.

Sale 20M Baht. Rent Low season Daily 6k, Weekly 36k, Monthly 80k. High season Daily 7k, Weekly 42k, Monthly 100k. One complete year 85k per month. Call 087 078 6379.

Absolute Beachfront:Set on the beachfront, the ff villa offers uninterrupted sea and island views of the south east coast of Phuket.

Situated between two 5 star resorts: Vijitt and EVASON near Laem Kanoi. 081 480 3834, http://www. facebook.com/Phuket.Beachfront.

Beautiful Karon Villa: Stunning,

safe, secure estate villa , close to beach, crystal clear salt water pool 3 large bedrooms, modern open living, fully furnished, freehold, everything done – enjoy the lifestyle. Phone 081 719 4688 Email : elbej@hotmail.com

Rawai Beachfront Pool Villa for Rent/Sale: Rawai Beach

front pool villa for sale. 3 bedrooms, furnished. Contact Siriporn on 089 649 9939.

Absolute Beach Front Land: Songkla district near new

deep sea port. 4.5 Rai divided into 7 Chanote plots. Reluctant sale.

B4.9M the lot. Email: jmic chia@ yahoo.com or call 087 276 0529.

Laguna/Layan Beach Luxury 13M Salt-Water Pool Villa For Sale (Or Rent): Three large

bedrooms with bathrooms in tastefully re-decorated bungalow set in mature garden plot of 550m2 within secure development for ownership and/or investment. B15.5 million. Email: irynain@gmail.com.

Condominium for SALE in Patong: Freehold title, Studio type,

32 sqm. of the living area, Furnished, 1 Bathroom, Fitted kitchen with dining area, Swimming pool, Restaurant. Call 083 103 3801 (English and Thai).

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PROPERTY IN PHUKET

List your classified now at thephuketnews.com PROPERTY FOR SALE CONT.

House For Sale:

113/101 Anuphas Golf Ville Soi 10. 3 bedrooms 2 Bathrooms. 20 meters RD.FR. 2 cars parking. 130 r sq.wah. large back yard. Ready for the pool, very quite.

8M THB just renovation, teek and marble throughout. Ready to move in. Call Captain John 081 894 7644, B8,000,000, Anuphas Golf Ville, jj_icu@hotmail.com

Townhome Seaview Rawai 4.2M: 3 Story Home/Office featuring a fully automatic Garage roller door,2 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Air conditioned, Sea views, extended terraces front and back, peaceful location situated just off Viset Road Rawai making this a very unique home or office. Regretful urgent sale. Any offer will be consider. Price 4.2Million (Less than cost price one million) until end of June 2014, B4,200,000, Ranuka, mrsmum mygift@gmail.com, 0937877212

SEA VIEW LAND CHALONG

Orchid Garden Resort For Sale: 18 Bungalows, 2Rai, 15MT

3-storey apartment on the beach: 3-storey apartment with a penthouse and sala for sale. Only 100 m from Phuket’s top-rated Nai-Harn Beach. 220 sqm. Freehold possible.

Priced at 9 MB. Please call Alexander 080 521 0736.

Family resor t for sale:

Beautiful lakeview family resort in quiet area.4 apartments with each 2 bedrooms fully furnished, land include 1600sqm, company and license include, swimmingp ool, 2 garage, automatic gate and very private estate.More details please c o nt ac t 0 8 8 3 912 2 6 5 (En g li sh speaking). krisverstricht@hotmail. com.

Stunning view, 3420 Sqm. Chanote-Title, access Road, electricity, close to all services. Visit www. phuketsaleland.com or contact batfro64@gmail.com

Beautiful Karon Villa:

Pool, Office, Restaurant, Bar, Laundry Room, Sauna, Exterior Shower ans bath, fish pond, 2story, 3bd, 2bath, remodeled main house. 3 meter walls, security ststem, cable, satellite and internet, parking and in a lush garden setting. Annual turnover 5.5 MB. The sales price is 25.5MB. Land valued at 23.3MB. Located on a street with homes priced up to 50MB. Reason for sale, owner retiring. Email : jbs@ hammerintl.com, Phone : 087 275 1700

Modern open living villa has it all, fully furnished, private secure estate close to beach. Enjoy the private salt water pool and undercover parking, 3 large bedrooms freehold investment. 081 719 4688.

2 Pool Villas next to PIA:

Seaview Condo For Sale/ R e n t: R a w a i S e av i e w c o n d o, Luxurious,Furnished. Foreign free hold.120 sqm 2 beds 2 baths. Rent 2000 baht per night. Long term 45k / month. Sale only 6.5 MB. Call: 090 408 3800, Email: adrian_troy@yahoo.com

Ready to move in, villa 1 on 1,100 sqm. land, for sale B15.9 mil and villa 2 on 2,20 0 sqm. land, for sale B19.9 mil. Brand new, each with 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 12 metre swimming pool, guest bungalow with 1 bedroom 1 bathroom. Perfectly located in a development with underground e l e c t r i c i t y a n d s e c u r i t y, o n l y 8 0 0 metres from Mission Hills golf course, less than 10 mins to airpor t, Phuket International Ac ademy and Ao Por Grand Marina. Call 081 343 0777. Email: montha_phuket@yahoo.com.

World Class Sea Views:

Villa For Sale/Rent,3 bed rooms,area 1 rai call Siriporn 089 649 9939,email: siri_phuket @changrunner.com.

2,200 Land, Nai Harn -12,9 min: Located in Sai Yaun 9, at the

Superb Ocean View Lux Penthouse: B148,000 per sqm,

back of Mangosteen hotel. Very good access , road, electric, water. Size approximately 30 by 70 meters. Chanote.

Contact 087 897 0501.

288 sqm of heaven. Plunge pool, 3 bed, 4 bath overlooking perfect panoramic ocean views. Beach shops, fabulous restaurants, nightlife all a 3 minute walk. B42,624,000. Contact: 088 761 4030 or imgphuket@gmail.com.

Ocean Front Land: 7 rai with 185 metres of sea frontage. Water, electricity, road and boat access, located 800 metres from Yacht Haven marina, perfect site for small beach front development. For quick sale only B5 million per rai. Tel 081 343 0777 Email: montha_phuket@ yahoo.com.

Paklok Land Only B7,999/ Sqwah: Only B7,999/Sq wah at

Must see! Great 4bd villa:

Paklok, Chanote, Mountain View, 200m from main road, 11 km from monument and 4 km to Mission Hill.

Interested or want a larger size?

CALL 084 305 6667, email: mari sar1978@hotmail.com

Land For Sale: Mission Hills. 3/4 of rai in small community, very quiet and private, close to all services, 10 min to school, airport, beach, golf, Tesco. B2.5M. 087 276 0529 for info.

Truly exceptional 4 bd villa on the 1900 sqm land, surrounded by jungle.

10x5 m pool must see! 10 min drive to Tanyapura and to Naithon Beach.

Great lovely home for large families!

084 060 7050, molokophuket.com/ buy/1999-east-residential-for-sale. info@molokophuket.com.

INEXPENSIVE LAND PLOTS: Inexpensive land plots on East coast of Phuket for sale, 0.3 - 5 rai, some with a sea view (Bang Pae, Pa Klok, Yamu Hills). Direct sale by owner. 095 068 1672, 080 271 6484.

Very Spacious European From Owner: Villa in peaceModern Villa in Marina:

Phuket Country Club Condos: 3 Only Luxury Contemporary

45 Sq.m Freehold. 2 balconies (great view). 1 bedroom. 1 livingroom. 2 air conditioners. Full furniture. Internet.

Cable TV. Laundry. Fresh market.

Swimming pool. Gym. Restaurant.

Call 080 040 9077.

@thephuketnews

At the back of the Loch Palm Golf Course, approx 510m2, partial view on the golf course. Part of a small gated community of 2 villas (+ 2 to be built soon). Next to small lake and it is guaranteed that no building can block the view, ever! It comes with a Chanote title and if buyer are interesting, we would provide complete house plans for free.

Asking price is THB 6M, negotiable.

Contact 087-2664583 (English/French) or 082-4406884 (Thai).

4 Bedroom British Colonial style house, Cape Yamu, Phuket. Amazing views spanning over 100km, as far as Krabi. Price reduced from B35 to B28 million. 086 279 6283, email: kdesmond59@yahoo.co.uk.

Chalong Beach Front Pool Villa: Chalong Beach Front Pool

Freehold Condo For Sale:

Land for sale near Loch Palm

Condos, 1 per floor C/W lift. Located on the 15th fairway 275 M3 per floor total.Common Pool and Sundeck.

Underground parking 1/unit, Floor 3 show unit complete Floors 1&2 are unfinished, waiting for owners choice of flooring and kitchens. Could still develop into one very large private home. Floors 1&2 could be offices star ting from B10 million. Or B32 million for project Partial financing available. Info contact 084 840 1262, north8east98@yahoo.com

A spacious family home in Boat Lagoon. Modern contemporary style with 4+1 beds, 4 bathrooms. Large dining area, private swimming pool and fully furnished. Size 616 Sq.M. Call 076 238 948.

ful place in Rawai. Large living area and terrace. 3 bedrooms, 4 aircon, 3 bathrooms, 1 guest toilet.

Western kitchen, garage, laundry, beautiful garden, swimming pool.

612 sqm plot, chanote title. Price B9.5 million. Contact Tanya 083 506 8345, geta909@gmail.com.

Rawai Great Buying: Lovely

house with 2 bedrooms or separate SC flat downstairs.Well ventilated with natural light in pristine condition.Distant sea views.4,995,000 Baht. Warren Crowe 081 270 4291 or thailandmls@gmail.com.

INEXPENSIVE LAND PLOTS AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Inexpensive land plots on East coast of Phuket for sale, 0.3 - 5 rai, some with a sea view (Bang Pae, Pak Lok, Yamu Hills). Direct sale by owner. Comercial property: two-storey building: 50 rooms, 13 bathrooms, 3 kitchens, 4 rai land plot, 7 min from airport. Nicely renovated. Can be a hospital/school/ commercial/residential property.

35 mln baht. Contact: Lana, Email: lana.phuket@gmail.com, Tel: 080 27 16 484

LUXURY 5 BED HOUSE IN LAGUNA Wonderful 5 bed house over looking the lake & Golf course in Laguna.

Sale: Reduced to: 28.7 MB Rent: 180,000 P/M. Call Mick: 0848186045 Email: mr.mickb@yahoo.com or www.hoteldealsphuket.com/realestatephuket

Seaview Thai house for sale Nice and peacefully area surrounding with Seaview of Andaman. The back yard is the Mountian of Koa Pra Teaw National Park View.with great sunrise and next to the Aor Por Marina, The Air Park, The pier to Koh Yao. Contact: thureewan@gmail.com, Tel: 088 752 4532

Yacht View Freehold RPM Condo: Gorgeous Yacht Views from Living, Dining, Master & Ferrari Sail Covered Patio. 2Bed 2Bath 194sqm 19.9MB Best views in Royal Phuket Marina Tel 0848519795 or 084 308 3113 A2554@icloud.com. youtu.be/7LqM7maWNgQ.

REAL ESTATE SERVICES

TechWorX Retrofit Great Investment Opportunity: Completed show house and infrastructure seven further plots for development. 1.5km from Mission Hills Golf Club. Please call 087 888 1761 (Aom) for details.

Smart phone or pad controlled Multiroom Audio-Visual, Home Theatre, Lighting control, CCTV and intruder alarm systems retrofitted to buildings use the latest wireless technologies. Please email for info package. info@techworx.asia

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Russian staff needed Phuket-based company is looking for a Russian national with good command of English (and preferably Thai) language. Full time employment in line with Thai laws (non-b visa, WP). Salary starts from 30,000 THB. Please send CV and photo to opaopa543@mail.ru

Find Loving Homes for Dogs and Cats in Need!

RECEPTIONIST & FLOOR SUPERVISOR Sanctuary is a cool,funky & unique beach resort on Koh Pha Ngan island.

Great jobs for experienced receptionist & restaurant floor supervisor & cocktail bar person ( Thai National only) Contct Email: relax@thesanctuarythailand. com, Tel: 082 171 3614

Business Development Executive

FREELANCE WEB / SEO / EDITING Do you require up-dates/SEO to your site, blog or Open Cart? Also: s-engine/RSS/Blog submissions - PDF/ Photo flip shows - Web Photo Video’s etc. Email: mr.m.hopkins@gmail.com.

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

We are searching for Thai nationals to fill our position as Area Business Development Executive to manage our list of customers in Phuket, Krabi and Khao Lak. Applicants should be fluent in English and have previous sales experience in Horeca. Must own a vehicle for business travel within the region. Email:hr@pin naclegastro.com

Soi Dog Foundation, the fastest growing animal welfare organization in Southeast Asia, seeks a Thai-Language Adoptions Coordinator to place homeless dogs and cats into loving homes in Thailand and worldwide, working closely with other members of the adoptions team. Responsibilities include posting about adoptable dogs and cats on Facebook and replying to comments, following up on adoptions that have been confirmed locally and overseas, adopting animals to Thai-speaking people, and coordinating adoptions of dogs rescued from the dog meat trade. The position requires excellent written and spoken Thai and English, excellent administrative skills, and a love for cats and dogs. Social media experience is a plus. A driving license is preferred but not essential as driving lessons will be provided if needed.

This is a full time position at Soi Dog’s animal shelter in Mai Khao, Phuket, Thailand. Expected salary: starting in the general area of 30,000 THB, depending on ability.

Salary will be reviewed annually based on cost of living and performance. To apply, please send a CV or resume and a cover letter that explains why you are qualified for the position to cristy@soidog.org. Learn more about Soi Dog Foundation at www.SoiDog.org and www.facebook. com/SoiDogPageInEnglish.

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

Sub-Editor/Writer The Phuket News is looking for a Sub-Editor to help oversee the News desk alongside the Executive Editor. As well as subbing news stories, your role will also involve helping to manage three reporters, as well as writing and sourcing your own original news and lifestyle stories.

Phuket is a great place to be, with direct flights to destinations around the world, a thriving bar and restaurant scene, a huge beach culture – with surfing community and international beach clubs – and plenty of traditional culture, including markets, festivals and temples. At the same time, it has all the amenities of home: shopping malls, art galleries and live music venues.

The ideal candidate will have 1-2 years editorial experience at a newspaper or magazine, be outgoing with plenty of ideas, and have strong writing and editing skills. It is not required that they have previously lived in Thailand, but they should be open to new countries and cultures.

In return, we offer a visa, work permit, friendly work environment, 5 day work week (8.30am-6pm), competitive salary, local health insurance, work-related travel expenses, time in lieu for overtime, and the chance to live in a great part of the world, while also furthering your career.

Applications will only be accepted by email.

Please send your resume, clippings and salary expectations to: Alasdair Forbes

Executive Editor, The Phuket News: execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

Class Act Media Co., Ltd.

99/7 Moo 1 T. Kathu A. Kathu Phuket 83120 Tel: 076 612 550-2 ext 100 Fax: 076 612 553

SALES REPRESENTATIVES Qualifications: ● Thai or Expat. ● Excellent communication and negotiation skills in Thai and English. ● Highly motivated self-starter with a positive attitude. ● Works well under pressure and has a will to succeed.

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

For more information, call K. Mod on 076 612 550 ext. 101, or email hr@classactmedia.co.th To apply online, visit thephuketnews.com/job.php

Class Act Media Co., Ltd.

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

WRITE YOUR CLASSIFIED PREMIUM: PAY ONCE PER MONTH B2,799+VAT. PAY ONCE PER MONTH WILL RUN ONLINE FOR 30 DAYS AND IN 4 ISSUES OF THE PRINT EDITION PER MONTH. *INCLUDES 1 PICTURE IN THE PAPER AND 10 PICTURES ONLINE.

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Online upgrades:

Website link B199

Print upgrades:

Extra lines B99

Urgent banner B199 Box B199

Colour Background B199

Colour Headlines B199

INCLUDE NOVOSTI PHUKETA PHUKET’S ONLY RUSSIAN NEWSPAPER (FREE TRANSLATION TO RUSSIAN) B1,699+VAT.

DEADLINE: MONDAY 11.59PM (MIDNIGHT) FOR THAT WEEKS ISSUE Hand this in at agent shops, our office or fax: 076 612 553

@thephuketnews

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Buy&Sell

BOATS & YACHTS

Service and install of Smart phone or pad controlled Marine AV and IT, Media servers systems. External antenna 3G/4G internet systems. Reliable onboard Wi-Fi. Phuket and Bangkok.

Please email for info package. info@ techworx.asia

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/thephuketnews

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @thephuketnews

BOAT & CAR FOR SALE!!

Boat: Swedish imported Buster XL maid by aluminum 2 scow, Suzuki 4 stroke 150 HP outboard Engine used only 200hrs, Brenderup-trailer + wakeboard + all needed accessories.

Car: Mitsubishi Triton 4 wheel, only 6 years old.

TechWorX Marine.

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Speed Boat For Sale: Steppa Fiberglass 32 feet Flybridge two 200 hp Yamaha outboard engines. Ideal for diving and tours. B850,000. Call 081 894 2124.

Boat and Car sells as a package or separate Reduce price now only 1.2MB! For more information please contact: 087-8772320 or E-mail:oliver@thurmanngroup.com

N E W S E A L I N ES AVA I LABLE: Orders are now open for the new range of Sealine Sports and Flybridge, both 380 and 450. For details of this exciting new range Contact: inq@ sea-yss.com - www.sea-yss.com - 081 370 1995.

Luxury Yacht for Sale For sale 20 02 Ber tram 510 Fly bridge luxury yacht. Reduced to only USD675,000. Contact Marcus on marcus@leema rine.net.

NEW ZODIAC 420 YACHTLINE 13 Metre Wooden Hull Cruiser: Cap. 17 PAX. Wooden hull, 3.5 metres W, draws 1.5 meters, diesel engine generates 123 KW. Perfect for fishing or day tours. Fitted w Fish Finder and GPS. Was B1,500,000 now only B500,000. Call 082 414 6931, email: phil@krabikon nect.com.

A steal for a quick sale:

2009 POWER CATAMARAN 45ft. 4 cabins. Volvo D- 4 IPS 300.

Genset. Aircon. “Bose” surround. Raymarine. Low hours. Fully loaded. Fast and economical. As new. Bargain. Only 339,000 euros. Email: eddyelan@yahoo.com 089 971 0278, Eddie.

2007 Italian demo yacht Cranchi 47ft Hard Top. Fully loaded with Tropical air con, genset, Electrical winches, garage, roof, Raymarine Premium Navy, BBQ, Ice Maker, 3 Fridges, “Bose” Sound, 2007 Italian demo yacht Cranchi 47ft Hard Top. Fully loaded with Tropical air con, genset, Electrical winches, garage, roof, Raymarine Premium Navy, BBQ, Ice Maker, 3 Fridges, “Bose” Sound, Neon light, Twin 570HP with reliable shaf t drive, under 300 hours, Brand New Condition.

Euro 335,000. Tel: 089 971 0278, eddyelan@yahoo.com.

SPECIAL OFFER FROM MA X MARINE ASIA – A great sporty RIB, designed as a tender/people carrier for a larger vessel of approximately 70 feet. A smooth, fast ride guaranteed from the world’s most famous inflatable boat brand.

-Hypalon tubes -Honda 50hp EFI 4 Stroke outboard -Boat cover FOR SALE AT 750,000 THB Contact Craig Murphy on 081-970-0583 Or, Paul Stamp on 08-40 60 70 20 www.maxmarine.asia.

Boat Sales and Charters: Want to build or charter your own boat to get out among Phuket’s many islands for fishing or pleasure? Then please contact the experts on 081 270 4291 or go to www. fishingboatingthailand.com.

Yacht sale 36-ft Searay A very good condition with bedding for 5, air-con, generator, kitchenette, BBQ grill, twin propulsion, Mercruiser 5.0L bravo III DTS, raymarine chartplotter, GPS and depth sounder. B4.5 million.

Call 089 647 5204.

2 2 m . I n d o n e s i a n Pi n i s i Ketch: Licensed and registered in LIV Aboard For Sale Compressors and tanks also available.

Please contact Joe : 087 891 8912 joe@similan-diving-safaris.com.

Thailand. She is in good condition and currently working as a snorkel and sunset tour boat. For sale or long-term rental. Price negotiable for quick sale. dragonheartthailand@gmail.com.

Speed boat for Sale Steppa Fiberglass 36 feet ,Centre Console two 200 hp Yamaha outboard engines . Ideal for diving and tours.

B950,000 info@h2osportzphuket.com Call 081 8942124, B950,000, Klaus, klaus@h2osportzphuket.com

SPEEDBOAT FOR SALE: SEATBOAT 369 sale. Year 2009, engines 2x225 hp, capacity 22 passengers, great condition, ready to run, 2 stern exits, bathroom, shower, set of new options (coach, tent anto-staining), all documents.

Priced at 1.9 MB, negotiable. Call Andrey 085 368 5908.

Crownline 320 LS 50 kts Bowrid: Ver y fast-nice spor t boat,2x350 MPI engines, year 2009, like new, lifetime hull warantty, only 100 working engine hours, Thai flag, tax payed. Only 3M THB, Airberth 0,5 M THB seperately. yacht@elas.si.

Bertram 505 Conver for sale Launched in 1989 this long range sport fishing vessel is powered by 2 Hino Marine 360hp V8 Turbo . The interior is fully air-conditioned and features a saloon, three cabins and a galley.

Price : 7,000,000 THB , Stefano, info@ thebigblues.com, 087 834 5293 .

Kawasaki 750Sxi Jet Ski Pro Stand up. Trick conversion kit, R&D ride plate, Race bars with finger throttle, Hydro-turf floor mat with foot-holds, Very reliable, fast, and great fun. Very good condition. B150,000. Contact: garysmith436@btinternet.com.

40FT Steel Cutter Sloop:

SELLING YOUR BOAT?

Ready to cruise.Centrecockpit. Safe, strong German design.New Sails, 44HP Yanmar Engine, 6 Berths, solar, wind generator, BBQ, dinghy&outboard.

AUD$90K. 085 3780 498, yacht.an taia@gmail.com.

With high season just around the corner, now is the right time to get her listed, Boatshedphuket.com are always looking for new listings,big or small, power or sail, contact Alan Giles. 084 842 6146.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CLASSIFIEDS 25

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

BUY & SELL IN PHUKET

List your classified now at thephuketnews.com

LOST & FOUND

COMPANY FOR SALE

CLUBS & MEMBERSHIPS New in Phuket

Mercedes GL 320

BACKGAMMON

Mercedes GL 320 4 Matic, 2008, 100.000 km, very good condition, no blue book, THB 2,2 mIn. 090-1432020, frohlich@gmx.net

086 951 5511, tonivanLaak@hotmail.com

Company for sale - Owner retiring Well known 12 year established company specializing in sales and rental of containers, site/sales offices, Porta Loos as well as Self Storage.

Customer base includes Tesco Lotus, Laguna, Marriot, Boat Lagoon and many more. Enormous potential for expansion and export. A conservative value of company assets exceed 11MB which is included in the sale price of 14MB. Call Gordon 081 892 4804, www.safewayasia.com.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

CAR FOR RENT

BUSINESS FOR SALE Business for sale Business only or business and property. Est 2003. Repeat business from big data base, non-tourist related soft furnising manufacturing and retail business. Genuine enquires only, no tyre kickers.

Restaurant for Sale Urgent!

Seafood European and Thai food in Patong close to beach and main shopping Jungceylon. First class equipment included pizza oven.

Main road location, 350 sqm. Good lease cheap rent. Owner health problem must sell URGENT . Only 8 MB! kingcable_aaa@hotmail.com 0870 368 551.

Stolen HUBLOT Watch REWARD !

HONDA CITY '03 1.5AT, 118XXXkm Very reliably & friendly car, carefully used for last 3 years. Good condition with some wears. Clean interior, good car audio, fresh tires.

Best choice for young family. Honda serviced only. Igor, Chalong, B280,000, 083 102 0070.

10MB Mortgage Wanted Will pay 6% interest per annum, paid quarterly in advance. Security property to the value of 20MB. Email expressions of interest to gordon_asia@hotmail.com

MOVING & STORAGE During a house burglary in Surin Beach Phuket area was stolen a HUBLOT bracelet watch in pink gold. REWARD THB 100,000 to anyone who can provide tips so the watch is returned.

Contact : johan@vertigophuket.com, Call: 083 2809100

CATERING EQUIPMENT

Self Storage you can buy quality moving and packing supplies like individual boxes, bubble wrap, packing tapes & knives plus secure padlocks. We also help you to move and store. Call 076 292 909.

CAR FOR RENT

PERSONAL SERVICES

Toyota Fortuner Model 2012, Limited Edition. Full option, long term: 28,000 THB/month. Call Tik 081 737 3729 (after 6pm only). 080 718 5096 (all day), tikwill@gmail.com

CAR FOR SALE

PEUGEOT 207 for sale: 2008 Peugeot 207cc, 33k kilometers, 1 owner, perfect condition, leather seats, Conver tible, B9 40,0 0 0.

080 523 8819.

For further info email samos1941@gmail.com.

We Sell Boxes & Moving Supplies: At MY STORAGE

GAS B.B.Q clearance sale The B.B.Q Center. GAS B.B.Q clearance sale cheapest in Thailand. All models only 19,000 Baht. Call Khun Thip: 076 366 860, 081 597 5568

Restaurant/ Bakery for Sale Bar / Guest House for sale Sports Bar and 9 Bedroom Guesthouse in popular location of Karon Beach for Sale or Rent. Kitchen and working laundry included. For information contact, Thai: 085 795 0875 or Eng: 087 884 1857.

Thai/ Western restaurant (seats 60+) with fully-equipped kitchen and bakery (air-con, coffee machine etc), TV, car parking and 3 double bedrooms (2 ensuite). Great opportunity in growth area of Cherngtalay (near Laguna). Only 3.5MB, Contact: neilmcgregor1@sky. com, Call: +66 80 719 7390.

COMMUNITY

Toyota Fortuner Sportivo 1 ow ner f rom new in D ec 2010, 76,000km, Full Toyota Service History, Excellent condition, no accidents, All new tyres and brake pads 3 weeks ago. Lot of extras, Selling as moving overseas, THB 895,000. OVNO, 0894701228

The English Lab Online Courses Have fun learning English over the Internet- -with a qualified teacher!

Courses are 10 weeks long, for 4 hours each week. Courses include Independent Studies with interactive exercises and games, and Live Webinars for up to 5 students and the teacher. Only 699 baht/week! You can pay by the week! Children’s classes Start June 2; Adult classes Start June 16. In person registration on May 24 and 31, June 7 and 14, at 73/62 Chale Khiri, Kathu.

Our Grand Opening is on May 31, from 9am to 5pm. For more information, in Thai or in English, contact Maria at 098 069 2901,Only 699 baht/week

Nissan Teana Finance available. 11 months old. 2.5l.

Full Options. Contact: Bernard, Call: 086 945 2626

JEWELLERY / WATCHES A Unique Thai Cooking Class Are you looking for original Thai Style of Cooking? Relaxed & Intimate beach front class at Blue Bar Layan Beach.

Available ever yday and star t time flexible. Promotion at 1,500 B per person includes transfer & ingredients(3 dishes). Call 081-7288269,psupparin@ gmail.com

Breitling Crosswind 18K Gold Breitling Crosswind Chronograph - 40 Diamonds - 43mm 18k Yellow Gold - Reference: K13355 nr: 1677. PreOwned - Purchased October 2004 from authorized Breitling dealer. Call 090 901 3601 etc.

@thephuketnews

GENNEWA GOLD MEMBERS

At tention G ennewa G old members. Please contact urgently. randyalltime@gmail. com

26 CLASSIFIEDS

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BUY & SELL IN PHUKET

SERVICES

TRADE SERVICES

Total Web Solutions: Need a professional SEO website customised for your business needs? A website that you can manage, control & update.

To make a difference with your website contact Blueswell.net. websolutions@ blueswell.net, 081 091 9282.

Smar t home automation systems.

Smart phone or pad control, Multi-room audio-visual, Home Theater, Lighting control and Electrical systems for new and renovation projects. Please email for info package. info@techworx.asia

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

List your classified now at thephuketnews.com

TechWorX Residential.

CALLING THE DOG LOVERS OF PHUKET Soi Dog are looking for dog lovers in Phuket to come and spend time with our 300+ street dogs in residence at our shelter in Mai Khao, North Phuket.

We need volunteers to help socialise and walk our dogs - as this is fundamental in preparing our lovely dogs for adoption in Phuket and around the world. Whether you can spare one day a week or can come every day, we would love to have you help our dogs. Volunteering at Soi Dog is an amazing experience and may well change your life. For more details, please email Diana at volunteering@soidog-foundation.org

thephuketnews

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SPORT

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

SERVE’S UP With 16 teams battling it out, the first annual Nikki Beach Volleyball Challenge last Sunday (June 1) saw several surprise winners. The event, which pit about 100 of the island’s resorts and beach clubs against each other, saw Angsana Resort take first place.

Dewa Resort came in second while Le Meridien and hosts Nikki Beach came in third and fourth respectively. Prizes included resort packages in Koh Samui, day cruises, while several raffle prizes were given away. Class Act Media were proud sponsors of this event.

Ronins will put White Squirrels to the sword FREE KICK Kazira Hans kazesfreekick@gmail.com

his is Phuket FC’s second game out of four matches they have to play in only 11 days.

Last week, the Ronins took on both Navy FC (1-1 draw on June 1) and Khon Kaen FC (match postponed to June 4, after time of press, due to the military coup) and will have to play against Bangkok Glass next Wednesday (June 11) in round three of the Toyota League Cup. Busy days, indeed.

Fortunately, this match-up is against a Roi Et United team that, while only in its first year in Yamaha League-1, is hovering around the relegation zone.

“The White Squirrels” are struggling at 16th in the League-1 table with 12 points, with only Khon Kaen FC and Sri Racha FC looking up at them.

T

@thephuketnews

Like all newly promoted sides, Roi Et United have struggled with the faster pace in League-1. But things might be changing.

After Finnish head coach Mika Londstrom left for Police United and Team Manager Jakkarat Tonhongsa took over the team, Roi Et sought extra help from Nopporn Eksarttra to help with their game plan as a Technical Director.

Nopporn’s pedigree is not ordinary: as Muang Thong United’s first head coach, he led the team to promotion to division one at the time.

He was also the coach who led PTT Rayong FC to TPL

promotion last year.

Still, Roi Et United are an inexperienced squad that has often taken the lead early only to squander their advantage late in the second half.

Judging by their lineup, and the fact that they have only one offensive weapon in former Thailand national team captain Kittipon Paphunga (#34), the team will focus on defense.

Roi Et United boast a tall backline, with Uzbek defender Vadim Lyubinskiy (#28), Englishman Patrick Kanyuka (#6), and Hyungjun Jeong (#5) all over 180cm tall. Left back Nikhom Somwang (#11) who

can also play as a defensive midfielder, now helps drive the ball up along the sidelines to Roi Et’s midfield.

The White Squirrels switch between a 4-4-2 and 4-4-11 formation, with Kittipon Paphunga feeding the ball forward to striker Darryl Bevon Roberts (#30) who, despite being over 30-yearsold, is still incredibly fast and uses his height well.

Even though it seems to be an easy game for Phuket FC against a team deep in the red zone with a four-game winless streak, Roi Et United could still be dangerous in the early stages of the match. A draw

against the Ronins would feel like a victory for them, as Roi Et United have nothing to lose.

Phuket head coach Stefano “Teco” Cugurra will have to be careful against a team like this.

Kaze’s prediction: Phuket FC 2-0 Roi Et United Phuket FC will take on Roi Et United on Saturday (June 7) at Surakul Stadium, kick-off set for 6pm. Class Act Media is a proud media partner of Phuket FC.

TEAMS BY THE NUMBERS Phuket FC

10th place (5 wins, 4 draws, 4 losses) 19 points (+2 goal differential) Top Scorer: Wasan Natasan (5 goals) Last Match: 1-1 draw at Navy FC

Roi Et United 16th place (3 wins, 3 draws, 7 losses) 12 points (0 goal differential) Top Scorer: Darryl Bevon Roberts (6 goals) Last Match: 1-2 loss vs Ayutthaya

27

Listen to Live 89.5 to win signed England shirt LIST EN ER S OF T H E Saturday Lunchbox on Live 89.5 have an exclusive chance to win an England national football team shirt signed by several stars of the World Cup-bound squad.

The collared-shirt has the insignia of the English national team with a banner across the bottom that reads “South Africa” – a nod to the country’s qualification to the previous World Cup in 2010.

Listeners can join Saturday Lunchbox host Garry Holden from noon to 3pm every weekend to get their chance to win the coveted prize.

To enter, listeners just have to correctly guess the answer to this question: Who will win the 2014 World Cup in Brazil?

All participants can send their answers, along with their contact details, to lunchbox@ classactmedia.co.th.

As the World Cup chugs along starting from June 12, teams will be knocked-out of the competition within a matter of days and weeks.

However, if your chosen team is eliminated, simply re-enter the competition by sending another answer along with contact details.

All participants who correctly guess the answer will be part of a draw to win the exclusive England shirt signed by members of the World Cup squad.

For more information on the Saturday Lunchbox on Live 89.5, visit phuketnews. com/radio.

28 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

From l-r: Ross, author Jimmy Stewart and Thai guide holding Jimmy’s ‘fish of the month’, a 60kg arapaima; Jimmy with his Giant Featherback catch.

Casting off for fresh shores CAST AWAY Jimmy Stewart info@fishinginphuket.com

H

i once again my fellow ofishinadoes.

May started with very hot weather; it was like fishing in a sauna as we moved through the transition of our two seasons.

The humidity was so great I reckon all the fish found a quiet place to come out of the water for a look around.

Well that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

In a recent article I wrote that the fastest fish in the sea is a sailfish. Sorry Neill, I do not stand corrected, ‘motorpikes’ do not count.

Mid-month with a few friends from Singapore, we ventured out between storms and landed around a dozen 2kg – 3kg tuna.

We spotted sailfish, but we had to return to port missing the sailfish’s absolutely favourite time to dine, dusk, in order to meet my friend’s return flight.

With the continuing inclement weather, a few of us decided to investigate a new freshwater fishing park in Phang Nga about a two-hour drive north from our base in Chalong. Talk about ‘The Land that Time Forgot’ – well, we found it!

Even before we put our rods inside the water, the scenery had us gobsmacked as the lake is completely surrounded by a gigantic cliff face on one side, and massive tree-covered ‘mini-mountains’ on the other three.

Prehistoric beasts and di-

nosaurs would not look out of place in this seriously impressive landscape but, fortunately for us ardent anglers, the only monsters we wanted to mingle with were in the lake and could be seen regularly breaking the surface.

We were greeted by Ross, the senior guide, who showed us to our individual salas: two rods each (carp and predator), a large assortment of baits, and the obligatory ice box to get us started.

I started slowly and swallowed my pride as my buddies pulled in numerous assorted

species, (there are more than 60) but as the day progressed my tally grew.

I caught one piraiba catfish, one “rare” giant featherback, one tiger shovelnose catfish, two Asian red tail catfish, and my “fish of the month” – a large arapaima (a freshwater fish that is native to the Amazon River in South America) weighing around 60 kgs, only to be advised that there are fish twice that size and possible world records patrolling the lake.

I cannot sing the praises of ‘Exotic Fishing Thailand’s’

facilities high enough, everything was available and nothing was much trouble.

Venue 10 out of 10 – fishing 10 out of 10. Thanks Colin and Neill, what a great day indeed.

Pirate joke of the month: Young Glasgow boy dressed as a pirate.

Man asks him, “Where are your buccaneers?”. Boy replies, “Argh, under me buccanhat”.

Tight lines, Jimmy fishinginphuket.com

Top two clash as Blue Wave visit FUTSAL J.P. Mestanza editor2@classactmedia.co.th

PHUKET UNITED, THE island’s pro five-a-side futsal team, will be bent on revenge when Chonburi Blue Wave visit this Sunday (June 8) for their Futsal Thailand Premier League (FTPL) clash at Saphan Hin Gymnasium in Phuket Town.

The match will pit the two best teams in the FTPL against each other for the second time this season. In their previous outing on February 23, the Blue

Wave demolished Phuket in a 9-0 drubbing in Chonburi.

United fans are hoping that this time will be different despite Chonburi’s unstoppable form that has seen them win every match this season so far (16 games at time of press). The Blue Wave’s 82 goal differential, (including a staggering 101

goals scored) is by far the best in the league.

Comparatively, Phuket hold a 33 goal differential (with 70 goals scored this season), but still good enough for second in the league.Still, it will be a tall task for United as they have played to draws in their last two outings, including a 1-1 finish at 7th place CAT FC and a scoreless tie at home against Thai Port. The game will kickoff this Sunday (June 8) at 7pm in Saphan Hin Gymnasium.

Class Act Media is a proud media partner of Phuket United.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

SPORT 29

The search for surf SURF SPOT Tim Campbell info@surf-sup.asia

A

fter spending the last three weeks travelling around Thailand’s southern provinces and islands in search of new surf spots as well as untouched waves.

I was left disappointed in obvious ways but at the same time frothed up and inspired by many experiences that I couldn’t have imagined.

Like any expedition, there needs to be at least the tiniest thought of what to take and which direction to head. So after a cup of tea, and some serious consideration, I was on a bus south with my surfboard, tent and toothbrush.

When going on a surf trip there’s always a giddy feeling – just like going on a first date.

But after the first week of not even getting my board wet due to no swell, surfer’s depression was starting to set in.

Then, on a small island, I met a group of locals who had never seen a surfboard before and immediately became fascinated like meerkats at

a circus.

Watching the smiles of anticipation to try surfing perked me up and reminded me that its not about how good the waves are, it’s about being able to surf at all.

Living and being able to surf in a place like Phuket

which, compared to many other places, has ample opportunities to surf, reminded me that this island leaves me feeling stoked and very blessed.

See you out there!

Tim Campbell surf-sup.asia

Phuketians dominate Japanese triathlon TRIATHLON IT WAS AN ALL-PHUKET day at the 70.3 Ironman Japan event last Sunday (June 1) as Chris “Macca” McCormack, Fredrik Croneborg and Michael Murphy all placed in the top three of the competition.

McCor mack (4:02:41 finish time), who is also the Executive Chairman at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club in Thalang, pulled away in the last 400m run as he sprinted to the finish line just two seconds ahead of Croneborg (4:02:03 finish time) in Tokoname, Japan.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Murphy – who is McCor-

mack’s training partner at Thanyapura – finished just

30 seconds later (4:03:12).

All three men train at Thanyapura as Murphy, who placed third, finished more than two-and-a-half minutes ahead of the rest of the pack.

The event was also McCormack’s second win in less than two weeks as he won the Sprint and Olympic distance titles at the Bintan Triathlon in Indonesia in late May. Next up, McCormack will race in the Challenge Atlantic City event in the United States in June with an eye toward the Isklar Norseman Xtreme Triathlon in Norway in early August.

Record setting year continues for Thongchai GOLF THONGCHAI JAIDEE, one of Thailand’s top golfers, is in rare form as he heads into the US Open next week following his memorable victory at the Nordea Masters last Sunday (June 1).

“It’s simply amazing to know that I’ve won in Europe again.

This win is dedicated to my family, all the Thai people and everyone who @thephuketnews

has supported me.

“It is a special week for me, to win a trophy outside of Asia for the second time.

I’ll keep performing better,” said Thongchai in victory speech in Sweden.

The win propelled the 13-time Asian Tour winner to a career-high ranking of 37 in the Official World Gold Ranking (OWGR).

The 44-year-old is in a class of his own as he heads into the year’s

second major championship and his fourth US Open appearance.

He will hope to do better than his last result, which saw him tied for 47th in 2010.

Thongchai, who is the only player to win three Asian Tour Order of Merit crowns, was also recently voted by his peers as the Tour’s Player of the Decade.

The US Open takes place from June 12-15.

GO GLOW GO

Several dozen runners, ages fouryears-old and up, participated in the first ever Thanyapura Neon Night Run last Saturday evening (May 31). The event saw several runs and relay races throughout the night as participants were fully decked-out in glow-in-the-dark face paint, sporting brightly coloured costumes, and running with glow sticks. There was more than enough entertainment, with carnival games, magicians, and even a Zumba show.

30 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Brazil look World Cup-ready on pitch – off it, not so much B

razil thrashed Panama in a friendly Tuesday (June 3), looking very much ready for the World Cup, although off the pitch, the hosts were still rushing to finish their stadiums nine days from kick-off.

Star striker Neymar opened the scoring as Brazil routed their visitors 4-0 in the central city of Goiania, with Daniel Alves, Hulk and Willian all adding goals.

But off-pitch problems continued to distract from the football, with workers scrambling to finish five of the 12 host stadiums.

The original deadline was December 31, but preparations have been plagued by chronic delays, cost-overruns and

Brazil’s Neymar (right) battles against Panama’s Armando Cooper (left) in a friendly match on Tuesday (June 3). construction accidents that killed eight workers.

At Corinthians Arena in

Sao Paulo, which will host the opening ceremony and kick-off match between Brazil

and Croatia, workers are still intended for heads of state. finishing temporary stands The stadiums in Curitiba, for 20,000 fans and VIP seats Cuiaba, Natal and Porto Alegre

are also unfinished to varying degree as an estimated 600,000 foreign fans and 3.1 million Brazilians are expected to crisscross the massive South American country during the tournament.

Teams meanwhile continued to trickle in to Brazil, having cut their rosters to the 23-player limit for a Monday deadline.

The Croatian and Iranian squads arrived Tuesday, joining Australia, who arrived on May 28.

But f it ness concer ns dogged several stars, including France’s Franck Ribery, Uruguay’s Luis Suarez and Spain’s Brazilian-born marksman Diego Costa.

Colombia for their part had to leave out talismanic striker Radamel Falcao, who was unable to recover in time from a crushing knee injury sustained in January playing for Ligue 1 club Monaco. AFP

Gerrard warns against nation’s penalty fixation

E N G L A N D CA P TA I N Steven Gerrard said last week that he is not worried about the prospect of a penalty shootout at the World Cup despite his country’s terrible record at spot-kicks.

England have been eliminated on penalties at the World Cup in 1990, 1998 and 2006 and also fell in shootouts at the European Championship in 1996, 2004 and 2012.

Gerrard scored as England went out to Italy at Euro 2012, but saw a penalty saved in 2006 when his side were

beaten by Portugal in the World Cup quarter-finals in Germany. Penalty shootouts have become something of a national obsession in England, but Gerrard says that he and his team-mates cannot afford to become obsessed by them.

“It’s difficult to describe what it is like,” Gerrard said from Miami, where he is taking part in a pre-tournament training camp.

“There is a lot of pressure.

You have an awful lot more time to think about your penalty and what is at stake is a lot bigger and it is a pressure situation. A penalty shoot-out is a more pressurised situation than any one penalty in a league game.” AFP

Holders Spain finding fitness ahead of World Cup rigours SPAIN’S PLAYERS SAID last week that they’ll be fit for the defense of their World Cup crown in Brazil, despite the rigours of a long club season.

Right back Juanfran is just one of the players who have been nursing an injury, a sprained ankle he suffered in the Champions League final

on May 24, but he vowed he would be ready for Brazil.

The 29-year-old said he was limping in the wake of the painful injury, but insisted he was now recovered and had told manager Vicente Del Bosque: “When you need me, I’ll be there and I’ll do my best.”

“I’ve had difficult moments in my career and I’ve overcome them – this is one more,” he said.

Spain’s squad includes seven players who competed

in extra duty at the Champions League final.

In a comparison of combined minutes played in 2013-14 by various World Cup-bound teams, the BBC calculated that based on predicted starting lineups, Spain have played a 37,888 minutes.

That compares to 37,130 for Italy, 34,410 for England and 30,656 for hosts Brazil.

Midfielder Santiago Carloza doesn’t think Spain will be any less ready than their

opponents.

“The season has been tough for everyone. I don’t think we are any more or less tired than the other teams,” Carloza said, adding that Spain’s squad is “physically better every day.”

Spain face Chile and Australia in World Cup Group B along with the Netherlands – the opponents in their 2010 World Cup final triumph.

They will open their campaign against the Dutch on June 13. AFP thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

SPORT 31

2

Full Metal Dojo focuses on pushing local talent MMA J.P. Mestanza editor2@classactmedia.co.th

THE COMBAT SCENE IN Phuket has been flourishing for several years, but confirmation of its rapid development takes place tomorrow (June 7) at Seduction Nightclub in Patong when the fighters of Full Metal Dojo take to the centre of the cage.

“This will be far and away the biggest MMA event that the island has ever seen, and it’s about time,” said organiser Jon Nutt, a longtime American expat who calls Phuket home.

“The fighters that roam this island need a showcase, and it’s time for the Thais to finally show that they can be among the best in the world.

Full Metal Dojo intends to show the Thai masses what MMA is all about.”

Several fighters on the card have trained extensively in local gyms on the island and other

parts of Thailand. Alex Schild and Emmalo Urrutia, both of whom have fought Muay Thai bouts and are high-level Brazilian Jiu Jitsu grapplers, call the island their second home.

The headline bout pits American fighter Joe Ray (10-3) against Sweden’s Glenn Sparv (8-3). Ray, who trains out of Phuket’s Tiger Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts in Chalong, is riding a fivefight win streak highlighted by a submission victory over veteran Ole Laursen back in October.

Live Sports TV Schedule *Times may be subject to change

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NatWest Blast T20

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Storm v. Roosters

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Gloucester v. Glamorgan

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@thephuketnews

Meanwhile, Sparv – a stalwart at Team Quest in Chiang Mai – is coming off a decision win over Kai Puolakka in February.

The event will also feature several fighters of Thai origin, including Manaschai Promsawad, Ratcharat Yimprai, Sarawut Petsing (a high-level Judoka), Nanthon Jantaramanee, and Bangkok-native Mangthus Rewtawee.

“Hopefully we can get as many Thais on board as possible – I hope to see Thais make a serious impact in some of the lightweight divisions,” said Mark Abbott, an expat who speaks fluent Thai and will be the ring announcer for the event.

“I think Thailand has a lot of potential for MMA, especially given its tradition of Muay Thai.”

Countdown to the Multihull Solutions Regatta underway SAILING

R

emaining true to its roots as the ‘sailor’s regatta’, the Multihull Solutions Regatta – organised by the Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC) – will be welcoming a mixed fleet of 15 to 50 yachts when the competition kicks off on July 11.

The event, which takes place July 10 to 13, is the

region’s biggest competition of multihull sailing boats (catamarans and trimarans) as several Corsairs have already confirmed their participation for this year’s event.

Organisers are also encouraging cruising yachts to take part in the event, as they have traditionally been reluctant to join in regattas.

“We’re particularly keen to see cruising yachts join in and we plan to tailor the regatta’s courses to suit the

boats that enter,” said Andrew de Bruin, Multihull Solution’s Asia general manager.

T he low season at Chalong Bay is open for competitive sailing with the ACYC lending their facilities for after-event festivities.

For more information, visit acyc.asia/regatta/multihull-regatta or visit facebook. com/multihullsolutionsregattaphuket Class Act Media is a proud sponsor of this event.

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS Run 1476: Saturday, June 7, 4pm Hares: No Hope & Singha Directions: Cherng Talay Soi 1. From Heroines Monument go west approx 6.3 km towards Cherng Talay. Turn left at the temple just after Lady Pie (HHH sign) and follow the track for approximately 300m. Laager is on the left (HHH sign). From Cherng Talay Police Station head east towards Heroines Monument for approximately 1.6 km and turn right at the temple (HHH Sign), then follow the track as above. Truck will be marked.

Bus pick-up: Patong: 14:45; Kamala: 15:15 More info: phuket-hhh.com

Sport

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

editor2@classactmedia.co.th

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014

Chris McCormack and team of Phuketians storm Japanese race > page 29

Emerald EPL Masters Tour set for Phuket showdown FOOTBALL

J.P. Mestanza editor2@classactmedia.co.th

W

eeks after the World Cup final and just days before the start of the English Premier League (EPL) season, Phuket will be the site of a historic 11-a-side match – the Emerald EPL Masters Tour Phuket 2014.

On August 10, the EPL All Stars Masters – a team made up of former EPL players who are over 35 – will take on a team of Thailand Legends at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town in front of an expected crowd of 15,000 fans.

The event was formally announced at a press conference at the Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa, Phuket in Koh

Siray on Tuesday (June 3), with former Manchester United and England international player Paul Parker, as well as Thailand national football hero Piyapong Pue-On, both in attendance.

While Masters Football Asia, organisers of the event, hosted a four-team indoor tournament that included several former EPL players in Bangkok in 2012, this is the first time Phuket will host a full-scale game in Thailand with this amount of talent of show.

“When it comes to somewhere like Phuket, obviously the Thai people love football but there are a lot of expats who don’t just support Liverpool or Manchester United, and when you look at the likes of the teams of Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, Spurs, and Arsenal, they’ve opened it up for everybody to come along

Former Manchester United player Paul Parker (far right) speaks during a press conference announcing the Emerald EPL Masters Tour Phuket 2014. Photos: J.P. Mestanza and enjoy a game of football,” Parker said.

Included in the roster for the EPL All Stars Masters squad is Teddy Sheringham (formerly of Tottenham Hotspur), Robbie Fowler (Liverpool), Pierre Van Hooijdonk (Nottingham Forest), Darren Anderton (Tot-

tenham Hotspur) and Louis Saha (Manchester United).

“I heard many English players know Phuket and like to come here, so it will be good,” Sawit Ketroj, Managing Director of Emerald Phuket Development, had previously told The Phuket News. “Usually

everything happens in Bangkok and little happens here.”

The team of Thailand Legends will be led by Piyapong Pue-On, a former Thai national team star who has scored over 100 goals in international play.

Piyapong’s Bangkok Bank FC team also won the inaugu-

ral Thai Premier League title back in 1997, as well as six Kor Royal Cup victories (the predecessor to the TPL).

Organisers hope the match will become an annual event to help ring in the EPL season.

A week before the match, the team of EPL All Stars Masters players will take part in a number of activities, including youth coaching clinics and meet-and-greet with fans.

Tickets for the event will be priced at B2,000 for VIPs, B300 for grandstand seats, and B200 for regular seats, and will be available at the stadium ticket office, Tiny Mart outlets at Shell petrol stations, and Honda, Ford, and Mazda car dealerships.

Online tickets are available at phuketticketmaster.com.

Class Act Media is a proud sponsor of this event.

Runners get set for Laguna Phuket Int’l Marathon MARATHON THERE ARE ONLY TWO DAYS to go before 5,000 runners begin their quest to complete the challenging 42.1 km course at the 9th Laguna Phuket International Marathon.

Several storylines have been taking shape the past few weeks, including the tale of running couple Duncan Worthington and Chanut “Tum” Nawnarong. While Nawnarong is a runner with several races under her belt, Worthington is attempting his first marathon.

The couple, who also run a

company together, have been threading the needle to get training done within their busy work schedule.

In addition, Live 89.5 radio host Dave O’Connor will be participating in his first 10.5km run on Sunday (June 8). That is, if he is fit enough to get past his injuries. A nagging ankle injury and a sprained back have hampered his training for the event.

While also giving runners the chance of glory and sense of achievement, Laguna Phuket Resort are continuing their fundraising efforts and outreach of the “Fully Booked!” Mobile Learning Centre.

The literacy initiative is intended to help both local and regional schoolchildren in the area and was launched back in April.

Marathon runners are expected to head out at 4.30am this Sunday (June 8) while half-marathon participants line-up at 6am. The 10.5km run will begin at 6.40am, the 5km Community Walk at 8am, while the 2km kids run is set for a 9am start. Good luck to all!

Registration begins today at 1pm and continues until Sunday.

Class Act Media is a proud media sponsor of the 9th Laguna Phuket International Marathon. thephuketnews