07-07-2017

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

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THEY WIN AGAIN PATONG TAXI, TUK-TUK DRIVERS GAIN SECOND REPRIEVE OVER PARKING SPACES Tuk-tuks line Patong’s beachfront road, occupying areas designated especially for them and spaces allegedly dedicated for public use.

Premkamon Ketsara thaiassist@classactmedia.co.th

P

atong’s van, taxi and tuk-tuk drivers this week won yet another reprieve as the provincial government backed down for a second time on its deadline for the drivers to relinquish parking spaces in Phuket’s key beach resort town to the public.

Hundreds of the drivers massed at Phuket Provincial Hall on Monday (July 3), with scores of their vehicles parked across the road at Sanaam Chai (literally “Victory Field”), to drive their point home and have

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the voices heard in a meeting inside Provincial Hall.

Present at the meeting were officers from the Royal Thai Army, Phuket Vice Governor Siwaporn Chuasawad and the newly installed Patong Police Chief Col Tassanai Orarigdech, as well as 27 other representatives from the various stakeholders.

Their plea was in response to plans unveiled on May 18 to reduce the number of taxi, van and tuk-tuk ranks in Patong from 84 to just 21.

A mass gathering of the Patong drivers at Provincial Hall on May 24 saw that plan deferred until further

“negotiations” were held.

“Today, we stand united as more than a hundred drivers to ask for kindness from the Phuket Provincial Office for two things: First, to slow down on reducing the number of taxi and tuk-tuk ranks to 21; and second, to allow us to have 28 more ranks, to give us a total of 49 ranks in the Patong area,” explained Anan Pluemjit, one of the drivers’ representatives.

“Having fewer places to park taxis and tuk-tuks will have a great effect on drivers in Patong,” he said.

“There are no places for us to park.

Land in Patong is too expensive and

nobody allows to park on their land.

“We had a meeting and we all agree that 21 taxi and tuk-tuk ranks is not suitable,” Mr Anan added.

In concluding discussions on Monday, V/Gov Siwaporn noted, “At this meeting we can only agree to delay the enforcement of the rules for one month, so there will be no arrests and no fines issued until August 3. Until then, everything will stay the same.

However, V/Gov Siwaporn added, “To be granted the extra 28 ranks, that is up to the Public Transportation Management Committee to decide.”

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Pattaya to use Patong as model for new beach rules > page 4

Driven by fear

Tourism leader urges steps against corrupt officials in migrant worker crackdown Tanyaluk Sakoot & Eakkapop Thongtub reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

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huritt Maswongssa, a leading figure in Phuket’s tourism industry, has called for the government to take steps to make sure the current crackdown on illegal migrant workers is not exploited by corrupt officials who are willing to accept bribes.

“The government must not think only about the impact on employers. There is a gap that corrupt officials can exploit to extract bribes,” Mr Bhuritt told The Phuket News this week.

“The government should enforce the law to punish such officials. That’s fair,” he added.

Mr Bhuritt is the Andaman representative on the Tourism Ministry’s Tourism Development Board, which presents draft laws to the Tourism Ministry.

“Also, now that the government has announced to defer enforcement of the new ‘Emergency Decree’ provisions for 180 days, the government must know that people will be lax about it. These people need help and support from the government to make sure they abide by the law,” he said.

Mr Bhuritt was adamant that the crackdown will have a dramatic effect on Phuket’s economy.

“The effect will not be felt right away, but it will hit fishing and construction industries

by affecting operating and production costs. Next, we will have expensive fish and seafood,” Mr Bhuritt said.

“Let’s think about it, if there are not enough migrant workers to meet demand, employers will have no choice but to try to find cheap workers to replace them – and such workers are not easy to find.

“Thai people do not want to work as labourers, and those who are willing to do so will only work for higher wages, which limits the number of people available for employers to hire.

“The consequence will affect production costs and the bottom line. Product prices will be higher, which will lead to inflation,” he said.

Mr Bhuritt’s call for action against corrupt officials came just days after hundreds of migrant workers from Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi arrived on the island to beg for assistance in getting home.

A total of 389 migrant workers last Friday and Saturday (June 30-July 1) alone gathered at The Mike Matthews Learning Center in Rassada, requesting assistance.

The centre, founded by the well-known charity the Good Shepherd, was opened in 2010 to provide basic education to children from poor families from Myanmar.

The workers reported that they had been sacked from various jobs across Phang Nga, Phuket and Krabi provinces

Hundreds of of migrant workers arrived in Phuket to beg for assitance in getting home. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub after the harsher labour law penalties issued in an “Emergency Decree”, effective on June 23.

Under the new penalties, deceiving that one can bring a foreigner to work without a work permit can incur a fine from B600,000 up to B1 million and from three to 10 years in prison, or both, for each foreign worker deceived.

Also, employers caught hiring foreigners to perform work in a forbidden position

face fines of B400,000 to B800,000, and a possible fine of up to B400,000 per foreigner working in excess of work described in the work permit.

One Myanmar volunteer at the centre, who asked to be named only as Mr “Mit”, said, “Most of the workers were dismissed by employers for fear of being found guilty.

Some say they have hidden in the jungle for many days out of fear, before coming to request assistance to go back.”

Free beer as delivery van slams pole LOCA L R ESI DEN TS were caught stealing beers from a Chang delivery pickup after the truck slammed into a power pole in Thalang early Wednesday morning (July 5).

“When we arrived at the scene we found local residents stealing beers and other items from the truck,” one rescue worker at the scene told The Phuket News.

“After we told them that the ambulance had a dash cam, they ran away,” he added.

The accident occurred on Thepkrasattri Rd southbound near Tha Ruea shrine,

Rescue workers arrived to find local residents stealing beers from crash site. at 2:30am. The driver, Phadungkiet Thongphithak, 28, was pinned inside the vehicle.

Rescue workers took 15 minutes to free him with hydraulic cutters.

Mr Phadungkiet was taken

to Thalang Hospital for injuries to his legs and head.

“He was carrying beer and other items from Phuket Airport back to Phuket Town,” said Lt Suporn Muangkhai of the Thalang Police.

“When he arrived at the scene, where there is a curve, he lost control of his vehicle and collided with the power pole,” he added.

“At this stage Mr Phadungkiet has been charged with reckless driving causing damage. He will be tested for alcohol,” Lt Suporn confirmed.

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FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

PHUKET NEWS

Legal action ordered over fatal bus crash Chutharat Plerin thai@classactmedia.co.th

Uzbekistan national Boboyeb G’olijon Obidovivh, 27, is under investigation for passing fake US$100 bills at a currency exchange in Rawai. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

T

he newly appointed Chief of the Patong Police, Col Tassanai Orarigadech, has vowed legal action over the deadly tour bus crash at the bottom of Patong Hill last Thursday night (June 29) that killed one Thai woman and injured dozens more people, including Chinese tourists travelling on the bus.

“This accident happened because the tour operator was selfish,” said Col Tassanai last Friday morning (June 30).

“The accident was because of a problem with the brakes.

They did not check that the bus was safe to travel over the steep hills. They, both the bus driver and the tour company, must face the full force of the law,” he said.

The Chinese tourists were being taken back to a hotel in Patong when it careered out of control past Patong Temple (Wat Suwankiriwong) and slammed into a motorbike, killing the driver instantly.

The Chinese tourists were on a tour organised by tour

3

Uzbekistani caught with fake banknotes The bus stopped only after ramming into a concrete barrier in front of a local resident’s home. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub company Yongthai Travel, based in Rassada north of Phuket Town.

The bus, registered in Nakhon Rachasima, was operated by the Nakhon Rachasimabased transport operator Lojaras Bus Travel Limited Partnership.

“When the bus arrived down the hill, the bus driver tried to brake,” said Capt Ekachai Siri, a Deputy Inspector of the Phuket Tourist Police.

“The vacuum on the brake booster failed. The driver lost control of the vehicle, and the

bus collided with the motorbike,” he confirmed.

Patong Hospital named 25 people as received for treatment from the crash site.

From the bus were the 22 Chinese passengers, including two 11-year-old girls, and two Thais. Among them was 40-year-old bus driver Wutthachai Srijan, who had to be cut free from the wreck by rescue workers using hydraulic cutters as he had been pinned behind the steering wheel. Mr Wutthachai suffered leg and

internal injuries.

The other Thai on the bus, Suraphong Cheewinmankhong, 26, suffered only minor injuries, as did all the other people taken to the hospital.

Police identified the motorbike driver killed in the accident as Ratana Sukpisarn, 43, from Udon Thani. Her passenger on the motorbike, Chananya Silajan, 40, amazingly escaped with scratches.

Additional reporting by Eakkapop Thongtub

AN UZBEKISTANI MAN is under investigation by police after he tried to exchange fake US$100 bills at a money exchange counter in Rawai on Monday afternoon (July 3).

Kunnika Patkhong, owner of the “M & P” money exchange on Patak Rd called Chalong Police at 1:45pm to report that a foreigner was attempting to exchange counterfeit bills at her shop.

Officers soon arrived and placed 27-year-old Boboyeb G’olijon Obidovivh under arrest.

Ms Kunnika told police that Mr Boboyeb wanted to exchange nine US$100 bills.

“I found abnormalities on the notes and after examination I realised that they were fake, so I asked my daughter to stall for time whilst I called

the police,” she said.

Police found Mr Boboyeb in possession of 17 US$100 bills and two currency exchange receipts from Bangkok Bank Cherng Talay branch.

The receipts showed that Mr Boboyeb had made two exchanges – one of US$1,500 to B51,315 and the other of RM1,620 (Malaysian Ringgit) to B12,247 – earlier in the day.

Mr Boboyeb, through an interpretor, told officers that the bank would not exchange the remainder of his notes as bank staff told him that they had “run out of bills”, and the bank staffer returned nine US$100 bills, leading him to the exchange shop.

Police have yet to confirm whether Mr Boboyeb will be charged.

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Zipline tourist ride raided for encroachment OFFICIALS RAIDED A ZIPLINE tourist-ride attraction in Phuket on Monday (July 3) as one of two plots under investigation for alleged encroachment on protected forest land.

Royal Forestry Department (RFD) Director Chonlatit Suratsawadee and Deputy Director Atthaphon Charoenchansa led the raids.

A team of RFD officers headed

by Cheewapap Cheewatam first carried out a raid on an area in the Nakkerd Hills in Karon.

Mr Cheewapap has previously served as Chief of Sirinath National Park, but resigned his post in 2014 amid a constant stream of death threats against him over his inves-

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tigations into encroachment onto state land there.

Upon raiding the area, officers were met by large iron gates at the entrance with a notice reading “Private area no entry”.

The plot is claimed by Wanwisa Sangsri, who holds a SorKor 1 land document for the site, which officials believe was issued illegally.

Mr Cheewapap said, “The 20-rai area in question was purchased by Ms Wanwisa in 2009. This area within the Nakkerd Hills was declared a forest reserve in 1973. Therefore, it is impossible for Ms Wanwisa to own this land.

“An official from the RFD Phuket

office changed the document to state that is outside of the forest reserve.

That official is now under investigation for his actions and the investigation will be concluded soon,” he said.

“Moreover, a former Phuket Land official who was arrested by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and died whilst being held in custody was involved in the issuing of this land title,” Mr Cheewapap.

Mr Cheewapap did not name the now-deceased former Phuket Land Office official he was specifically talking about, but former Phuket Land official Tawatchai Anukul was found hanged in a DSI cell in Bangkok in August last year.

Tawatchai’s death came amid speculation that he was killed to silence him, as he had been found to be involved in corruptly issuing false land documents amounting to billions of baht.

Mr Cheewapap noted on Monday that if the area in the hills above Karon could be sold, it would fetch in the region of B1 billion.

In the second raid, on a 36-rai plot of land in Kamala, which is also part of the Nakkerd Hills, the Zipline Max attraction was found to be operating. The company is registered to a Susaran Tophan, 56.

Officials said the area encroached on the forest reserve and that the

A team of RFD officers headed by Cheewapap Cheewatam (right) first raided the two sites in the Nakkerd Hills in Karon and Kamala. zipline attraction had been built without the necessary permission.

Mr Cheewapap said, “The owner of this zipline also owns Zipline Max in Chiang Mai. The RFD has already taken legal action against that business.”

Eakkapop Thongtub

4

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FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017 www.foreca.com

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Rescue workers attend to Chinese tourist Hu Jun.

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Family hurt in jumbo trek

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A FA M I LY O F F O U R Chinese tourists were injured during an elephant jungle trek last Thursday (June 29) after a dog barked, spooking the elephants they were mounted on, and causing them to bolt.

Thankfully, no serious injuries were sustained when the family, including a 13-year old girl, and their mahouts were thrown to the ground.

Ca mp ow ne r P r a kob Kongrod apologised for the incident and assured the company’s insurance would pay their medical bills.

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Army looks to Patong Beach as ‘role model’

Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

A

delegation of leading Pattaya officials visited Patong last week to appraise the beachmanagement system used at Phuket’s key tourism beach ahead of Pattaya deploying its own version in August.

Maj Gen Popanan Luangpanuwat, Deputy President of the military-appointed Pattaya Municipal Council and Commander of the 14th Military Circle based in Chon Buri, to lead the foray in Patong.

Joining the delegation was Maj Gen Pornsak Poonsawat, Deputy Commander of the Army Region 4 base in Nakhon Sri Thammarat and Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup.

The delegation from Pattaya is welcomed to Patong Beach last Thursday (June 29). Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot “I think the 10% zones serve tourists’ needs well in Patong. Tourists still need sun loungers, as I have learned from surveys of tourists, especially those from Germany, and other places,” Gen Popanan told The Phuket News.

“They still want sun loung-

ers (with umbrellas) because the weather is hot for them,” he noted.

Gen Popanan has already pointed out that a previous attempt to introduce a beachmanagement system in Pattaya has failed.

“We tried a beach-man-

agement system three years ago, but it was not a success,” Gen Popanan told the press in a public statement earlier this month.

“This is an opportunity to make a change, as per an order by the NCPO (National Council for Peace and Order), to reduce the area occupied by beach services to only 40% (of Pattaya Beach) – and this must be done within two months,” he said.

Beach vendors in Pattaya will be forced to stay inside the 40% zones, Gen Popanan vowed.

“They must not continue like they have done anymore,” he said.

“This change will start on August 15 this year,” Gen Popanan revealed.

No Railay climbing ban KRABI NATIONAL PARK officials on Tuesday (July 4) confirmed there was no ban on rock climbing at Ao Railay Beach, east of Phuket, as reported by media on July 3.

A national park official, who declined to be named, explained to The Phuket News, “We have installed signs warning people to be careful when

rock climbing in the park, but we have not banned it at all.

In the most recent climbing incident at Railay Beach, tourist Eduardo Keane, 24, from Miami Beach, Florida, was found unconscious with several wounds on his body and face after falling during a “free solo” climb.

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Opinion 6

OPINION

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FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

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

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editor3@classactmedia.co.th Originally from the UK; Has over six years experience as editor and reporter for Phuketindex.com magazine and website, and InPhuket magazine.

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

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EDITORIAL

Leaving it to your imagination

T

his is an opinion piece, however, I want to relate a true incident that happened to me last week and which I believes sums up why Phuket taxi drivers have the reputation they do. For any government officials who might happen to read this, and surely already know this, their reputation is far from good.

I was taking my six-yearold son to school last Wednesday morning (June 28) as is usual procedure every school day. I use a motorbike as I prefer to leave the car with my wife as she has to pick our son up every afternoon and she is not as comfortable as I am with riding a bike, and I am happier for her to be in the car when picking up my son. Purely for their safety.

I was heading along Pattana Rd approaching the Wirat Hongyok Rd intersection, planning to go straight through.

As I passed the stop line for the traffic lights there was still three seconds left before the lights were to change to amber.

I happened to notice that a taxi was also approaching from the opposite side of the junction. However, he was some 20-30 metres away from the stop line, so I believed he would stop.

This was not to be the case.

Rather than slowing down to stop, he went full throttle, went through the lights, at the last second indicating that he was turning right.

This taxi driver’s actions forced me to suddenly brake to an emergency stop to avoid crashing into him and forcing my son to slam into the back of me, as he was riding pillion behind me.

Luckily, it was a dry morning and I was able to stop. Had it been wet, I’m 100% sure myself, my son and my bike

would have slid either into or under his vehicle.

I would like to make it clear that I have lived here long enough to know not to react to situations like this, especially when they involve taxi drivers.

I’m sure most residents would understand why.

I will also give the driver the benefit of the doubt that when he made this life-threatening manoeuvre he was unaware my son was behind me.

But what I cannot accept is what he did next. He half made his right turn, stopped his Mitsubishi Pajero at a 45-degree angle to the road, wound down his window, laughed and at the same time shouted “f*#k you”.

I knew better than to retaliate, but maybe some people here don’t. If I had, I dread to think what situation that would have led to. But I will leave that up to your imagination.

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Phuket two-day booze ban this weekend for Buddhist holidays One dead, 26 injured in Phuket hill bus crash American tourist in ICU after Krabi climbing fall Koh Tao victim ‘attempted suicide’ in Bangkok Pattaya to use Phuket’s Patong Beach as model for new beach rules My daughter didn’t kill herself, mum says Phuket police mystified after finding no wounds on man who claimed he had been shot, stabbed Body found on Koh Samui beach Army takes on Phuket jet-ski operators for beach encroachment Patong Police chief orders legal action over fatal tour bus crash

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HAVE YOUR SAY You know... for kids Pride to the people My parents are in Phuket at Patong Beach at the moment and have noticed that there are scooters (not motorised) starting to appear in the shops over there. My son Joshua is very good at doing lots of tricks on his scooter. It is a craze over here in Australia, all the kids ride them and most are really good at doing really cool tricks. My son said to me, “Mum wouldn’t it be great if we could get a skatepark built in Phuket and you and I could go over there and teach them all the tricks that we do?”

Paula Ward ...................................................

Courageous work

Re: Phuket zip-line tourist ride raided for encroachment Mr Cheewapap you are a very courageous man. I can think of a few other jobs you could do for us in Phuket. How about Police Commissioner or Governor?… where all we ever get is talk and no action unless it’s to back down on previous commitments regarding jet-skis, taxis and tuk-tuks.

Benvenuto

Re: Phuket Pride Week 2017 raises B190,000 for local LGBT charities This was not a “Pride” event in the true sense even though organizers of this event dare to call it Phuket Pride. For the past six years it has been taken from the true gay community in Phuket and turned into fundraising event, albeit for worthy HIV charities.

It is time to give Phuket Pride back to the people to whom it should belong, which is the Thai gay community on the island, for them to celebrate and to raise awareness of issues concerning them.

A “Pride” event is meant to be a positive stance against discrimination and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people to promote their selfaffirmation, dignity, equality rights, increase their visibility as a social group and to press for legal rights such as samesex marriage.

There is now movement in Phuket by a number of its gay citizens to take back control of this event to promote the needs of their community. The PLU should continue fundraising

their project but they need to find another name for their event in the future.

Phiti ...................................................

Buck stops here

Re: Army takes on Phuket jet-ski operators for encroaching on the beaches “Soldiers raided the jet-ski operators at Kata Beach and found six of them were renting out jet-skis without insurance”.

Exactly how many jet-ski operators are there on Kata Beach? It can’t be many more than six. So we’re basically talking about all of them?

“The jet-skis on Patong Beach are allowed to be parked on the sand temporarily”.

Why? Without consistency of enforcement there’s no chance of anyone ever obeying the law.

“I do not have the authority to revoke jet-ski licences” The army is running the country and you are the highest ranking army officer on Phuket.

You have the authority (and duty) to do whatever it takes to enforce the law and to force recalcitrant government officers to do their jobs.

Captain Jack 69

Wrong choice for beach role model

Re: Pattaya to use Phuket’s Patong Beach as model for new beach rules Patong Beach is being managed so well I’m sure there will be representatives from many beach destinations coming to get a few tips.

They will learn that you must not have any parking available to the public. There must be raw sewage pumped into the sea to create the decorative “algae blooms”.

You must not provide any change room/showers/toilet facilities.

All the waste goes into the sea anyway so may as well just pee in the ocean. Jet-ski and parasail operators must be allowed to use the beach as they seem fit – parking vehicles, refueling, (crash) landing customers, while aggressively touting their “services”.

Most importantly, there should not be any trash bins available. This is the model of Patong Beach. Something to be very proud of and it looks so lovely and “natural”!

Timothy

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FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

Prayut signs order for police reform panel BANGKOK Bangkok Post

P

rime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has signed an order to set up a 36-member police reform committee.

The prime minister said the 36-member committee was established in accordance with the new charter which also bans police officers from sitting as committee chairman.

He was speaking after a cabinet meeting held at Government House on Tuesday (July 4).

The committee will be chaired by former supreme commander Boonsang Niempradit, Gen Prayut said.

The prime minister said he had confidence in the discretion of Gen Boonsang who was his professor while he was studying at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, adding Gen Boonsang also graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

As for the 35 other committee members, Gen Prayut said

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Gen Boonsang Niempradit, former supreme commander and a West Point graduate, is to lead the 36-member police reform committee. Photo: via Twitter@wassanananuam there are five high-ranking state officials who are not police, 15 academics from relevant agencies, and 15 police officers.

The committee’s task will zero in on the reform of three areas: police organisations, human resources and legal affairs.

Members must complete the reform process within nine months and Gen Boonsang will also hold a meeting with them soon, the premier said.

Gen Prayut said the reform committee must expedite its efforts to devise measures leading to cooperation between the police, military and local administrative officers in each province.

The measures will help ensure public safety and restore public confidence in police, he said.

However, police forces and police transfers will remain under the supervision of the

national police chief, Gen Prayut said.

The prime minister said reform must also be conducted based on opinions from the police and the public, adding it was impossible to replicate the organisation of foreign police forces as the changes must match the context of the country.

Gen Prayut insisted that police reform will be carried out with no favours given to anyone.

Meanwhile, Gen Boonsang said he will work at his full capacity, adding that police officers and top brass may have to sacrifice in order to achieve reform successfully.

However, he admitted it was a difficult task as the reform must be implemented within a short time frame, while the problems have been long-standing ones.

“I’m not that good but I will do my best to propose concepts and approaches for police reform. However, I have to listen to opinions from police, other agencies and Thai people too,” he said.

THAILAND NEWS

7

Police ID buried body on Samui SURAT THANI THE BODY FOUND BUried on Lamai Beach on Koh Samui on Monday (July 3) was a masseuse who had been murdered, police said on Tuesday (July 4).

They believed the motive was robbery as a one-bahtweight gold necklace she was seen wearing was not on the body.

The victim was identified only as Lucy, 50, of Myanmar nationality and Nepali race. She died of a stab wound to the stomach.

Lt Col Sirichai Kerdsri, a deputy police chief of Bophut Police Station, said an initial investigation found Lucy had come to live on the resort island 15 years ago after she broke up with her foreign boyfriend. She had since worked as a masseuse on the beach.

Camera footage showed Lucy was last seen strolling on Lamai Beach at 10pm on Saturday (July 1), he said.

Police said a Myanmar man named Ao, who worked

The body of Lucy, 50, a Myanmar national, was found on Lamai Beach on Monday (July 3). Photo: Supapong Chaolan for a jet-ski renter on the beach, was a suspect.

Ao reportedly left the island and might have returned to Myanmar through Mae Sot, Tak province.

The Samui police already alerted border police about the suspect.

Bangkok Post

8

THAILAND NEWS

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FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

‘Samui Times’ to be sued after Koh Tao death story SURAT THANI Bangkok Post

The wrecked pickup blocks the road at the scene of the crash. Photo: Pikool Kaewhawong

Cambodians injured in migrant exodus BURIRAM FIVE PEOPLE, A THAI driver and four Cambodians fleeing the harsh new penalties on illegal foreign labour, were injured when their pickup hit a trailer truck in Non Dindaeng district of Buriram on Wednesday morning (July 5).

The crash occurred on Highway 348 (Non DindaengTa Phraya) in Baan Than Chao Pa, in the southwest of the province, about 8:30am.

Police called to the scene found a wrecked Toyota Vigo, registered in Nakhon Nayok province, blocking the road.

There were five injured people inside the cab, the Thai driver and four Cambodians – a man, two women and a girl.

The migrants were taken to Non Dindaeng Hospital and the Cambodian man later transferred to Buriram provincial hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

Police said the Cambodians had hired the pickup and driver to take them to the border in Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo. They were returning home after learning about the harsh new penalties under the decree on unregistered foreign workers.

The driver lost control of the pickup truck and it hit an 18-wheel trailer truck.

The driver was only slightly injured and he fled the scene while rescue workers were helping the other victims.

Police were looking for him.

Bangkok Post

T

he death case of a Belgian tourist on Koh Tao took a twist on Tuesday as provincial authorities targeted a news website which ran the story before it went viral.

Officials called a meeting with about 300 business operators on the island on Tuesday (July 4) to contain the damage to their businesses in the wake of the story about the death of Elise Dallemagne.

They decided to assign Koh Pha Ngan district official Krerkkrai Songthani to file charges against the Samui Times with Koh Tao Police Station.

The Samui Times would face a libel lawsuit and a more serious charge of violating the Computer Crime Act for posting misinformation, prosecutor Somkuan Ruangwut said after the meeting.

Surat Thani Governor Auaychai Inthanak said officials are collecting more evidence before taking the case to the police station.

Koh Tao Mayor Chaiyant

Surat Thani Governor Auaychai Inthanak (right) receives flowers from tourism operators on Koh Tao during a meeting on the island on Tuesday (July 4). Photo: Supapong Chaolan Turasakul supported the decision saying, “The coverage damages the island’s reputation and we have to take decisive action not to allow foreigners or other people to attack our economy and the credibility of the country,” he said.

The media outlet based on Koh Samui angered authorities and tourism operators after it called Koh Tao “death island” after many tourists died in mysterious circumstances on the island, although they said only two tourists were murdered.

They referred to the murder of British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in 2014.

Two men from Myanmar were convicted of the murders and sentenced to death. The case remains under appeal after a widely criticised investigation.

Mr Chaiyant said the Samui Times’ coverage caused misunderstanding among tourists as safety was their priority when planning a trip.

The Samui Times did not reply to an email for comment sent by the Bangkok Post.

Its coverage on the death of Ms Dallemagne, 30, before the story was taken up by other media outlets prompted police to reopen the case. They are collecting evidence and witness accounts on the island.

The 30-year-old tourist was found dead on April 27 on Koh Tao. Police concluded that she committed suicide after two autopsy reports by Surat Thani General and the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Police General Hospital confirmed that she died from suffocation.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

ASIA NEWS

9

Moken culture under threat

Dynamite fishing and drugs take their toll on nomadic seafaring tribe MYANMAR Athens Zaw Zaw

W

ith a swift breath the teenage boy dives into the turquoise waters of southern Myanmar, a spear clutched in his hand, but below him lies nothing but a graveyard of broken, grey coral.

He is one of the Moken, a nomadic seafaring tribe who have perfected this freedive fishing technique over hundreds of years among the 800 islands that dot the Myeik archipelago and neighbouring southern Thailand.

Until recently the sea provided them with everything they needed: a base for boats they lived in, fish and seafood to eat and bounty such as pearls to trade with islanders for fuel and rice.

But the waters have been devastated by the commercial fishing industry that has eaten away the area’s once abundant marine life.

The destruction has been wrought by fishing boats, many believed to be from neighbouring Thailand, who use dynamite and trawlers to sweep the seabed.

In a cruel chain reaction, some Moken youths have ended up working for the fishing fleets that are destroying the ecosystem that supported them through the generations.

“When we were young, a husband could easily support his family,” Kar Shar, the Moken leader in Makyone Galet village, recalled as he smoked his pipe outside his stilted, corrugated-iron house.

“Now the whole family has to work to survive, and sometimes even that is not enough.”

Many islanders, including local Karen and Burmese as well as the Moken – known as “Salon” in Myanmar or “Sea Gypsies” in the West – have been caught up in the trade.

Impoverished, stateless and with restricted working rights, some Moken began diving for fishing crews in the early 90s and continued after the former military government forced

Thiha Thway, a Moken fisherman, after spearing a pufferfish in waters in the Myeik Archipelago. Photo: Ye Aung Thu/AFP many to live on the islands.

“There is a lot of dynamite fishing,” said Jacques Ivanoff, an expert at France’s CNRS and the Musee de l’Homme who has spent decades working with the Moken.

“Left alone... (they) have no other choice to make a living.”

It’s risky, illegal work. The fishermen travel to the deserted outer islands where they are less likely to be caught.

There the divers search for the best spot, before throwing in the dynamite and quickly reversing away.

Some breathe through thin plastic tubes hooked up to compressors, while others use no equipment. Many suffer decompression sickness, which can leave them crippled and unable to walk.

Others die as they swim up to the surface, or never surface at all – a terrible price to pay for a business whose profits largely slip overseas.

“People say the boats are from Thailand,” said 54-yearold Moken man Ko Matt.

For many the potential profits make the dangers worth it. Divers can earn more than $100 (B3,402) in a night, compared to an average wage of $3 (B102) a day on the islands.

Some Moken have turned to drugs to cope with the strain of the work.

Win Myat was a teenager when his uncle died, lost to the caffeine-laced methamphetamine pills known as ‘ya bah’ that have flooded the area.

“He would spend all his money on drugs,” the 20-yearold said on Nyaung Wee island.

“In the end he was very weak and always became angry if he did not have the pills,” he added, requesting his name be changed.

“He made a lot of trouble for our family. Then he died.”

Rights activist Khin Maung Htwe estimates around 40% of Moken men on the islands use narcotics, either ya bah or heroin from Myanmar’s drug-producing borderlands.

Most are young men, leaving the Moken women to marry the local ethnic Karen and Burmese and settle further into a more land-based culture.

“Now there are not as many Moken men as women left,” said Tun Aung Soe, 20, whose mother is Moken and his father ethnic Burmese.

Experts say the Moken’s population in Myanmar has fallen from around 5,000 – over 10,000 if you include the

Moken fishermen hunting for fish in waters in the Myeik Archipelago, off the coast of southern Myanmar. Photo: Ye Aung Thu/AFP @thephuketnews

other sea nomads the Moklen and Urak Lawoi – to 2,0003,000 today.

The collapse of fish stocks has been a disaster for the Moken.

A Norwegian fisheries research vessel which surveyed the Myeik archipelago in 1980 and again in 2013 found rampant overfishing had led to a 90% fall in the biomass

of open ocean species of fish.

Robert Howard, marine programme advisor for environmental NGO Flora & Fauna International, said there are an estimated 8,000 smaller boats and many other large trawlers operating in the area.

“If that keeps going the fishery will eventually collapse,” he warned.

Many of the Moken say fishing is no longer enough to sustain them.

Today less than half of those living on the Myeik archipelago lead the seafaring life of their ancestors, and that number is declining.

No one has made a “kabang”, the traditional wooden boat in which people used to spend most of their lives, for a decade.

Kar Shar, the Moken leader in Makyone Galet village, longs for those days again.

“When we lived on the boats we could move to other places if the current place was not good, but now we cannot,” he said.

“Life was better on the boats.”

AFP

10 WORLD NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

Taken over by shanties

Urban population, neglect takes toll on Casablanca’s historic apartments MOROCCO Hamza Mekouar

S

hanties have mushroomed on the rooftops of historic apartment buildings in Casablanca, as the Moroccan city’s onceprestigious centre crumbles below.

Clotheslines, satellite dishes and tangled cables have sprouted on the deteriorating facades of the buildings, constructed nearly a century ago under French rule.

What was once a feted blend of Moroccan and European architecture is falling apart under the weight of an expanding urban population and neglect.

The city “was once at the forefront of world architecture”, architect Rachid Andaloussi says.

But today its early 20thcentury residential buildings have been “abandoned by landlords tired of seeing them deteriorate”, says Andaloussi, the head of Casamemoire, an association to protect the city’s architectural heritage.

Clotheslines, satellite dishes and tangled cables have sprouted on the deteriorating facades of Casablanca’s buildings, constructed nearly a century ago under French rule. Photo: AFP And a housing crisis in the traffic-clogged economic hub has led Moroccans with nowhere else to live to cobble together makeshift homes on rooftop terraces.

“They’ve squatted in public infrastructure, factories – and now they’ve moved on to the terraces,” Andaloussi says.

Building themselves shelter from corrugated iron, bits of wood and plastic bags, they have come to occupy what

were once emblematic architectural spaces.

Casablanca, known by the Spanish translation of its Arabic name Dar al-Bayda (“White House”), greatly expanded under the French protectorate from 1912.

French architect and urban planner Henri Prost presented his first plan for the Moroccan city in 1915.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Prost and mostly fellow French

architects built the city that has become the country’s economic heart.

They created the city’s unique style by blending traditional Moroccan elements like mosaics, stucco and sculpted cedar wood with the European trends of Art Deco and Art Nouveau.

Their work includes the Lincoln Hotel, an Arabesque Art Deco building that was built in 1916 and used by

American spies during World War II. But it closed in 1989 and today stands largely in ruins.

The Liberty Building, also called “The 17th Floor”, was North Africa’s first skyscraper when it was built between 1949 and 1951.

Architect Driss Kettani says the Casablanca city centre was once a “feat of architecture and urban planning”, “with its wealth of neo-Moorish, Art Deco and Modernist architecture”.

“What was a few decades ago the indisputable heart of the city has today suffered from a lack of maintenance,” Kettani says.

Tenants in these buildings often pay “ridiculously low” fixed rents, and landlords can only remove them if they pay a huge relocation fee.

Neither the tenants nor the owners pay for the upkeep of the buildings.

The city’s old core is also threatened by real estate speculation, as developers look to buy historic properties to tear them down and build modern apartment blocs instead.

Urban planner Mostafa Kheireddine explains that Casablanca’s housing crisis stems from a booming population from successive migration flows to the city in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

“Over the years, it experienced pressure on the urban planning sector that was unprecedented in the history of Morocco’s cities,” he says.

As all of Morocco’s social tensions came to the fore in 1980s Casablanca, “quality urban housing was not given priority,” Kheireddine says.

But times are changing, raising hopes of an urban revival.

The authorities have started upgrading the city centre after what Kettani calls “a realisation of the extraordinary potential of this part of the city”.

The opening of a tram line has given the area’s buildings added value.

And wealthier Moroccans are increasingly buying apartments in the Art Deco buildings, as they become fashionable and the area gentrifies.

AFP

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

BUSINESS NEWS 11

Chevrolet misfires on service centre AUTOMOTIVE

Phuket Vice Governor Siwaporn Chuasawad levelled the warning about price gouging at a durian fruit festival last week. Photo: Prawarit Musika

The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

C

hevrolet Thailand has assured that a service dealer will be in action in Phuket before the end of the year. The revelation is in response to a public flaming online by local Chev owners after the company shut down its only authorised service dealer in Phuket at the end of May. V.S.T. Auto Sales (2002) Co Ltd, located on the bypass road, ceased operating as an authorised service centre on May 31, leaving new Chev owners in Phuket no choice but to drive hundreds of kilometres to Krabi in order to have their vehicles serviced by an authorised agent – a condition required in order for Chevrolet Thailand to uphold their vehicle warranties.

Angry comments from Chev owners in Phuket ran wild, noting that no owners were notified by the company that the Phuket service centre was to cease.

“Total chaos, nobody knows anything and they don’t get anything done… my car has been there now for over a month and they haven’t fixed anything and nobody is willing to inform me about the situation!!!

“The new staff there are a disaster… too bad, the old staff was really great and got things done very fast, now I am sad I own a Chevrolet...,” wrote one owner. Many other comments expressed outright fury and are unpublishable.

Asked why the service centre closed, Chevrolet Customer Service staff in Bangkok told The Phuket News this week, “We don’t have any informa-

Vendors warned over price gouging PRODUCE

Chevrolet Thailand has assured a new service centre will open in Phuket before the end of the year, but remain coy on details about the new agent. tion about this.”

Asked where clients were to go to have their vehicles services, staff responded, “We suggest the nearby Chevrolet centre located at 60 Moo 2, Phetkasem Rd, Krabi Noi subdistrict, Mueang District, Krabi Province.”

Asked how to get there, staff explained, “You drive outbound (sic) on Phetkasem Rd. You have to drive past Tesco Lotus.

“The Chevrolet centre is opposite the Amway centre.

The contact number is 075650699. We apologise for this inconvenience.”

After many more phone calls and emails by The Phuket News, a senior corporate communications staffer for Chevrolet Sales (Thailand) Limited, who asked specifically not to be named, on Tuesday (July 4) revealed, “We have now got a dealer to take care of our new

Phuket is no longer on the map as a location for an authorised Chevrolet service centre or dealer. branch in Phuket. The new branch will open at the end of this year (2017).”

Asked who the new dealer was, the staffer said, “We will reveal it soon. The company

Thai Smile increases Phuket flights AIRLINES THAI SMILE INCREASED flight frequency on its Bangkok-Phuket route from five daily to seven daily, starting last Saturday (July 1).

The additional two daily flights offer a better choice of departure times for passengers f lying to Thailand’s most popular island destination.

Thai Smile operates out of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport using Airbus A320s. @thephuketnews

Thai Smile has boosted its Bangkok-Phuket services.

Owned by Thai Airways International, the airline serves as a feeder carrier on domestic routes that THAI no longer serves.

However, THAI does offer its own three flights daily to Phuket and continues to serve Chiang Mai. TTR Weekly

has a new dealer which is in the process of setting up its operations.

“The new branch is coming soon. We will release other information and details soon.”

FRESH FRUIT VENDORS in Phuket have been warned over charging inflated prices of durian as well as other popular fruits, such as pineapples, in tourism areas.

Phuket Vice Governor Siwaporn Chuasawad levelled the warning at a durian fruit festival last week.

“I already know about overpriced durian being sold in Phuket and I have ordered officers to carry out checks to make sure Thai and foreign customers are charged fair prices,” V/Gov Siwaporn said.

“We have noted that inflated prices are being charged in many tourism places. The Phuket Provincial Office has yet to raise this issue formally, but we have already ordered officers to look into this and to ensure prices controlled by law are being adhered to,” V/Gov Siwaporn explained.

“Of f icers w ill check products to see if prices are controlled by law. Types of durians and other fruits will also be checked to see if they match the description as promoted,” she added.

“If officers find any vendors breaking the law, they must face legal action,” V/ Gov Siwaporn warned.

V/Gov Siwaporn noted that complaints about the spiralling cost of fruit in Phuket has drawn heavy criticism on social media.

However, she conceded that prices for durian varied depending on the type of durian and other factors.

“The prices vary for many reasons, from marketing hype to the many different types of durian, and some types of durian are even grown in special soil,” V/Gov Siwaporn explained.

According to the Department of Interior Trade, which regulates and monitors fresh produce prices, in Bangkok Monthong Durian is currently sold at no less than B150 per kilogram but no more than B180 per kilo, while prices for Chanee Durian ranged from B140 to B150 per kilo.

There were no market prices given for Phuket.

“This issue is important to Phuket. Tourists who visit Phuket will tell their friends about their holiday here,” V/ Gov Siwaporn noted.

“We (the Phuket Provincial Office) have tried to support agricultural and local tourism. Our natural tourism is very popular. Many local communities use fruits and vegetables as selling points, and it provides income for local farmers,” she said.

“Phuket durian is targeted to be popular at fresh markets next year. Right now, Phuket Durian is only well known on the island. We will have to develop its quality, and its price must be controlled,” she added.

Chutharat Plerin

12 BUSINESS NEWS

Rory returns to Outrigger Resorts HOSPITALITY OU T R IG G E R E N T E Rprises Group has announced the appointment of Rory Campbell as Area Director of Sales and Marketing, responsible for the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort and the Outrigger Koh Samui Beach Resort.

The Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort features 255 rooms and suites as part of Laguna Phuket on Bang Tao Bay. The appointment, effective July 1, is Mr Campbell’s second stint with Outrigger.

He was Director of Sales and Marketing for the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort 2013-2015 and General Manager of the Outrigger Koh Samui Beach Resort 2015-2016.

Before joining Outrigger in 2013, Mr Campbell, an Australian national, worked in senior sales and marketing roles for Hilton in Spain, Anantara Hotels and Resorts in Thailand, and the Eaton Hotel in Hong Kong.

In his new assignment, Mr. Campbell will report to

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

Rainy season revival AoT reports passenger gains at airports TOURISM TTR Weekly

A Rory Campbell has returned to the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach resort, this time as Area Director of Sales and Marketing.

Tony Pedroni the General Manager of the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort, to Marc Landgraf General Manager of the Outrigger Koh Samui Beach Resort, and to Andrew Gee the Outrigger Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for Australia and New Zealand, based in Sydney.

“We’re glad Rory is back, batteries charged and once again ready to promote our beautiful resorts in Thailand,” said Paul Richardson, Chief Operating Officer of Outrigger Enterprises Group.

The Phuket News

irports of Thailand (AoT) has reported increases in both aircraft movements and passenger traffic at five of its six airports, including Phuket International Airport, during May, a time of year when tourism arrival numbers traditionally fall.

AoT reported late last month that all of its supervised airports served 10,195,790 passengers up 5.83% from 9,633,787 when compared with the same month last year, with 5,033,668 passengers disembarking (+6.40% from 4,730,872); 5,085,602 embarking (+5.36% from 4,827,005) and 76,520 in transit (+0.80% from 75,910).

Overall, aircraft movements also increased by 3.75% from 65,417 to 67,868.

For the first five months of the year, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport welcomed 25.83 million passengers followed by Don Mueang with 15.92 million and Phuket 7.27 million.

Chiang Mai Airport handled

Travellers queue to check in at Phuket International Airport. Photo: Prawarit Musika 4.27 million passengers.

Phuket International Airport registered a 6.12% improvement in international aircraft movements from 3,792 to 4,024, while domestic aircraft movements grew 11.71% from 3,972 to 4,437.

International passenger traffic increased 6.93% from 575,750 to 615,627. Breakdown: 294,979 disembark (+7.77%; 273,715); 318,663 embark (+5.51%; 302,010);

and 1,985 transit (+7,840.00; 25). Domestic traffic improved 4.38% from 549,496 to 573,568.

In the capital, Suvarnabhumi Airport registered a slight increase of 0.43% in international aircraft movements from 21,675 to 21,769, while domestic aircraft movements grew 9.73% from 6,208 to 6,812 movements.

International passenger traffic increased 4.67% from

3,639,127 to 3,809,166. Breakdown: 1,853,640 disembark (+5.89%; 1,750,606); 1,895,877 embark (+3.86%; 1,825,357); and 59,649 transit (-5.56%; 63,164). Domestic passengers grew 12.62% from 722,527 to 813,696.

Don Mueang Airport recorded a 5.32% increase in international aircraft movements from 6,693 to 7,049.

Domestic movements posted a slight decline of 0.08%.

Marriott push to launch 17 hotels HOSPITALITY MAR RIOTT INTERNAtional seeks to ride the wave of popularity in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) sector by opening 17 hotels in Thailand over the next four years.

Mike Fulkerson, VicePresident for Brand and Marketing in Asia-Pacific at Marriott, said the new hotels would be operated through various – mostly luxury – brands in the company’s portfolio.

Some projects in the plan have already been unveiled to the public, including the Surawong Rd Marriott, the Marriott at Asiatique the Riverfront, and a Marriott in Pattaya. All three developments are owned by beverage tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi.

The Sirivadhanabhakdi family recently relaunched its flagship hotel: the Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, formerly the Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel. Queen’s Park is the first Marriott in Asia-Pacific to reach the “Marquis” category, and it focuses on Mice business.

T h e v e n u e’s 21, 336 square metres features 37 event rooms, 1,360 modern

Mike Fulkerson, Vice-President for Brand and Marketing in Asia-Pacific for Marriott International, believes the hotel’s partnership with TED will give guests memorable experiences. rooms and suites, six Thai and international restaurants and is located in the heart of Bangkok.

Mr Fulkerson said Marriott operates 39 hotels in the country, and nearly 550 hotels and resorts worldwide.

To bolster its reputation, Marriott teamed up with media organisation TED to host TED’s 4th Salon at Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park. Similar events were held in Seattle, London and Abu Dhabi since the partnership was established in September 2016.

In the past, TED has worked with leading personalities like Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Monica Lewinsky, Philippe Starck,

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman.

Hong Kong-based Cesar Jung-Harada talked about how robotics startups like MakerBay and Scoutbots can help clean oceans for future generations.

“Today’s travellers look for more in a hotel. Through innovation, we are elevating guests’ stays into memorable experiences,” said Mr Fulkerson.

“TED content not only entertains, but also educates and engages guests. Together we hope to deliver original content, events and experiences that will spark travellers’ creativity and inspire them to have new perspectives.”

Bangkok Post thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

Jamie reveals an elusive Phuket viewpoint

14

The sublime simplicty of chicken and rice

15

THE ‘iLLY’ SCHOOL OF ROCK

Colin Hill playing his beloved Fender Stratocaster.

Mark Knowles editor1@classactmedia.co.th

I

f you’ve lived in Phuket for any length of time, there is a good chance you’ve heard the Colin “illy” Hill Band performing their high-octane classic rock ’n’ roll or laid-back breezy acoustic sessions at one of the many events on the island’s social calendar. Colin Hill, the front man and driving force behind the band, has been a fixture on Phuket’s live music scene for more than a dozen years and has earned a reputation as an amazing live performer with his virtuoso electric guitar solos and matching vocal ability.

Colin arrived in Phuket those dozen years ago with a guitar, an abiding passion for the classic rock music of the ’ 70s and ’80s and little else. He started out as a solo act, but it didn’t take long for him to cross paths with other talented musicians, and seeing the potential for putting together some truly epic live performances, he founded his eponymous band and they’ve been rocking Phuket ever since.

Colin soon noted that to succeed he would have to be fully legal under Thailand’s stringent standards for foreign workers. He is one of only a handful of Western musicians in Phuket that have undertaken the lengthy process of creating a Thai @thephuketnews

company and obtaining a work permit that allows him to perform.

Over the years the band has mutated and evolved into a tightly knit live act that really know how to get the crowd up and moving. They have put out an album of original and cover songs but they are perhaps better known for their distinct and unique covers of some of the most popular rock songs of all time. He has also played on, recorded and co-produced five CDs for international artists who chose to record in Phuket and use the band as the foundation of their albums.

“My whole band is an international band, we’ve got Thai, Filipino, South African, Japanese, Belgian and Italian members – it’s a united nations band. A lot of musicians have come and gone, so it ’s always been in a state of flux and evolution. But we’ve had the nucleus of the band going for 10 years, so the band is very tight, and definitely one of the best and most versatile bands on the island, performing anything from dinner music, pub rock, corporate events, weddings and as a full backing for visiting international artists,” says Colin.

“A lot of bands in Phuket tend to play the same material, same songs, same ways... I’ve been lucky enough to run my band a little bit differently. We’ve got an album out

and many YouTube clips and so on, which helps set us apart from the usual cover bands. And we play fully live, so there’s no backing tracks, no cheating, and no machines, laptops or USB sticks. We don’t copy songs, we do our own unique version... we’ll do, say, Born To Be Wild – the classic Steppenwolf hard rock song – but do an acoustic version. The whole band is multi-instrumental so we have a very ‘big’ sound even as a threepiece, and huge sound as five- or sixpiece,” says Colin.

Colin’s love of playing guitar has been a lifelong obsession and one he wants to share with the next generation. Having performed all over the globe in cover, tribute and original bands, and alongside some major international stars, his wide-ranging musical experience is impressive.

But back in his home country of Australia, before his music career took off, he worked as a high-school teacher – another passion that has never left him.

“The plan was always to go back to teaching out after I got music ‘out of my system’, but 40 years later I’m still doing it. I never stopped teaching though, and apart from being a working musician, I teach guitar, from beginner to very advanced and bass from beginner to intermediate levels. I also do private tutoring in English, Social Science and Geogra-

phy, basically anything but Maths and Science,” says Colin.

His approach to teaching both music and academics is all about direct one-on-one contact with his students, which he says enables him to tailor his teaching to their specific needs and accelerate the rate at which they master the curriculum.

“You can’t beat the one-on-one or very-small-group tutoring situation.

I teach the Australian Home School Curriculum, which is a recognised diploma course, and I specialise in students from Grades 7 to 10. A lot of my students are the children of expats who have moved around a lot, they’ve had to move schools several times and school is just not working out for them.

“My students could be kids that are falling behind or the parents are just not happy with what school is offering. With home schooling it doesn’t matter where you do your education, if you pass the exams then it is the same, or better, as going through a school.

“Here in Phuket, I say there’s lots of teachers and there are lots of musicians, but there are not many who can do both!” he says with a laugh.

To talk to Colin about organising a performance or engaging his teaching services, and for more information, visit his website at: colinillyhill.com

14 EXPLORE

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

Black rock beauty Koh Racha Yai, 20km away, can be easily seen from Pa Hin Dum viewpoint.

Jamie uncovers a hidden viewpoint with dramatic Andaman Sea views JAMIE’S PHUKET Jamie Monk

It’s still not that easy to get to – there’s not even one drinks stall and no signs in English, just an indescript dirt road followed by a short hike uphill.

T

here’s always something new to find in the Andaman area. Just about a year ago we found a newly opened viewpoint in Phang Nga, not far from Phuket, called Samet Nangshe – and it was quite a find, hardly known a year ago, it has now appeared on quite a few tour itineraries and websites.

There are a lot of great views in Phuket, some are advertised viewpoints, for others you need to take a bit of a hike.

One viewpoint we can call “Black Rock”, or maybe “Black Cliff” – the Thai name means “Black Rock Cliff”. I’ve not seen an official name in English and haven’t seen it on any English websites or blogs even though I first heard about it four years ago. I was asked to keep it a secret, but until last weekend, I never actually got around to visiting it.

Well, the secret is out, so I think I can safely blog about Black Rock or Black Rock Cliff or Pa Hin Dum without spoiling the place. Anyway, it’s still not that

The hard walk to the top is rewarded with this view. easy to get to – there’s not one drinks stall and no signs in English, just an indiscreet dirt road followed by a short hike uphill. I’m very glad we went and I will be interested to see how developed it gets in the coming year.

The viewpoint is above Nai Harn Beach, reached by a dirt road that starts not far from the Karon Viewpoint. It’s the same dirt road that heads towards Nui Beach – a secluded beach that I have never been to, partly due to the steep dirt road, partly due to the compulsory entry fee. It was made into a beach club and was being investigated for land fraud and raided by the navy, but I think it’s still open! This dirt road has been improved recently. It’s only about one kilometres along the dirt road which is signposted to Nui Beach, then you keep left while the road to Nui heads right and steeply downhill.

So, at this point we parked our truck and followed a small path up into the trees on the left side of the road. Not a long walk to the top, only about 10 minutes. The path is obvious enough, no proper steps, just a narrow forest path which runs alongside a barbed wire fence for a while. A few sections are kind of steep, watch your footing, but really nothing to break a sweat over.

It’s really quite high up there – something like 290 metres (nearly 1,000 feet) above sea level. You’re looking south and Nai Harn and Ya Nui beaches are way below. The wind turbine lookout between those beaches seems quite high when you are there, but it’s waaaay down there!

You can see Phromthep Cape and islands beyond including Koh Kaew Yai and Racha Yai (Racha Yai is 20km away).

There’s not much room at the viewpoint here, and the cliff drops off very very steeply, so I advise caution! There’s no railings or warning signs but you can walk carefully down a few metres onto a small flat area just before the cliff, but do it carefully!

The only sign you will see to point the way is painted on a rock a the start of the dirt path.

We stayed up there taking in the view for about 20 minutes and then headed back home. Going the other way on the dirt road we had a nice view looking north along the hills. Phuket has plenty of hills, which is actually how the island got it’s name – the Malay word for hill is bukit.

So, let’s see how long this place stays quiet! Looks like the landowner has made access much easier now, with the dirt road being improved and the viewpoint being signposted. Easy enough to find if you know where you are going, but many other viewpoints in Phuket are easier to reach.

Jamie Monk blogs about all things Phuket. For more great local information visit his website: jamiesphuket.com thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

DINING 15

Simple chicken so tasty STREET EATS

Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

U

nlike many Thai street food favorites, the ubiquitous khao man gai (literally – chicken oil rice) is a very subtle and simple meal, perfect for those who aren’t big fans of intensely spicy Thai food. Originating in Hainan, China, it has spread throughout southeast Asia and is also popular in Singapore and Malaysia where it’s known better as Hainanese chicken rice.

The dish is simplicity itself, just boiled chicken served on rice infused with chicken fat and herbs, and topped with a flavourful sauce. Because of its simplicity, the quality of ingredients and cooking techniques used can make a huge difference to the final dish.

To make a truly delicious khao man gai you need to use a plump fatty chicken, which is then boiled slowly in water with ginger, pandan leaves and garlic until perfectly tender. After several chickens have been boiled in the same pot the resulting stock, full of rendered chicken fat and flavour, is used to cook the rice – hence, chicken oil rice.

The stock is also used to make the clear chicken broth that is an essential part of

the dish and often includes chopped pieces of winter melon and spring onions.

Finally, and for many people, most importantly, is the sauce. Made from fermented yellow soybean, thick soy sauce, chilli, vinegar, sugar syrup and plenty of finely chopped fresh ginger and garlic. A good sauce can make the difference between a serviceable khao man gai and a truly great one and many restaurants pride themselves on their sauce recipe.

Other common additions to the essential trinity of chicken, rice and soup include chicken blood tofu, fried chicken skin and a garnish of cucumber and coriander. Thick sweet soy sauce is often used in addition to the traditional khao man gai sauce. Many restaurants also offer roasted or deep fried chicken instead of boiled, and some, like Papa Khao Man Gai Taad, will also give you the option of adding crispy pork, duck, stewed pork, Chinese sausage or egg to a serving of their chicken-infused rice – but at that point can no be really condered as the classic khao man gai.

Top resorts get new kitchen talent

T

wo leading Phuket resorts have appointed new top-level chefs to their staff. The Naka Island welcomed Jonathan David Bruell as its new Executive Chef. Formerly Chef de Cuisine at Angsana Laguna Phuket’s Bodega & Grill, Chef Jonathon’s move to The Naka has made way for Marco Cacia to take up his new role as Bodega’s Sous Chef.

As Executive Chef at The Naka Island, Chef Jonathon is keen to apply the culinary expertise that helped him and his former team at Bodega & Grill to be named one of Thailand Tatler’s Best Restaurants for 20I7.

“Using a perfect combination of Phuket produce and authentic Thai cuisine, I plan to create a culinary experience specific to The Naka Island,” said Chef Jonathon.

Chef Jonathon began his career in London in 1980 at The Berkeley, Knightsbridge Hotel and continued his journey at five-star hotels in several countries, from Egypt to South Korea, Bahrain, Vietnam and Australia.

Chef Marco said his passion for Italian and French cuisine, as well as a profound love of Thai cuisine, will drive him in his new role at Bodega & Grill. He began his career in 2011, undertaking culinary adventures at wellknown restaurants in Italy, Spain and Australia.

Prior to joining Angsana @thephuketnews

Chef Jonathan David Bruell.

Laguna Phuket, Chef Marco was a Sous Chef at Amari Vougue Krabi.

“I am proud to join the Angsana family, which is known to be one of the best worldwide brands, being part of this team, renowned for its exceptional culinary performance, will drive me to further explore the culinary world,” said Chef Marco.

The Phuket News

A classic plate of ‘khao man gai ‘from Papa Khao Man Gai Taad.

Here are three of my favourite places in Phuket where you can try a plate of tasty khao man gai for yourself: Papa Khao Man Gai Taad Offers huge share plates filled with boiled chicken, fried chicken, crispy pork, baked pork and chicken rice. Head west from Central Festival until about 200 metres past Makro and keep an eye out for it on your left near Soi Thida.

Ko Ta Khao Man Gai Ko Ta has been serving Phuket locals for over 50 years. Located on Soi Surin in Phuket Town just south of the traffic circle with the big clock tower in the middle.

Khao Man Gai Ko Dum Another long-standing restaurant well known to locals. From Phuket Old Town head north on Yaowarat Rd past Vachira Hospital and it’s about 900m further on your left.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

BOOKS 17

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

Memoirs of a brilliant barbarian Fiachra Gibbons

A hesitant ‘coming out’ on his secret life as a not-so-dumb surfer, forever searching for the perfect wave.

@thephuketnews

A

surfing memoir already hailed as a classic won the inaugural Prix America on June 26 for the best book published in or about the US. New Yorker magazine journalist William Finnegan has already won a Pulitzer prize for Barbarian Days, which has garnered the kind of reviews most writers can only dream of.

He said that the book had begun as a hesitant “coming out” on his secret life as a not-so-dumb surfer, forever searching for the perfect wave. The New York Review of Books called it “an utterly convincing study in the joy of treating seriously an ‘unserious’ subject”.

The judges of the French-based Prix America agreed, declaring that if it had been about “sex or drugs it would be seen as one of the strongest books we have about the effects of desire, the vortex of obsession the difficulty of weaning ourselves off” our addictions.

A review in The New York Times said the book’s “emotional core is Mr Finnegan’s attempt to reckon with what drives him to surf – the same impulse, he realises, that drove him later in life, as a staff writer for The New Yorker, to report from so many war zones, like El Salvador and Sudan. He wants to consider the ‘big psychic hole’ that surfing fills in him, the appeal of a kind of danger that approaches the sublime”.

Finnegan, 65, said that he was “astounded to win with a book (about surfing) with all the big novels around”.

“I am thrilled. I think the judges got the whole ambition of the book and felt it came together.”

Having taken 20 years to write, “to have someone tell you your book is literature and

Author and journalist for ‘The New Yorker’ magazine William Finnegan. Photo: AFP

that it reads like fiction is just great”, he added.

The prize is awarded by the French literary review, America, which has been set up to reflect the US under Donald Trump. The author said that part of the book’s popularity may be because his account stops before Trump’s rise to power, which he described as a “catastrophe”.

The judges also praised Finnegan – who covered civil wars in Latin America, Sudan and the Balkans – for his acute understanding of the effect of American foreign policy.

“One of the threads running through the book is an incredible description of the humiliations the US has visited upon those who do not go along with its vision of the world,” they added.

Finnegan travelled the globe as a

surf bum before becoming a journalist after writing an account of his time teaching “coloured” children in apartheid South Africa, a job he picked up while surfing on the Cape.

His New Yorker colleague George Packer’s highly-acclaimed The Unwinding, a portrayal of the “coming apart of America’s national fabric”, also made the shortlist.

The other books in contention were Donald Ray Pollock’s novel The Heavenly Table; The Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff; Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson; Writing to Save a Life

by John Edgar Wideman; Into the Forest

by Jean Hegland – which has been compared to Margaret Atwood’s A Handmaid’s Tale – and Kristopher Jansma’s New York-set We Came to the City.

AFP

18 ISLAND SCENE

The XANA staff made sure there was no shortage of pies.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

A young competitor gave it a red hot go but eventually bowed out.

Bristling with confidence before the competition.

The competitors struggle through the late stages.

FULL BELLIES AT XANA BEACH CLUB’S FAMILY FESTIVAL AND PIE-EATING CONTEST Last Sunday, July 2, XANA Beach Club held its Family Festival in celebration of American Independence Day. The event featured a summer beach buffet with some delicious Thai and American cuisine, but the highlight of the day was a pie-eating contest which saw 10 participants competing to eat a single pie in the fastest possible time. The winner was awarded a Sunday Brunch for two people at XANA Beach Club worth B5,700.

Children enjoyed a range of fun activities organised by XANA.

Amari staff with members of the Red Cross Society.

THE AMARI PHUKET TEAM MAKES A BLOOD DONATION TO THE RED CROSS Amari Phuket recently welcomed a team from the Thai Red Cross Society in Phuket to take blood donations. Amari staff members generously participated in the blood drive to help build up vital stocks of blood for use in hospitals across the island.

Pie-eating contest winner Nikolai Rumyantcev and his family.

These local children got some world-class coaching from Anton Blackwood.

KAMALA SCHOOL CHILDREN TRAIN WITH TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR COACH The Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation recently helped organise a very special visitor to the Rachaprachnukroh School, Kamala – Anton Blackwood, professional football coach from Tottenham Hotspur. Anton was in Phuket doing a football camp at Thanyapura and took time out of his busy schedule to come and teach some of the residential students at the Kamala school. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

ISLAND SCENE 19

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

There were smiles all round as Andy took the reigns as president for the coming year.

Richard Jones, Walter Wyler and Andy Becker.

ROTARY CLUB OF PATONG BEACH WELCOMES NEW PRESIDENT ANDY BECKER Over 70 local and regional Rotary members and guests were on hand at Skye Lake Club in Cherng Talay on July 1 to witness Richard Jones hand over the Rotary Club of Patong Beach President’s duties to incoming President Andy Becker. Past President Walter Wyler was also on hand to receive the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow award. Photos by Denis Carpenter

Marriott staff members get ready to hand out helmets.

Dozens of students took possesion of their bright new helmets.

LEADING MARRIOTT HOTELS IN PHUKET BACK HELMET SAFETY CAMPAIGN Marriott International’s leading resorts in Phuket recently joined forces to host an event aimed at raising awareness about motorcycle safety among the island’s schoolchildren. Held at Le Méridien Phuket Beach Resort on July 3, the event gathered 126 children from Baan Kata Elementary School to learn about road safety and the importance of wearing a helmet when travelling by motorcycle. The hotels also joined forces to organise a “Helmet Painting Campaign” where a total of 175 motorbike helmets were painted and provided to the schoolchildren. @thephuketnews

20 EVENTS

FRI

7 JUL

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

SUN

9 JUL

MON

10 JUL

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

THU

13 JUL

Bodega Italian Brunch

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

Experience our exquisite ‘Italian Sunday Brunch’, which began on May 7 and runs weekly throughout the season. Choose from a wonderful variety of dishes, including lobster spaghetti, foie gras on saffron risotto, grilled suckling pig, live pizza and pasta stations and much more. Email for reservations at Bodega & Grill: Paneenart.Pengraksa@angsana.com

Chalong Bay Experience by Marriott Resort Phuket Merlin

All you can eat BBQ night

1,950 THB net price per person. 3 PM - 5 PM leaving at 2 PM. Including transportation, distillery tour, cocktail class and Thai pantry dinner with Chalong Bay. Reservation at 076 335 300.

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

WED

12 JUL

Traditional Sunday Roast Angus O’Tool’s Karon Beach Mussels night @ Shakers 1.2kg mussels served with french fries, your choice, your style: nature, marnière, provençale, garlic & cream or Thai style. Reservations recommended 295 baht P.P., shakersphuket@gmail.com 081 891 4381.

SAT

Lunch or dinner served from 2pm. Your choice of either roast beef, chicken, loin of pork or leg of lamb served with roast and boiled potatoes, three fresh vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. Only B350 per person which includes a free glass of house red or white. Opposite Centara Karon Resort. See: otools-phuket.com

8 JUL

THU

All you can eat BBQ Ribs night

PIWC Luncheon July The July Lunch will be a “High Tea” styled at Les Diables at Boat Lagoon on the 20th July. Registration starts at 11.30 am followed by Lunch at 12.15 pm.

Please send reservations to info@piwc-phuket.com attn. Maggy Wigman.

It’s Sunday, Enjoy the most family friendly brunch of the island !! Wide selection of Thai & international dishes - Foam party for the kids – All sports events covered at Champions and more for the parents!

Only 499 THB! Served From 12.00 until 15.00 Booking strongly advised. Tel: (0) 76 303 300. Reservations, Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort.

SAT

Delicious special cuts of beef are offered especially for meat lover. Reservations, HYATT REGENCY PHUKET RESORT, fnb.phuhr@hyatt.com, 076 231 234 # 5106.

Architect & Engineering Exhibition 2017 All you can eat Sunday Roast Buffet Live Sports at Expat Hotel NRL, AFL, Soccer, Rugby Union. Any live sport, we will show it. Expat Hotel, Soi Taipan, Patong. www.expatsportsbar.com

20 JUL

6PM – 11PM: All you can eat BBQ Ribs served with salad buffet, potato salad & choice of sauces.

Reservation recommended. 350 baht P.P. shakersphuket@gmail.com 081 891 4381.

Sunday Brunch

Steak Night

PIWC Meet&Greet Coffee July New members are encouraged to join our monthly Meet & Greet Coffee Morning to find out more about our organization. It’s also a great opportunity to chat with a few members in a more casual setting over a cup of coffee. For more info, please contact Joan Watson – imm@loxinfo.co.th or Renate Hirte – hirtefamily@hotmail.com. From 10.30 - 12.00 hrs @Starbucks Central Festival.

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

Welcome to the best exhibition in Phuket and Andaman coastline for construction tools and materials and architectural design & décor items comprising a wide range of products and technology. This is a great opporturnity to introduce construction materials and decorative items to the Phuket and Andaman area.

Venue: Second floor, Royal Phuket City Hotel. More information please visit www.pic-phuket.com or info@ pic-phuket.com. Proudly sponsored by The Phuket News and Khao Phuket.

29 JUL

JIMMY FAME & FRIENDS Blues Shouter Jimmy Fame will perform with the Colin Hill Band and guest artists Jeffery Sevilla and Patrick Chua at the New Roadhouse in Karon. The evening will bring together Blues, Jazz and Rock ‘n’ Roll under one roof in a benefit for HELMETS FOR KIDS charity - Rotary Club Of Patong Beach. Doors open 7:30 PM. Music from 9:00. Tickets 850 THB (includes BBQ buffet and 2 drinks) Tickets: phuketticketmaster.com Info: www.rotarypatong.org or kareneidsvik@gmail.com or Khun Bier 081-691-3285. Proudly sponsored by The Phuket News and Live 89.5

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

SUN

EVENTS 21

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

30 JUL

SUN

3 SEP

Mountain Bike Classic 2017 INSPIRED PHUKETIANS Mr Alan Yip - Master your mind for success and happiness Held monthly, and open to the public, this event gives an opportunity for well-lived people to share their life experiences. Inspired by the famous TED Talks, it’s a great way for people to really connect with authentic ideas that will benefit their well-being and happiness in general. All of the speakers are chosen because of their ability to share an idea that connects with and inspires people. Limited to 55 seats only and priced at B350/pax/net including one drink and pass around canapé. Register now by email to sales@skyelakeclub.com. Skye Lake Club, Cherng Talay.

A new mountain bike race through Khao Phra Thaeo National Park highlighting ecological tourist destinations comes to the island on September 3 2017, following the highly-popular King of the Mountain Trail Run on the same day. The Thanyapura Mountain Bike Classic features a new route through Northern Phuket’s 23 sq km rainforest. Bikers can test their endurance in four distances: the 4km fun race, the 9km, the 18-km (two loops of 9-km laps) or the 27 km (three loops of 9-km laps). Proudly sponsored by The Phuket News and Khao Phuket.

Cooking Classes Every Day Do an afternoon cooking class with Nan and discover why the Halfway Inn has been rated in the Top 10 Thai restaurants in Patong on TripAdvisor for the last 4 years running. Classes can be booked any time between 2pm till 6pm any day of the week. Google Halfway Inn, Patong’ for more details or call Nan to arrange a very fun and unique Thai culinary experience. Line:+66(0)852533278. Khun Nan, Halfway Inn Patong, halfwayinnpatong@hotmail. co.uk, 085-2533278.

MISCELLANEOUS

Rotary Club of Patong Beach King of the Mountain Trail Run 2017 The Phuket Drum Circle 5th Year Anniversary The Phuket Drum Circle will celebrate the 5th year anniversary on Sunday, July 30 at Naiharn Beach from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm. This event is always free and open to the public. Participants can drum, dance, or enjoy the scenery and good vibes. Join this golden opportunity. For updates and videos visit the Facebook page: Phuket Drum Circle. This event is sponsored by The Phuket News and Khao Phuket.

THU

3 AUG

2 Star Michelin Chef at Banyan Tree Phuket For a limited time in August, join us for a week of culinary delights with German born Chef Stefan of ECCO Restaurant where diners will experience the Michelin-starred cooking mastery of “Brutally Seductive” and “Dishes of the Gods” cooking. Date: 3-8 August 2017. Seats are limited. Email Food and Beverage at: fb-phuket@banyantree.com or call +66 76 372 400 ext. 5463 for more information.

@thephuketnews

King of the Mountain Phuket Trail Run, one of Thanyapura’s most popular races, returns on September 3 2017. Beginner and experienced trail runners can compete in three distances: the 4-kilometre fun run, the 8 kilometres and the 15 kilometres along steep hilly terrain amid beautiful waterfalls of Khao Phra Thaeo National Park. Proudly sponsored by The Phuket News and Khao Phuket.

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

Lunch meeting at Days Inn, Patong - every Friday excepts first week of every month. Start at 12pm.

Dinner out at selected restaurant - every first Tuesday of every month. Start at 7pm. Fun Raiser Quiz Night at Aussie Pub, Kamala - every last Wednesday of every month start at 7.30pm. For more info please visit rotarypatong.org .

076 292 697.

EVERY DAY

Splash Jungle Water Park is Bigger, Better, and Wetter than Ever! Starting Now! Our gates open with new rides: Family Raft Ride, The Whizzard, Aqua Spray Park and new restaurants designed to make certain our guests never want to leave.

And when you get hungry, or need a few minutes to relax, our Island Bar sits in the center of the park, offering a 360 degree view of the rides and the most tantalizing pizza available on the Island. Booking and pay online at www.splashjungle.com to enjoy 15% discount from now to 31 July 2017. Phakwipoo, Splash Jungle Water Park, dosm@splashjungle.com, 076-372111.

DAILY EVENT UPDATES ON

7 Nights 7 Themed Dinners at Rim Talay Make each night unique! Enjoy our themed dinners with the cool sea breeze. World of Curries @790 THB++, Thai & International Buffet @790 THB++, Seafood Night @980 THB++, Ribs, Wings & Rings @770 THB++, Butchers Night @market price, Surf & Turf @950 THB++, Thai Seafood Gala @980 THB++. The terms and conditions are subject to change without prior notice. For reservations, rimtalay@amari. com or 076 340106-14 #8027.

22 TIME OUT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

Crossword by Myles Mellor & Sally York 1. Who was the last British king to be born outside the United Kingdom?

2. Who wrote the classic intriguing novel David Copperfield?

3. The “jeepney” – a taxi converted from an army jeep – is common in which country?

4. What is the ninth prime number?

5. A macaroon is typically made from which nut?

Answers below, centre

SUDOKU

Medium

Across 58. Hang out 1. Sharp thing 61. Big top noise 4. High peak 62. Heart artery 7. Dressed (up) 63. Second person in 10. “Yeah, sure!” the Bible 12. “Death on the ___” 64. Helen Mirren title mystery thriller 65. Soda shop buy 14. Recital performance 66. Common “point” of 15. Human replacement? j and i 17. Golfer’s concern 67. Beyond pleasantly 18. Idolized figure plump 19. Shortening 68. Spike the director 22. Gambia’s unit of currency Down 23. Newspaper rows 1. Main Street event, 27. Versifier’s “before” maybe 28. Shot for Sampras 2. Weather graphic 30. Fa-la go-between 3. Eat like a rabbit 31. Rome’s Veneto 4. Counter- kin 32. Leaving something to 5. Pre-Euro currency be desired 6. Realty reference 35. Aussie coat-of-arms 7. “What’s up, ---?” symbol 8. Worldwide work grp.

37. Purchase from Sajak 9. King of the ring 38. Leather-working tool 11. Roman meeting 39. Being brave and places proud 13. Play ending 44. Country place 14. Catcher’s gesture 45. Peculiar 16. Inventor Nikola ___ 46. Apt to artifice 20. 16th century 47. Technology for stringed “Avatar,” e.g.: Abbr. instrument 50. Cassava root 21. Goose eggs 52. One way to run 24. State without doubt 54. Large amount of 25. Word with flower or dough show

26. Dine 29. Far from spicy 30. Shows of irritation 32. It’s a pleasure 33. Amsterdam-based financial giant 34. Difficult computer of film 35. Mount SW of Messina 36. “Buddenbrooks” author 39. Cell phone memory card 40. Destine for destruction 41. It can get you in 42. To say nothing of 43. Wet suit material 47. Leg area related 48. Moderate 49. Think of 51. Maui or Jamaica 53. Focus for Fermi 55. Rye buy 56. Spiritual master 57. Not have peace of mind 58. Inc. in the UK 59. Cry of revelation 60. “___ the Good Times Roll”

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s Pop Quiz: 1) George II (Born in Hanover, Nov 9, 1683); 2) Charles Dickens; 3) Philippines; 4) 23; 5) Almonds

GOT YOUR NUMBER

ISLAND VIEW

This week in history

15

per cent of women in the US send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day.

20

July 7, 1928 Sliced bread is sold for the first time (on the inventor’s 48th birthday) by the Chillicothe Baking Company of Chillicothe, Missouri.

per cent of passengers on commercial airplanes will develop respiratory infections within a week of flying.

July 8, 1497 Vasco da Gama sets sail on the first direct European voyage to India.

85

July 9, 1958 A 7.8 Mw strike-slip earthquake in Alaska causes a landslide that produces a megatsunami. The runup from the waves reached 525 metres (1,722 ft) on the rim of Lituya Bay; five people were killed.

years is how long the letters Q, W, and X were illegal in Turkey.

1,000

July 10, 1985 The Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior is bombed and sunk in Auckland harbour by French DGSE agents, killing Fernando Pereira.

words per minute is how fast the human brain can read.

July 11, 1405 Ming admiral Zheng He sets sail to explore the world for the first time.

1.8 billion

dollars a year is how much the US Government spends on printing documents.

Source: Uberfacts

July 12, 1806 Sixteen German imperial states leave the Holy Roman Empire and form the Confederation of the Rhine.

Father and daughter play in the sand at Saphan Hin at low tide. Photo by Tanyaluk Sakoot Got an unusual or particularly beautiful picture of Phuket?

Email it to execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

July 13, 1923 The Hollywood Sign is dedicated in the Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles.

It originally reads “Hollywoodland,” but the last four letters are dropped after renovation in 1949.

Source: Wikipedia thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

Jobs

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STORAGE Reserve Your Storage Space

Call 076 29 29 09

or visit mystorageasia.com

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

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Buy & Sell

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JOBS MASSEUR WITH ENGLISH QUALS

Experienced masseur with qualification work/live in Australia. Must pass IELTS English Test for Australia. Interview Patong 20-25July 50-70,000 THB month, George Rimbas, 2 Hospital Avenue Manjimup Western Australia, mysticgeobird@amnet.net.au, +61468326011.

BOATS, YACHTS FOR SALE 20m berth at Royal Phuket Marina

Private owner offers 20m, front line, E dock berth for rent or sale at the Royal Phuket Marina. Berth will accommodate yachts of up to 20m L.O.A. and significant discounts are available for a long term agreement. Contact for further information. james@ shayler.co

For Sale: 1-, 2,- 3-engine speedboats

3-engine speedboat: Length 13.5m; Width 3.4 m; Capacity 45 passengers + 3 crew. Front seats. 2-engine speedboat: Length 11.6 m; Width 2.83 m; Capacity 32 passengers + 3 crew. Front seats. 1-engine speedboat: Length 8.1m; Width 2.40 m; Capacity 15 passengers + 3 crew. All boats are in good condition. Prices start at 600,000 THB. Vladimir, sales@ joydive.asia, 084 182 8685.

Long Tail Boat For Sale

Ready to go “Long Tail Boat” with or Without Captain (Thai) Get special price, please call 085 781 9167 (English) Bangtao Beach, Phuket, B275,000, giorgionaef@aol.com 085 781 9167.

Boating deal of the year: 7.5m baht (reduced from 10m baht)

Due to serious health reasons, the owner must part with his beloved 80’ tour boat.

New wiring throughout, power outlets, transformer and voltage meters. New upholstery throughout bar and entertainment area. Engines & generator fully reconditioned & serviced. All maintained to European standards. Ideal boat for quality day trip business. beachsando1@gmail.com 080 695 3933.

Steel boat for sale

CAR FOR SALE 2014 Nissan Juke For Sale

2014 Nissan Juke, one owner, full history, leather interior, rear sensors, climate control. Perfect Phuket runabout, only 82000km. 530,000, soiana56030@gmail. com, 0950 924 729

Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8G VVTI

2013 - 35,000km - Automatic White - CD Radio, Air-con, Alloys Excellent Condition, Only used for school runs. 525,000, Duang, Royal Phuket Marina, gavinmullins@hotmail.com 083 093 9724. e s al

32 metre steel boat for sale.

Honda Jazz 2009 nt Built 2012, 2 x Cummings en- Urge 1500cc Auto gines, 10hrs work only. International REG. Excellent 57,000km. One owner since new. for live-aboard or ferry. Price 6MB. Contact: call Regularly serviced by Honda. Tax and Joe 087 8918912 or email joe@similan-divers.com Insurance until the end of June and available now at right offer. Reduced by 40,000 bht, REDUCED to 330,000bht CABLE TV o.n.o, Andy +66846909144, andysmalster@gmail.com

PULSE TV. ASIA’S No.1 EXPAT TV

140 channels (HD & SD) in English, French, German & Thai. All Premiership & Euro Leagues live plus all your favorite Soaps & Series from back home. ON-Demand Movie/TV Series library with over 700 of the latest titles, more added daily & with our CATCH-UP Facility (Records all Channels for instant Playback) you’ll never miss a show. This is not kodi – Our high quality set-top boxes come pre-loaded with our own in-house developed App backed up by our own high-speed Asia based Servers & Online Support Network. PULSE TV, sales@ pulse-tv.net +66(0) 99 316 6212.

CAR FOR SALE Car for sale

BMW X5, Gasoline, Year 2003, 195,000 km. Full options. 499,000 Baht only. First to see will buy. Owner: 093 584 1213. @thephuketnews

Convertible

Mercedes CLK 200 Cabriolet W-209 Brabus Package - seat 4. Excellent condition and fun to drive. 37,400km.

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

CUSTOMER SERVICE Sales Support Agent - 50K+ THB per month

Sales Support Agent required in Phuket to join FazWaz Real Estate’s Kamala branch. This role is helping our nationwide real estate business deal with property buyers in both Thai and English who are looking at purchasing a new property across all of the six major locations we cover in Thailand.

You should have great writing and speaking skills and some experience in customer service or sales. Any other languages are a massive benefit but must be fluent in both English and Thai. Aphida, 73/142-143 Moo 3 Tambon Kamala, Amphur Kathu, Phuket. aphida@fazwaz.com, 098 742 6687.

FINANCIAL, LEGAL Bangkok law firm in Phuket

The Bangkok law firm PUGNATORIUS Ltd. provides its foreigner-focussed legal support and assistance through a trusted partner law firm in Phuket. For a protected corporate structure in full compliance with the law. For a comprehensive due diligence which truly lives up to its name. For a most efficient hotel business licensing process. For a more competitive design of the property development. The PUGNATORIUS advantage is badly needed at a place where foreign investments are typically built on sand. Protect your investment in paradise.phuket@pugnatorius.com, (00) +66 22 072 647

GARDEN, PATIO ITEMS Tiya’s Hammocks & Swing seats

Native Habitat Phuket - Tiya’s Hammocks’ shop opposite Tesco Lotus Extra Kathu - Samkong, Phuket Town near Fascino Pharmacy. Provides handmade luxury and colorful hammocks and swing seats. Perfect for a gift, souvenir for your own home, or for your guests at villas, resorts and beach clubs. Open Tue-Sun, 10am-7pm. Mention this advertisement to get an extra 5% discount on top of our standard discount table. hammockphuket@yahoo.com 089 600 0041.

MEMBERSHIPS Life Time Family Membership

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

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

Tanita, 094 695 3536 / 063 992 3226.

Loch Palm Golf Membership

Lifetime Loch Palm Golf membership for sale. 400,000 baht, the Loch Palm transfer fee of 72,000 baht will be shared equally between the buyer and seller. sales@ joydive.asia

Phuket Country Club Golf Membership

Golf membership for sale, includes transfer fee of 60,000 THB. 450,000, David, dsgrabham@yahoo.co.uk 087 881 7545.

28 CLASSIFIEDS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Buy & Sell

MOVING SERVICES

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

The Phuket News @thephuketnews

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Looking for Moving Company?

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

MOTORBIKES FOR SALE Honda Tena 110cc two-stroke

New rims, tyres, brakes, fork seals, head stem bearings, headlight and more.

4-speed clutchless semi-auto. Green book. 098 705 2706. B15,000 ONO.

MUSICAL

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Colin Hill is now offering:

Live Music: Solo, acoustic, easy listening, to full event band. Professional, quality, legal live music for any budget. Guitar lessons: Beginner to very advanced. Guaranteed fast results.

Also bass lessons to intermediate level. Home School tuition: English, Geography, History, Social Studies grades 7-10. Qualified Secondary School Teacher with Diploma of Teaching. English language tuition: For Thai students or adults. www.colinillyhill.com / 089 777 3063 / illy@3bbmail.com

PUBLIC NOTICES Notice To The Public

Mr Anuchit Aomthonglang whose photo appears, Position was Customer Service Representative is now no longer employed by Go Vacation Thailand (DER Asia Tour Co., Ltd.) as of June 1 2017.

Go Vacation Thailand would like to state that it does not take any responsibility for this person’s actions.

Ms Sarochinee Urachuern, 849 Worawat building 7th floor, Silom Rd, Bang Rak 10500, kunchlipa.u@ go-vacation.com 022671202, 022671128.

WEBSITES, IT For Sale: hoteldealsphuket.com

PHD has 125,000 pages indexed in Google and an average of 22,000 page views per month!

See stats image. Also see the selling points on the link below. Quick sale: 33.000B!, Mark, mr.m.hopkins@gmail.com

PROPERTY FOR SALE

4 bedroom house in Chalong

4 king bedrooms (one with ensuite, the others with dedicated bathrooms), 5 bathrooms (1 with a bath, the other showers), Living room, Morning room (lounge/diner), 2 studies, Home cinema, 7 seater, DVD/CD library, 2 carports, 3 separate entrances (+ 5 French windows, a total of 8 exits). Property is at the end of a quiet soi near Big Buddha, no passing traffic. It overlooks a stream and jungle. The garden is 12 years old with bananas, papayas, mulberry bushes, cherry bushes, flowering plants and shrubs and several palm trees. There are frequent bird visitors…2 birdbaths. Just a few minutes drive from Tesco and Villa/Home Pro on Chao Fa West. Only 12 min drive to Central or big Tesco/Big C/Makro. 16.9MB (negotiable). Area of the site: 137.9 square wah (approx 560 square metres). To view, call 081 415 5522 or email m.allen. phuket@gmail.com

COMMUNITY

LAND NEAR WATERFALL FOR SALE

Prime Kathu land with panoramic views and quiet location. Star ts from 400sqm. Perfect for private Villa. Close waterfall with more land plots and different beach!!! Start from 2.5 MB, K. Pam, Phuketmyhouse@gmail.com +66 (0) 94 829 3619.

House For Sale Land & Houses Park Chalong, Phuket

House For Sale In Land & House Park Chalong Large house and land block 330sqm in size. With three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Price is negotiable. B5.9 million. Call Ken on 081 968 6552.

PROPERTY FOR RENT Shop for rent at Amari Phuket

Located in Amari Phuket’s lobby building. Size: 33 sqm. Partly furnished: shelves, counter, air-conditioner and telephone line.

40,000/month (negotiable), K. Wannisa, Patong Beach, wannisa.p@ amari.com, 076 340 106 #8006.

Rawai Naiharn with spa pool

Unique Thai style home, open plan, close to beach and shops, AC, 3-bedroom 2-bathroom with spa pool, must see! Eng: 090 867 4849 Thai: 081 081 9875.

To rent: 1800 m2

To rent: 1800 m2 of concrete slab with 5m high walls + 500 m2 of parking. Heroines Monument area. Roofing may be arranged, long term and serious interest only. Open to ideas, Leo: 081 821 4064.

Long term luxury Villa

Luxury 2 bed villa available for long term rental 10 minutes from Patong with outstanding sea views from B95,000 per month. We have other villas available for shorter rentals. Contact Justin 084 242 6952 (Eng) or Tan 094 596 2558 (Thai). thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

SPORT 29

Red Bull want home win Energy drink drivers hopeful of first success at Austrian GP BOX OF NEUTRALS Michael Lamonato michael@boxofneutrals.com

R

ed Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz has bankrolled the Austrian Grand Prix since its 2014 return, but none of his energy drink-backed drivers has yet taken to the top step.

The agreement between Mateschitz and Formula One to revive the Austrian race at the historic but updated Österreichring – now the “Red Bull Ring” – was struck in 2013, when Red Bull Racing was at the height of its powers and set to claim its fourth consecutive drivers and constructors titles.

By the time the first race took place in 2014, however, the team had tumbled down the competitive order.

The engine and aerodynamics regulations that came into force that season hampered the team’s title defence, and in particular its wheezy Renault power unit was unable to compete with

@thephuketnews

Infiniti Red Bull racing’s Belgian-Dutch driver Max Verstappen drives during the Formula One Grand Prix of Austria at the Red Bull Ring last year. Photo: Samuel Kubani/AFP the class-leading Mercedes motor.

Daniel Ricciardo’s fifthplace qualification that year remains the best either Red Bull Racing or junior team Toro Rosso have managed in the three seasons of the race so far, while its best race finish is Max Verstappen’s second place last year, borne of a lastlap clash between Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Nico

Rosberg and a fortuitously timed safety car.

But the 2017 season presents the team with the best chance yet of winning its home race.

Not only are the 2017 regulations placing more focus on aerodynamics – one of the team’s strengths despite its painfully slow start to the year – but Renault is making small and confidant steps

forward with its power unit, including a 0.2-second per lap upgrade at last round’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, won

by RBR’s Daniel Ricciardo.

More impressive, however, was that Max Verstappen was able to qualify within 0.2 seconds of Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen in Azerbaijan despite the Baku circuit being notoriously power unit-dependant – and the Dutchman did so

with a gearbox problem that prevented him from extracting maximum pace.

With the Austrian Grand Prix run on a circuit that similarly places a premium on engine power and efficient aerodynamics, the Azerbaijan weekend is lending Red Bull Racing a new air of credibility in its fourth tilt at its own race.

Notwithstanding the engine reliability issues which put both Max Verstappen and Daniil Kvyat out of the race – problems Renault says it will address in time for Austria – the Red Bull Racing package is looking increasingly complete by the round.

But, as with all things in Formula One, even this comes with a caveat – Red Bull Racing looked close to a match for Ferrari in Baku, but simultaneously Mercedes appeared to be reclaiming some of the advantage it enjoyed up to the end of last season.

Lewis Hamilton’s pole time in Baku was more than one second faster than the quickest Ferrari – by far the largest gap of the season to date – signalling that Mer-

cedes has finally come to terms with the tyre warm-up issues that had plagued its car for much of the season.

However, secondary to that is the persistent rumour that Ferrari has been creatively interpreting power unit regulations to burn oil with fuel in its engines to deliver extra power. The FIA explicitly outlawed this practice in a communication with the teams in Azerbaijan, with Mercedes rediscovering its power advantage thereafter.

Were the correlation to prove causal, the technical edict could prove damaging to Ferrari’s championship campaign, which has already relied on introducing most of its fixed number of engine parts early in the season.

The question for Red Bull at its own Red Bull Ring will be thus: is the team moving forwards, or is Ferrari, and along with it championship leader Sebastian Vettel, slipping backwards in 2017?

Don’t forget to tune in to Live89.5 every Saturday from 9am for Box of Neutrals.

30 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

BISP Super Six Series Major sports to be featured in huge annual tournament SUPER SIX SERIES Matt Pond editor3@thephuketnews.com

F

ollowing on from the resounding success of their annual Soccer 7s tournament, which last year saw its 15th edition, British International School, Phuket (BISP) are excited to announce that this year the Soccer 7s will form part of a new Super Six Series which will feature a further five sports using a similar format and is hoping to attract the same interest as the popular Soccer 7s.

The new Super Six Series will commence in October with a golf tournament, and will be also feature international schools from the Asia-Pacific region competing against each other at basketball, football, tennis, swimming and duathlon (swimming and running).

Speaking to The Phuket News in a recent interview, BISP’s Director of Sport Jeff LaMantia said, “The first event to kick-off our first

Super Six Series will be a golf tournament. Although we don’t have a course on campus, we do have a great relationship with Laguna Golf Phuket and they will be the host venue for the tournament scheduled to take place in October.

“Invites will be sent out to all those schools on our database and I’m hoping that it will receive a positive response,” LaMantia said.

The golf tournament will then be followed by the annual BISP Soccer 7s, and this year’s edition is looking to be the biggest one to-date.

“We already have 174 teams lined up to take part in the Soccer 7s this year,” said LaMantia.

“This is 30 more teams than we had last year, but when the time comes we may find that some teams drop out, which will be a lot better situation for the school to deal with. But if it comes to it, we are looking for a supporting venue to help us should the numbers exceed those that we can cope with here at the campus,” he added.

Soccer 7s has always been lauded as a huge success, and it is hoped all Super Six Series sports will follow suit.

An exciting three-on-three basketball format will be one of the features of the BISP Super Six Series.

Turning his attention to the basketball, the dates for which have yet to be set in concrete, LaMantia said that it would be a three-on-three tournament, a format which the school has used previously.

“We hosted a three-onthree tournament this year and I believe that we are one of the only international schools in the region that hosts this format of basketball.

“The three-on-three format, which is played on a court half the size of a normal court, has now been accepted for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but this will be in addition to the normal basketball format,” he said.

W hen asked why the three-on-three format was their preferred format, LaMantia explained, “Our Head Basketball Coach Jamie Blake

came up with the idea to use this format, but there are a few different reasons why.

“Firstly it is a much quicker game than the usual format as it only has one 10-minute playing period. It will also allow for smaller teams to compete against bigger schools as it obviously uses less players,” he said.

“Furthermore, it is also a much more exciting format as music is played as the games are played which really builds up crowd excitement,” he added.

With regards to the tennis, LaMantia said that there would be a 4s or “fast” format.

This shortened format offers a “fast” alternative to tennis, with four points, four games and four rules: there are no advantage scores, lets are played, tie-breakers apply at three games all and the first

to four games wins the set.

As mentioned previously the number of teams attending the Soccer 7s has been phenomenal and LaMantia says that the praise for hosting such a successful event goes out to the entire team at BISP. “We have a really good team here at BISP which not only includes the sports department but also our events team who work closely together to run such a professional event.

“We make sure that as soon as our guests step on the ground here in Phuket everything runs as smoothly for them as possible,” he said.

“It is down to all visiting schools to arrange their flights, but we have people who support the accommodation arrangements and it is down to BISP to transport the visitors if and when required.

“We also ensure that all food and drinks are provided for all team members when they are here taking part in the competition on campus,” he added.

With regard to preparation time put into hosting such events, LaMantia explained, “There is a lot of time and effort put in to host events such as the Soccer 7s. Pretty much as soon as the event is over we start preparing for the next year event.

“We will send out invites in the January or February and then when we return from the summer break in August we will be all hands on deck getting ready for the event in November,” he said.

Look out for more detailed information on the inaugural BISP Super Six Series and all the sports involved in coming issues of The Phuket News.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

SPORT 31

Phuket back in action Andaman Dragon beat Chumphon in first game after break FOOTBALL Matt Pond editor3@classactmedia.co.th

F

ollowing a month-long break due to Ramadan, Phuket FC returned to action last Saturday (July 1) and managed to keep their promotion/play-off chances alive walking away with a good 1-2 win away from home to Chumphon FC. Going into last Saturday’s game, their twelfth of the 16 game season, the Andaman Dragon sat at 4th in the nine-side Euro Cake Thai League 4 on 18 points while The Royal Warship sat in 2nd on 23 points.

Satun United were top of the table on 27 points, Pattani FC were 3rd on 21 points.

The team who wins the league gains automatic promotion to Thai League 3, the 2nd placed team will go into a play-off with the 2nd placed teams in the other five Thai League 4 regional divisions.

It took Phuket only two

minutes to score their opener against Chumphon last Saturday.

A neat cross from the right

by Nattapoom Maya (7) found Porbracha Rodnakared (25) in the box and he skilfully dodged defenders and cleverly chipped the ball over the keeper and into the back of the net.

Straight after conceding the goal, Chumphon immediately piled on the pressure and came close to scoring on a couple of occasions. However, Phuket managed to extend their lead in the twelfth minute of the first 45.

A short pass from the right found Thawatchai Supphanam (23), he neatly turned the ball around a Chumphon defender, and on the volley took a shot from around 35 yards out which went flying past Chumphon’s keeper.

Despite taking the lead so early in the game Phuket managed to survive the first 45 minutes with their 0-2 lead still intact.

In fact, they managed to do so up until the 86-minute

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS Run #1640: Saturday July 8 Run Start Time: 4PM Hares: Gorgeous You W, Lucky Lek, What-a-rat Location: Koh Siray Directions: Coming from all directions, travel over the bridge to Koh Siray and turn left at the clock tower roundabout. Continue for about 1.55 kilometres and then turn left at the Y-junction. Continue on for a further 800 metres and then turn right into unnamed soi. Follow this road for approx. 1.2km to laager on the beach. (All black top roads - all cars can arrive safely) Hare note. Bring your swimmers. Farm animals will be encountered - dogs on leads - leads on owners.

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

Live Sports TV Schedule *Times may be subject to change

SPORT START STOP Friday July 7

Rugby Union

16:40 18:50 Cricket 17:00 Tennis 17:30 Aussie Rules 16:30 Cycling 17:00 Saturday July 8 Rugby Union 14:30 Rugby Union 16:40 22:10 00:25 Tennis 17:30 Cycling 17:00 Cricket 17:00 Motor Racing 18:30 Aussie Rules 10:30 13:30 16:30 Sunday July 9 Aussie Rules 10:00 13:30 Rugby League 11:00 Cycling 17:00 Cricket 17:00 Motor Racing 18:00 18:45

EVENT

TEAMS / INFO

18:30 19:40 01:00 01:30 19:30 23:00

Super Rugby Super Rugby Test Match 1 - Lords Wimbledon AFL Tour de France – St 7

Reds v. Brumbies Western Force v. Rebels England v. South Africa, Day 2 Round 3 Adelaide Crows v. Western Bulldogs Troyes / Nuits-Saint-Georges

16:30 18:30 00:05 02:00 01:30 23:00 01:00 21:00 13:30 16:30 19:30

British Lions Tour Super Rugby Super Rugby Super Rugby Wimbledon Tour de France- St 8 Test Match 1 - Lords Formula 1 AFL AFL AFL

British Lions v. All Blacks Waratahs v. Jaguares Bulls v. Kings Stormers v. Sunwolves Round 3 Dole / Station des Rousses England v. South Africa, Day 3 Qualifying, Austria Hawthorn v. GWS Giants Sydney Swans v. Gold Coast SUNS St Kilda v. Richmond

13:00 16:30 13:00 23:00 01:00 18:45 21:30

AFL AFL NRL Tour de France – St 9 Test Match 1 - Lords Formula 1 Formula 1

North Melbourne v. Fremantle West Coast Eagles v. Port Adelaide Bulldogs v. Knights Nantua / Chambery England v. South Africa, Day 4 Raceday, Spielberg Austrian Grand Prix

@thephuketnews

Team

Scorer of Phuket’s second goal, Thawatchai Supphanam (23), seen here in action against Pattani in May prior to the Ramadan break. Photo: Phuket FC/Facebook mark when Chumphon managed to pull a goal back.

A cross from the right flank was put into the centre of Phuket’s penalty box and Chumphon’s St Kitts and Nevis defender Hanley Tishan Tajahni (20) headed the ball home to bring the score to 1-2.

However, it’s likely that Phuket will put that goal down to the 71st minute dismissal of their Ivorian defender Hamed de Silci Diarrassouba who was sent off after receiving his second yellow card of the game.

P h u k e t ’s w i n o v e r Chumphon last Saturday moved them up one place to 3rd in the league table, now on equal points with Pattani FC (21), but with better goal difference and leaves them nine points off from league leaders Satun United (30).

And that leads us on to Phuket’s next game which will in fact be played against Satun tomorrow (July 8).

The game is being played at home (Surakul Stadium) with kick-off set for 6pm.

P

W

D

L

Pts

1

Satun United

13

9

3

1

30

2

Chumphon FC

13

6

5

2

23

3

Phuket FC

12

6

3

3

21

4

Pattani FC

12

6

3

3

21

5

Phatthalung FC

12

4

6

2

18

6

Hat Yai FC

13

3

5

5

14

7

Yala United

12

3

3

6

12

8

Sungaipadee FC

12

1

4

7

7

9

Surat Thani City

13

1

2

10

5

Date

Time

Match

Stadium

Sat July 8

6pm

Phuket FC vs Satun United

Surakul Stadium

Sat July 16

6pm

Phuket FC vs Hat Yai FC

Surakul Stadium

Sat July 19

6pm

Surat Thani City vs Phuket FC

Wiang Sa Stadium

Sat July 23

6pm

Phuket FC vs Phatthalung FC

Surakul Stadium

Please note that Phuket FC's home game fixtures have now all been reverted back to 6pm kick-offs.

Admission is only B50 and free for students who show their student ID card.

It’s a must win game for Phuket FC and hopefully, if they do manage to take

the three points, could well send Satun on a much needed downward spiral.

Get there tomorrow to support your local team, they need you!

Thanyapura to host 3rd King of the Mountain TRAIL RUN THANYAPURA HEALTH & SPORTS Resort is once again organising Phuket’s most successful and long-running trail run “King of the Mountain”, which is set to be held on September 3, 2017.

As in previous editions, this year’s race and the third in the series, will see the course run through the adventurous and majestic Khao Phra Thaeo wildlife reserve and will feature three distances catering to beginners and experienced runners; the 4-kilometre fun run along with 8km and 15km trail runs with their steep and hilly terrain.

The lush jungle route provides an excellent backdrop to observe pure nature and beautiful waterfalls while runners test their endurance on rough paths and high climbs up the grand mountain.

Khao Phra Thaeo is known for its evergreen forest. Roughly 23 square

Back for its third edition, the King of the Mountain Trail Run will once again take runners thtough the adventurous and majestic Khao Phra Thaeo National Park. kilometres in size, it was awarded royal status from King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The mountain’s highest point stands at 442 metres.

The first of the race edition was held in 2015 with 200 participants and has continued to grow with over 600 runners in its second year, which also saw the debut of the 15km course.

The trail run has cemented its reputation as one of the most popular events

for experienced and amateur runners from all over the world.

The race starts at Thanyapura’s Gate 3, in front of the hotel at 7am.

The runners begin their run along the road flanked by gorgeous trees for the first 2km before traversing through the Khao Phra Thaeo park, where they come across Tonsai Waterfall.

The winners of the men’s and women’s 15km courses will receive B5,000 each in prize money, a trophy and medal for their achievements.

The top three male and female finishers of each distance will be awarded trophies while all race finishers walk away with a medal.

Registration fees are: B450 for the 4km, B550 for the 8km and B650 for the 15km. Registrations are being accepted from now through until August 27.

This event is proudly sponsored by The Phuket News and Khao Phuket.

Sport

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

editor3@classactmedia.co.th

FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017

As season draws to a close, Phuket FC still looking good > p31

‘BRUTAL’ BACKLASH

British and Irish Lions prop Furlong knows what All Blacks will bring to Test decider Lions’ Tadhg Furlong (right) is tackled by Crusaders’ Jordan Taufua during the rugby union match between the Crusaders and the British and Irish Lions.

Photo: Marty Melville/AFP

RUGBY Alex Bywater

B

ritish and Irish Lions prop Tadhg Furlong says he knows what the wounded All Blacks will bring to the Test series decider in Auckland tomorrow (July 8).

Speaking ahead of the clash with the back-to-back world champions in Auckland that will see them chase the first Lions series victory in New Zealand since 1971, Furlong said that it’s going to be brutal.

Part of the Lions team that downed New Zealand 24-21 in Wellington last Saturday (July 1), Furlong was also in the Ireland side that beat the All Blacks 40-29 in Chicago last year.

That victory, Ireland’s first ever over the New Zealanders, sparked a furious response from the world champions during the return fixture in Dublin.

New Zealand ran out 21-9 victors, conceding 14 penalties and picking up two yellow cards as they bludgeoned the men in green into submission.

Furlong predicted a similar reaction at Eden Park after the All Blacks’ forwards were out-muscled

in Wellington.

“I remember coming off the pitch and being absolutely shattered. I was sore for days after it,” he told reporters.

“It was one of the most brutal Test matches I’ve played in my short career. I think everyone will expect that and try and tee themselves up for it.”

While the All Blacks are renowned for their eye-catching backline, Furlong said the contribution made by their forwards was often underrated.

“I don’t think the All Blacks scrum gets the credit from the outside world but believe me they are a very, very strong unit,” he said.

“Sometimes you’re really holding on and you’re scrapping to hold parity in there.”

But with the Lions chasing their first Test series win in New Zealand since 1971, they are looking to improve their discipline at Eden Park.

Furlong said the mood among players and fans was buoyant after the Wellington win, crediting their vocal supporters with helping them over the line.

“It was very important. It sets up a huge game this weekend.

“You see the numbers at the game, you hear them in the stand and that support carries you when the going gets tough,” he said.

“Their noise lifts you and when you need a pick-up they’re right behind you.”

Meanwhile, All Black’s assistant coach Ian Foster has urged his side to express themselves and use their brains in tomorrow’s decider.

While stung by a 24-21 loss to the Lions in Wellington, Foster said, “It’s not all doom and gloom for us.

“We’ve done some really good stuff in the last two weeks but it’s pretty clear that there’s more in us,” he said.

“We’ve got to focus on that and make sure that in all circumstances – whether it’s wet and cold or windy or whatever – we’re still able to express ourselves when we want to.

“We’ve proven we can get parity (in the forwards) and front-foot ball and we’ve got to make sure we’re smart in using that.”

The reigning world champions were convincing 30-15 winners in the first Test at Eden Park, where they out-muscled the Lions forwards.

The Lions then hit back a week later after Sonny Bill Williams’

sending off for a shoulder charge reduced the hosts to 14 men for much of the match.

Neither encounter featured the All Blacks’ trademark expansive game, with Lions coach Warren Gatland saying he was yet to see them play “champagne rugby”.

Foster said the Wellington defeat hinged on the red card, a situation the All Blacks had not faced for 50 years and was difficult to plan for.

He conceded the All Blacks, while still controlling the game for long periods, went into their shell slightly after losing a man and did not pursue attacking opportunities with their usual vigour.

“Probably our vision was a bit narrow,” he said.

“That’s a work-on for us, because it’s not something that’s natural to us, but we allowed ourselves to get into that mode.”

Flanker Jerome Kaino said returning to Eden Park for the winnertakes-all third Test felt like the final of a World Cup – a tournament he has won twice.

“It definitely has that feel. The excitement we had at training today backs that up,” he said.

“The Lions are a great side and

there’s a lot of history between these two teams, so being 1-1 it does have that feeling about it.”

Kaino said there was “an edge” to the New Zealanders ahead of the game and they wanted to impose themselves while also maintaining discipline.

He was not concerned about a northern hemisphere referee – France’s Romain Poite – being in charge of the match.

“We know how we can play physical and within the laws, so we’ll just let the ref interpret how he wants to interpret and make sure we do our basics really well,” he said.

The 80-Test veteran said a row between Lions prop Kyle Sinckler and some All Blacks after the siren in Wellington would not affect the hosts’ attitude toward the match.

“I don’t think it’s our style to drag things off the field and carry it on. It just hinders what you want to do and how you want to improve,” he said.

“There’s always going to be feeling between these two teams and when we cross those white lines we throw it out there, but once we leave I think we should dump it and not bring it into our preparation.”

AFP thephuketnews