07-10-2016 by The Phuket News

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

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BROWN WASTEWATER FOULS SURIN BEACH > PAGE 5

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Phuket Veg fest is incomparable

LIFE

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Phuket’s bloody past uncovered A worker paints lane markers though the Sam Kong Underpass as the final finishing touches are done ahead of the B834-million project’s longawaited completion later this month. Photo: Chris Husted

LATE FINES SET FOR ‘ABOUT’ B570MN • NO FANFARE OR OPENING CEREMONY AS DEEMED ‘TOO EMBARASSING’ • ENGINEER VOWS TO LEAVE THE ISLAND The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

he completion of the Sam Kong Underpass later this month, more than 18 months beyond its original deadline, will not be marked by any ceremony – official or unofficial – with the lead project engineer overseeing the B834-million project vowing to leave Phuket. The completion, however, will mark the calculation of the final

fine to be paid by the contractor, Vivat Construction Co Ltd, which in accordance with the government tender is to be calculated at B2 million for each day late in finishing the project. Project Engineer Chalermpon Wongkietkun of the Phuket Highways Office, who was assigned to oversee the project, expects the last of the finishing touches to be complete by October 30. If that holds tr ue, Vivat Constr uction

stands to be fined some B570 million, Mr Chalermpon confirmed on Wednesday (Oct 5). “The company will have to pay a fine of about B2 million per day, effective from January 20, when the contract extension expired,” Mr Chalermpon said. “Yes, they will have to pay about B570 million in total after the project is completed on October 30… I have no information of when or how they will pay this hefty fine.

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It is up to our accounting staff and the Highways Department to figure that out. “After the project is completed, the construction work will be under two-years guarantee by Vivat Construction Co Ltd and the project will still be under the responsibility of the Phuket Highways Office,” he added. The completion is not to be marked by any form of celebration, Mr Chalermpon assured…

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FAT financial trouble shorts local club’s travel

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Lifeguards rescue Russian from rocks A RUSSIAN TOURIST WAS taken to hospital after his left shoulder was dislocated when waves slammed him onto rocks at Karon Beach on Tuesday (Oct 4). The man, named by staff at Patong Hospital as Viktor Sizouenko, 32, was rescued by lifeguards at about 10:30am. “The injured man was taken to hospital for treatment. Luckily, he suffered only a minor injury to his shoulder. He is okay now,” Phuket Lifeguard Chief Prathaiyuth Chuayuan told The Phuket News. Mr Sizouenko entered the water outside the zone marked safe for swimming by lifeguards, Mr Prathaiyuth explained. One of the lifeguards who rescued Mr Sizouenko told The Phuket News, “We warned him not to go in the water because it was too dangerous, but he did not listen to us.” Mr Sizouenko was then

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Meet the new Governor, who rates his Phuket posting ‘a dream’ > page 7

Patong Hill crunch Chinese tourists hurt in bus, pickup collision Eakkapop Thongtub editor@classactmedia.co.th

Viktor Sizouenko, 32, suffered a dislocated shoulder when waves slammed him onto rocks. carried away from the beach and dragged to the southern end of Karon, where he was pummelled onto rocks. “Incidents like this can happen to anyone if you are not a strong swimmer, especially during this time of year,” Mr Prathaiyuth warned. “Please learn how to swim and pay attention to lifeguards’ warnings – and swim only where the flags say it is safe to do so, and never swim where red flags are posted,” he said. Eakkapop Thongtub

t least 10 people including Chinese tourists were taken to hospital after a tour bus, a pickup truck and a motorbike collided on Patong Hill on Wednesday night (Oct 5). Patong Police arrived at the scene with Kusoldharm rescue workers at 10:30pm to find a damaged MKR Transport tour bus crashed into the bushes by the side of the road. In the middle of the road was a demolished Nissan pickup truck fitted with a “box-onback” container. Under the debris spilled from the container was the wreckage of a Honda Click motorbike. Three people from the pickup truck, the motorbike driver and six people from the

The driver of pickup truck, Supachai Jaiyen, 27, suffered severe injuries. bus were treated at Patong Hospital, according to a patient list posted there Wednesday night. The driver of the pickup truck, Supachai Jaiyen, 27, suffered severe injuries, while other people involved in the accident suffered only minor injuries, the list reported. The motorbike driver

was named as Natachanon Kongchan, 21, and was listed with minor injuries only. The bus driver, Anan Kasing, 56, also escaped serious injury, but was taken to hospital for examination. There were “about 26” passengers on board the bus at the time of the accident, The

Phuket News was told. Rescue workers reported that the 26 were Chinese tourists. Police theorise the bus and the pickup were travelling to Patong when they collided, then the pickup truck slammed into the motorbike, which was travelling in the opposite direction.

Sam Kong Underpass: Over and out Continued from page 1 ...“We will have no opening ceremony whatsoever. What’s the point? The road is already open for the public to use and I do not want to hear any more criticism about this project,” he said. “It’s has been a long and tough time for us working on this project. To have another public announcement or opening ceremony would be a disgrace.” The stress of overseeing project has taken an exhausting personal toll, Mr Chalermpon noted. “I will move out of Phuket as soon as the project is completed. To tell the truth, I am tired,” he said. “I can hardly wait for this project to be completed. I am emotionally exhausted from the harsh criticism from local residents. During the construction, whatever issues we ran into, big or small, we were bombarded with complaints and criticism,” Mr Chalermpon added. The most recent criticism came on Monday after very heavy rains – some 80mm of rainfall in one day – saw floodwaters rise

The Sam Kong Underpass, built in a natural catchment basin, was flooded as recently as Monday. inside in the tunnel. While doubts were raised as to the effectiveness of the pumps installed to clear such floodwaters from the underpass, Mr Chalermpon was adamant that was not the cause. “Most of the problem with f loodwater being trapped at in the underpass is not because our drainage system or pipes did not work, but because rubbish clogged the drains,” he said. “This is a big problem for Phuket in many areas. It doesn’t matter what quality

pumps we have if our streets are littered with rubbish.” Mr Chalermpon also said that the underpass was always in danger of flooding during the rainy season as it has been built in a natural catchment area that floods with each heavy downpour. “Every time it rains like this at this time of year, this area will still have issues with floodwaters because the tunnel has been built in a basin, so this area will always have to deal with f loodwaters much more than other areas,” he said. thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Vegetarian Festival an ‘untouchable’ original

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Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

s the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2016 got underway last Friday (Oct 1), another version of the “Vegetarian Festival” to be held over the same nine days will begin in the Chinatown Yaowarat district in Bangkok. Yet, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office Chief Anoma Vongyai remains confident that the “alternative” vegetarian festivals will have no adverse effect on the cultural or commercial attraction of Phuket’s home-grown celebration. “No, this will not affect the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Phuket has been holding this festival for 191 years,” Ms Anoma, who was born and raised in Phuket, said. “Also, this will not affect the number of tourists coming to Phuket,” she said. “The tourists who come to Phuket at this time of year are mostly tourists who have come especially to watch – or to join – the festival,” Ms

Floodwaters rose to 40cm deep in some areas across Phuket last Sunday (Oct 2). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Flash floods strike

‘Alternative’ vegetarian festivals will have no adverse effect on the cultural or commercial attraction of the Phuket celebration, said Phuket TAT Chief. Photo: Darawan Naknakhon Anoma told The Phuket News. “I am not concerned about this aspect at all,” she added. “The original is the original. It is not a competition. It is about faith, and people who believe in this practice will join a festival near their homes or they will travel. We should focus on the beliefs of the festival in bringing peace to the soul and mind.”

Although Ms Anoma said she will keep promoting the festival as it is, she also called for a more “humble” version of the festival to return. “I would like to see the Phuket Vegetarian Festival become more ‘humble’, as it once was years ago,” she said. The true highlights of the festival are the ceremonies and honouring how people

The Royal Thai Navy emergency rescue team performed CPR while transporting Miss Lai from Poda Island to the pier at Ao Nam Mao on the Krabi mainland. Photo: Royal Thai Navy

Tourist comatose after snorkelling

A 22-YEAR-OLD CHINESE woman this week remained comatose at Krabi Hospital after being pulled unconscious from the water during a snorkelling tour at Koh Gai (Chicken Island) in Phang Nga Bay last Saturday (Oct 1). Chief Petty Officer First Class Weerawut Padam, who is Chief of the Royal Thai Navy emergency rescue team based at Koh Lanta Noi, said his team were notified of the incident at 1pm. “We responded to the call and rendezvoused with her tour boat at Poda Island,” Chief Weerawut told The Phuket News. @thephuketnews

“She was unconscious when our team arrived. Our team administered CPR and transported her to the pier at Ao Nam Mao on the mainland. From there, she was rushed to Krabi Hospital,” he said. CPO Weerawut identified the tourist as Lai Xiaochang, 22, from Guangdong, China. “We were told that Miss Lai was snorkelling with friends at Chicken Island when after about 10 minutes a friend noticed that she was not moving,” he said. “Her friend rushed to her and found that she was unconsciousness, and quickly alerted the tour group leader,”

CPO Weerawut explained. “The tour team responded and quickly pulled her out of the water and rushed her to Poda Island, which is nearby and where a medical team is based. Our team picked her up from there,” he added. Ms Lai remained comatose at Krabi Hospital, CPO Weerawut reported on Monday (Oct 3). “Doctors had to administer a heart stimulant due to low blood pressure and they have put her on a ventilator to assist her breathing. We are still waiting to see if her condition improves,” he said. Eakkapop Thongtub

lived in Phuket all those years ago,” she added. According to information from hotels and resorts, about 250,000 tourists come to Phuket during the Vegetarian Festival, Ms Anoma pointed out. “Most of the tourist arrivals during this period are Chinese, Malaysian and Singaporean,” she added.

MORE RAIN WAS FOREcast for the rest of this week following heavy downpours causing minor havoc in and around Phuket Town last Sunday (Oct 2). The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) recorded 83.2mm of rainfall in Phuket Town and 80.8mm of rainfall at at Phuket International Airport within 24 hours that day. The hours-long deluges brought flooding at key areas with floodwaters rising up to 40cm deep in some places. Floodwaters prevented small cars from passing in front of Super Cheap on Thepkrasattri Rd in Rassada, north of Phuket Town,

while minor flooding forced temporary closure of the Sam Kong Underpass on the bypass road. Several houses flooded in the nearby Sam Kong area, while drains overflowed and reports surfaced that Klong Bang Yai, which runs through the heart of Phuket Town, was close to bursting its banks. Traffic Police and Kusoldharm rescue workers were dispatched across the island to assist flooded residents and direct traffic. The TMD predicted more rain for the rest of this week, with the chance of more heavy rain dissipating as this weekend neared. Eakkapop Thongtub

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There is a big hotel construction project, comprising a three-storey building with 158 rooms, in a quiet area in Rawai with villas and it has many, many problems with it – small access, water issues etc. I want to present this project to the Army or other officials who could take action to fix the many problems with this project. Who do I contact and how? - Concerned Resident, Rawai

LEFT: Officials at the Phuket office of the Damrongdhama Centre (Ombudsman’s Office) regularly receive complaints from the public. RIGHT: Army officers field complaints at Phuket International Airport. Photos: Tanyaluk Sakoot

ANSWER

If you want to file a complaint with the Royal Thai Army in Phuket, you can call me directly at 094-3477151.

The Army officers originally posted to Phuket have just been transferred as per normal rotation of duty, and my team has only just arrived here.

We still have an office representing the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) at Phuket International Airport, but we no longer have our headquarters on Sakdidet Rd, and we are now looking for a new location to use as a base in Phuket. We will find new premises to rent as soon as possible. In the meantime, it is best to just call me. – Maj Satit Naikoon, Commander of the Royal Thai Army headquarters based in Phuket You can file a complaint directly with Rawai Municipality. Although there are many options that you have in filing complaints about such projects, eventually all officials will send your complaint back to our office. So the best way is for you to file your initial complaint with us because it is easy for us to investigate. We will investigate it. – Aroon Solos, Mayor of Rawai If you believe it is appropriate, you can f ile a complaint with the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). To do it by phone you can call the national 24hour hotline “1111” it is still operating to receive public opinion, complaints and suggestions on reconciliation. You can also file a complaint via our “PSC 1111” mobile phone app, by post and through our website. The “PSC 1111” mobile phone app was launched

on October 1, 2015 and can be downloaded through the Apple App Store and is available for Android devices through Google Play. After installing it, open the app, click the topic of your complaint, enter your complaint, click save and send. Please note that the app is in Thai language only. Complaints sent by post must be regarding allegations of corruption only. Just send your complaint in an envelope addressed to Post Office Box 1111. It will be sent directly to the NCPO in Bangkok; no stamp is needed. To f i l e a c o m pl a i n t through our website, visit www.1111.go.th. This website is open for receiving complaints and suggestions on reconciliation. – Jirapan Khemkhaeng, an operator of the NCPO 1111 hotline If you believe wrongdoing by an official may be involved in your complaint, you can file a complaint at the Damrongdhama Centre (Ombudsman’s Office), located on the first floor at the Phuket Provincial Hall compound on Narisorn Rd in Phuket Town. You can also call our free hotline 1567 or our regular number 076-213203. Our office is open 8:30am to 4:30pm. Alternatively, you can email us at damrongtum_phuket@ hotmail.com – Komkrit Tlaidoung, Legal Officer, Damrongdhama Centre, Phuket thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

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Sub Lt Thanom Haesathit caused outrage among locals after leaving six people in hospital when he plowed his pickup truck into them while drunk at the wheel. The video of the ‘fountain of brown’ was sent in by a reader of The Phuket News who also noted that the discharge was pouring out from the back of a hotel by the beachfront. Images: Supplied

Surin Beach tarnished by ‘fountain of brown’ Yutthawat Lekmak reporter1@classactmedia.co.th

ealth officials have promised to investigate the large volume of dirty water spewing out from a drainpipe directly onto Surin Beach, on Phuket’s west coast, and turning water along the popular tourist beachfront brown. “We did not know about this, but we will investigate it,” Salil Manabutr of the Public Health and Environment Office at the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) told

The Phuket News on Monday (Oct 3). T he of fe n sive wat e r pouring onto the beach was brought to Ms Salil’s attention by The Phuket News after a video of the “fountain of brown” was sent in by a Phuket News reader, who noted that the discharge was pouring out from the back of a hotel by the beachfront. “The truth is that at Surin Beach there are some businesses that discharge wastewater without any permit from the government confirming that the businesses adhere to environmental wastewater-

treatment standards,” Ms Salil said. “Many officials in Cherng Talay know about this and are doing there best to fix the problem,” she said. An officer at the Public Works Division of the Cherng Talay OrBorTor, who declined to be named, told The Phuket News, “We have checked many areas where people have complained about this and we are still trying to fix the problem. “I can’t say how long it will take to prevent this from happening. Some situations we can fix very quickly, other

Body of hotel staffer confirmed DNA SAMPLES FROM A body found in a Kathu pond on May 9 have been positively matched with family members of Patong hotel worker Muhammad Hakiki, 24, from Indonesia, who was reported missing two days earlier. Mr Hakiki was staying at staff accommodation in Kathu near where his body was found. A toothbrush and hair samples from Mr Hakiki’s room were sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Surat Thani for DNA comparison with DNA taken from the body in May. However, results

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Muhammad Hakiki, 24, from Indonesia, was reported as missing on May 7. from that comparison where inconclusive, therefore DNA samples were taken from Mr Hakiki’s family in Indonesia and transported to Thailand. The results showed that the

DNA samples were a match. Lt Sawanya noted that the police investigation could not be concluded yet, but murder had been ruled out. “After questioning people from the area where the body was found including friends, co-workers and family, there appears to be only two possible causes of death: suicide or drowning,” he said. “Mr Hakiki’s parents also believe this. They believe that their son was having some personal issues at the time,” he added. The Phuket News

problems we cannot,” he said. “However, the Public Works Division is doing the best that we can do,” he added. Meanwhile, Ms Salil war ned that legal action loomed for any particular person or organisation found discharging untreated wastewater into a public area. In January, the Cherng Talay OrBorTor began pumping out large volumes of foul and unsightly untreated sewage that had been accumulating in a canal near Surin Beach, and transferring it to temporary holding tanks near Bang Tao Beach.

Drunk hit-and-run policeman charged THE PHANG NGA POlice officer who landed six people in a hospital in Phang Nga on the night of Sept 9 when drunk at the wheel of his pickup truck has been charged with drunk driving after results of his BAC test confirmed that his alcohol level was over the limit. Lt Dusit Phongphanof Phang Nga Muang District Police on Sept 29 confirmed, “We have finally received the BAC test results from Phang Nga Hospital after waiting for more than two weeks, and they confirm that the officer’s alcohol level was more than 50mg at the time of the incident. “The officer has now been charged with driv-

ing under the influence of alcohol,” he said. Lt Dusit declined to elaborate further. “His case has been handed over to the court and a disciplinary committee, and he will be punished accordingly,” he said. Initial reports stated that Sub Lt Thanom was reeking of alcohol when he left six people injured after his pickup truck crossed Phetkasem Rd and crashed into them – before he fled the scene. The incident sparked public outrage. Sub Lt Thanom was released on bail of B20,000 after he was charged with reckless driving causing injury and fleeing the scene. Yutthawat Lekmak

PHUKET NEWS

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Ford stalls response to recall Yutthawat Lekmak reporter1@classactmedia.co.th

epresentatives from Ford in Phuket have declined to comment on complaints filed with the Phuket Consumer Protection Office regarding gearbox and engine faults with Ford Fiesta and Focus models. The issue came to a head on Monday (Sept 26) when 200 buyers of the two models of Ford demonstrated in front of the Ford Thailand Head Office at Sathorn Square in Bangkok to demand the company show responsibility for the faulty vehicles. At that time, Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, president of the club to assist crime victims, said that the club would submit to the company a list of some 150 customers who claimed to have faulty cars and that they would expect the issue to be resolved by the end of October. Last week, a representative from Anuphas Ford Phuket declined to answer how many complaints they had received from buyers. Instead, he simply said, “At this time we can not provide any information about this. However, you can

Ford has yet to respond positively to formal complaints filed over faulty Focus, Fiesta models in Phuket. Photo: Yutthawat Lekmak contact Ford Thailand directly regarding this issue.” In addition to the complaints received in Bangkok, two cases regarding cars purchased in Phuket have been filed at the Phuket Consumer Protection Office at Provincial Hall, an official confirmed to last Tuesday (Sept 27). The Phuket News also spoke to two complainants, Napapin Suphantana, 37, and Titipan Wongwadee, who recently went to Anuphas Ford

Phuket to complain about problems with their cars, but had yet to file complaints with the Phuket Consumer Protection Office. “I finally went to Anuphas Ford Phuket because my Ford Focus has been giving me problems, especially when driving up Patong Hill,” Ms Napapin explained. “The automatic gear system has become a big issue. For the first two years, I had never had this problem, but now in

the third year I have started to experience many problems with the gears,” she said. “Another problem is that the engine often overheats,” she added. “I didn’t file a complaint with Anuphas Ford Co Ltd or the Consumer Protection Office because when I took my car to Ford to check, they fixed the problem. However, I had to go through my insurance to cover the cost of the repairs. Anuphas did not

offer the repairs for free,” Ms Napapin said. Ms Titipan, meanwhile, has had problems with her Ford Fiesta. “I have been going to Anuphas Ford Phuket regularly since buying my Ford Fiesta because of problems with the automatic gear system. And every time we went and had the problem fixed, we had to pay out of our own pocket. “One time we went to get the car serviced and had to pay B9,000. Yes, the problem was rectified for a while, but then we had the same problem again just one month later. They repaired it again, but two months later, the same problem returned. “We bought this car in 2013 and ever since we have been dealing with problems with it,” she said. Ford Thailand Cooperate Communication Manager in Bangkok, Preeti Praphanwitaya, told The Phuket News that the company had issued a press release explaining the situation to the public, and said, “That is the only information we can give at this time, we will keep you up to date on the issue.” The press release Ms Preeti

referred to related directly to Mr Atchariya and angry customers in Bangkok. “Mr Atchariya, the group, and Ford agreed that Ford must talk with each buyer individually to find the best solution for them. Mr Atchariya will provide a list of names to Ford on Wednesday (Sept 28),” the press release read: Mr Preeti confirmed to The Phuket News that the customer list had been received by her office and that individual cases will be discussed with each customer as stated in the press release. In addition, an official from the Phuket Consumer Protection Office – who declined to be named – said, “We have received two complaints against Anuphas Ford Phuket, the first was filed a couple of weeks ago and referred to a vehicle’s gear system. We were advised that the company and complainant reached an agreement and that no further action from our office was required. “The second case was filed more recently and was regarding the same issue. I can confirm that this case is currently being reviewed by our office,” the official said.

Super Cheap stumped by snake ‘Pla Ra’ SU PE R C H E A P H AV E discontinued their orders of the traditional Thai fermented fish dish “Pla Ra” from their supplier after officials confirmed that suspect meat in a customer’s order was snake, not fish, as ordered. “We learned from Super Cheap management that the reptile was mixed with Pla Ra during the packaging process at a factory in Pathum Thani (outside Bangkok),” Panida Mevichear of the Phuket Consumer Protection Office told The Phuket News on Sept 30. “The local health office

Consumer Protection officials inspect what has now been confirmed to be snake, served in a dish sold as fermented fish. there is investigating the factory,” she added. The investigation came after Phuket Town noodle vendor Wanida Pakamaad

filed a complaint with police on Sept 10 after she discovered what she suspected was snake in Pla Ra that she bought from a Super Cheap store in Phuket Town. Ms Wanida reported this to the Consumer Protection Board, where officials confirmed that the creature in the serving was indeed a snake. “Super Cheap has confirmed that the company had stopped its order for all stores from that factory and is willing to compensate Ms Wanida,” Ms Panida said. The Phuket News

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Veg Fest to generate B3.4 billion: officials

PHUKET NEWS

Darawan Naknakhon editor@classactmedia.co.th

h i s ye a r’s Phu ke t Vegetarian Festival is expected to generate more than B3.4 billion, leading Phuket tourism officials have revealed. “Right now we are seeing an average hotel occupancy of 72% from the more than 53,000 rooms [officially recognised] available in Phuket,” said Anoma Vongyai, Director of Tourism authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office. “That number is expected to rise during October because of the festival, government holiday, Chinese National Day and school holidays,” she added. “The booking rate along street procession routes in Phuket Town during the last three days of the festival is already at about 90%, which means we will have more than 270,000 people travelling to Phuket and generating about B3.4 billion for tourism (during the festival),” Ms Anoma pointed out. T he ni ne- day an nual

New Phuket Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan (right) is all smiles at his official welcome party to his new post at Phuket Provincial Hall on Saturday (Oct 1). Photo: PR Dept

Phuket Governor says island post a ‘dream’ Vendors sell a huge range of vegan foods to festival-goers at stalls set up opposite to the Bang Liao Shrine in Phuket Town during the first day of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival on Saturday, October 1. Photo: Mark Knowles Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which began on Saturday (Oct 1), this year has so far attracted large numbers of tourists from China, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Russia India and Middle Eastern countries, Ms Anoma said. “Tourism this time of the year is robust and alive. We will see many tourists from all over the world, especially Chinese tourists, which lately have begun to increase after the number of arrivals fell

about 15-20% over the past two months,” she added, in reference to the number of Chinese tourist arrivals plunging after officials launched a blitz on “zero-dollar” tour companies operating in Thailand. In light in the healthy resurgence in the number of tourists to Phuket, Ms Anoma noted that many areas away from Phuket Town, where most of the Vegetarian Festival ceremonies will take

Respected jazzman laid to rest F U N E R A L SE RV IC E S were held in Phuket Town this week for respected Phuket jazz aficionado Abner Arela, who died last Saturday (Oct 1) from complications brought on by a stroke he suffered last week. He was 64. “We wish to condole with the family of Abner Arela, who passed away October 1 at Vachira Hospital Phuket, due to brain stroke,” the ACTIONAssociation of Concerned Filipinos in Thailand Facebook group announced in a post online. “It is with deep sorrow that

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Phuket jazz aficionado Abner Arela died on Saturday (Oct 1) after complications brought on by a stroke. we mourn for the death of our kababayan (countryman),” the group also posted. “Rest in eternal peace Abner...” they said.

“Abner was a seasoned musician, a humble man, a good friend, a religious person and a responsible family man,” the group added. Vigil and prayers for Mr Arela were held on Monday and Tuesday (Oct 3-4) at Our Lady of Assumption Church on Soi Taling Chan in Phuket Town. A special mass was held on Wednesday, after which a funeral service for Mr Arela’s burial was held at the hallowed cemetery behind Darasamuth School. The Phuket News

place, will also benefit. “Tourists who come during the festival will spread out across the island. Some will stay in accommodation along Phuket beaches while others will stay in Phuket Town,” she said. “We will also see a rising number of wealthy Chinese tourists arrive as free independent travellers (FITs) group. These tourists prefer to stay at pool villas or near beaches,” Ms Anoma added.

NEW PHUKET GOVERNor Chockchai Dejamornthan received a warm welcome on his first day at his new official post at Phuket Provincial Hall last Saturday (Oct 1), where he vowed to do his best for the people of Phuket. “I was not born here and I might not die here, but every second I spend as Governor of Phuket I will do my best for people in Phuket,” he told well-wishers at his welcome event on Saturday. “When I was a little boy I dreamed that one day I would come to Phuket. In the end, I did not request to come here, but the Interior Ministry chose me to come,” Gov Chockchai said. “But just because being in Phuket is like a dream come true, that does not mean I am

on holiday. I will work, and I am very happy to work hard. This will make me happy and I assure you I will do my job the best I can for the people who live in Phuket,” he said. Gov Chockchai noted that Phuket has “great potential and is known around the world”, but added that more work needed to be done to develop what Phuket has to offer, including in fresh produce. Gov Chockchai also pointed out the government policy to develop Phuket as a “Smart City”. “This is good news because that we already know our province is famous around the world, but the one thing we should do is make efforts to make people here happier,” he said. Darawan Naknakhon

Opinion 8

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Email: editor@classactmedia.co.th Phone: 076 612 550 KODCHANAT THINSEPON Editor

CHRIS HUSTED

Executive Editor

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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editor1@classactmedia.co.th From Melbourne, Australia, Mark holds a BA from La Trobe University where he completed a double major in Anthropology and Media Studies. He has over eight years experience as a journalist, photographer and editor for several magazines and newspapers.

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EDITORIAL

Thai football is in FAT trouble

ormer President of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) and former member of Fifa’s executive committee, Worawi Makudi, was suspended by a Fifa Ethics Committee from all football activities for 90 days back in October 2015. The reason given, although brief, was “on the grounds that a breach of [Fifa’s] code of ethics appears to have been committed”. On January 9, Fifa’s ethics judges announced Worawi’s temporary suspension would be extended for a further 45 days, with the same justification. Worawi is certainly no stranger to controversy, as in July 2014, when he was handed a suspended 16-month prison sentence for forging documents in the 2013 election that saw him retain his post for the fourth consecutive term. In that election, 63-year-old Worawi beat off his sole chal-

lenger Virach Chanpanich to retain the top position in Thai football, a position which he had held since 2007. This week’s back page story, in which current FAT president Somyot Poompanmoung tells of how the FAT is now unable to provide funds for small teams such as Phuket FC for away game travel expenses due to the financial state of the association, should set alarm bells ringing into Worawi’s previous management of the FAT. Somyot revealed last week that the FAT has recently had to pay a cheque for B100 million in backdated tax to the Revenue Department, a cheque that even he wasn’t sure would clear or bounce. In addition, he also stated that the FAT is in further debt of about B80mn (not sure who to) and the FAT still needed more money to pay even more backdated tax.

After learning of this news, one has to wonder who, if anyone, was responsible for overlooking the FAT’s finances whilst Worawi was president, or was he just given free reign to do as he pleased with the association’s funds? Somyot laid no actual blame on who or what caused the association to end up in such a dire financial situation, but he clearly wasn’t happy with it. But by making the statement: “I would never have thought that I would be paying debts that others before me had created”, it is quite clear who Somyot believes is responsible. It really is no wonder that Worawi was suspended by the Fifa Ethics Committee, but now all that is to be seen is whether the powers that be investigate further and see how exactly he could leave the FAT in so much debt.

TOP 10 STORIES ON thephuketnews.com

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Phuket Portuguese man o’ war warning stands as tourist stung at Patong More rain forecast as Phuket suffers minor floods Phuket jazz musicians hold fund-raising jam for fallen friend Abner Arela Misaligned road in Si Racha raises eyebrows Plan to track tourists via SIM cards teeters Ford stalls response to faulty Focus, Fiesta cars in Phuket FBI says ‘third man’ also American, not British Phuket motorbike mechanic, 28, nabbed with meth haul, Facebook handguns Phuket outflow pipe spills dirty water across Surin Beach – again Phuket underpass roadsafety complaints spur Ombudsman inspection, confirms B200mn fine

Visit thephuketnews.com for all the latest news

HAVE YOUR SAY A fool and his life are easily parted

Re: Phuket lifeguards rescue Russian tourist from waves slamming him onto rocks If they ignore the warning don’t bother to help them. Let their stupidity take its course. Why should the lifeguard have to risk his life? marcher ....................................................

Swings and roundabouts on the road

Re: More rain forecast as Phuket suffers minor floods Good old underpasses, who would have thought underpasses would flood in a country that has rainy season and poor electrical systems! Ah well, at least there’s the bonus that they only cost three times the amount of an overpass. malczx7r ....................................................

Tour buyers beware

Re: Chinese tourist comatose after near drowning on Krabi snorkelling tour Chalk up another tragic vacation for the Chinese. I hope the tour group leader wasn’t too upset that his/her Facebook session was interrupted by the

silly Chinese tourist. These tour companies just cannot be trusted to oversee the safety and well being of their customers. Ed Sanders What kind of snorkels are being used? They should be the kind that seal up automatically if you go too far under water, or if water tries to come down the tube because of a wave. I have a bad feeling they are straight tubes. This poor lady, with no experience with snorkel, probably breathed in water that came down the tube. Rich 44 ...................................................

Homophobia or Youthful folly?

Re: Brilliant ‘batty boy’ challenging Caribbean homophobia I liked your article, but please get the facts straight, Buju Banton has outgrown these views since a very very long time, that song you are talking about was recorded during his youth! And yes I like Buju’s music and I am against homophobia – one of my bros is gay! Cheers! Nic

Protectionist policies backwards looking

Re: Outward bound: British Ambassador sheds light on UK’s post-Brexit future A major reform of the Foreign Business Act to allow foreigners to actually own their own business would be a great first step in the right direction, but sadly is very unlikely to happen. Much more likely to move in the opposite direction with further restrictions on foreigners trying to do any kind of business here. Roger Peabody ....................................................

Call it collusion

Re: Phuket Super Cheap discontinues ‘Pla Ra’ snake surprise I’ve noticed Super Cheap and Tesco Lotus are no longer stocking several products sold by competitor Villa Market. This is anti-competitive and needs investigation. Samantha ...................................................

Live and let die

Re: Double hit-and-run leaves one dead, one injured in Phuket

Well, it’s their problem if they crash and die because they didn’t wear a helmet. I would rather concentrate on punishing people who are a danger to the others. Just this morning again, I saw a van who was driving like a crazy person and was a real danger to the motorbikes next to it. I don’t understand how some people can put the life of innocent people at risk by driving like idiots. Those people should be locked up. MrLion ...................................................

It’s a shell game

Re: Local administrations plagued with corruption, says Justice Minister The Thai Justice Minister is absolutely correct. The annual shuffling of the provinces appointed governors is a way to continue the corruption. If there’s a particularly honest governor, that really tries to promote honesty and progress, they are shuffled away and, eventually, disappear from having any position of power. It’s safe to assume that the Thai Justice Minister will have the same fate for his honesty. Foot

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

THAILAND NEWS

A history of political violence BANGKOK Achara Ashayagachat

ll victims of political violence, including marginalised members of society, killed in times of turmoil deserve as much recognition as the intellectuals slaughtered in the brutal bloodshed of Oct 6, 1976, say media and political activists. State-sponsored killings had taken place, and perpetrators walked free, before the crackdown on anti-dictatorial demonstrators of October 1976, they say. Among those killed were 33 leaders of the Northern Farmers’ Confederation, state enterprise employees who were hanged and the thousands of people burnt to death in the notorious “Red Drum Killings” in the southern province of Patthalung believed to be associated with the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT). More recently, 98 red-shirt protesters were killed during the 2010 military crackdown, but these “small people” do not receive the proper recognition, said Sarayut Thangprasert, a primary researcher of the now-

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A Thammasat student hangs posters on campus to promote an event commemorating the 40th anniversary of the October 6, 1976 student massacre, in Bangkok. Photo: AFP defunct People’s Information Centre on the April-May 2010 Crackdown. “The casualties from 2010 were seen as victims of politicians’ manipulation while the Oct 6, 1976, deaths were seen as innocent victims as they were intellectuals,” said the 47-year-old activist, who has been assisting the families of red-shirt victims in postcrackdown court cases and imprisonments. Mr Sarayut, a native of the Northeast, recalled two other incidents in Kalasin

province in which people were arbitrarily killed by the state in the 1960s and 1980s. Villagers in Na Ku district were beheaded by security personnel to intimidate potential CPT supporters. Another group of young villagers in Khaowong were assassinated on suspicion of providing supplies to communist rebels. Pimsiri Petchnamrob, another activist traumatised by the military crackdown on red-shirt protesters some six years ago, said the quest for reconciliation simply hit the

wall as Thailand lacked basic elements for “transitional justice”. “Pursuing justice, preventing impunity, providing financial assistance, uncovering the truth, remembering the victims, and reforming national human-rights legislation and law enforcement agencies have all lagged behind,” said Ms Pimsiri. Porntip Munkong, 28, a former lese majeste prisoner following her involvement in a play commemorating the 1976 massacre three years ago, said

she truly respected and felt sad for the losses of so many young people. However, she says only when people from all corners of Thailand can relate to the loss of life that occurred that day will the issue not be forgotten. “Could we see the similarities of Oct 6, 1976 and those who died in the Krue Se and Tak Bai incidents? We may need to rewrite history so all those people are remembered as heroes,” said Ms Porntip. Tyrell Haberkorn, a human rights expert from Australian National University, said the stories of marginalised victims should be more widely documented. Experiences from other societies show the quest for an answer usually comes from civil society and not government officials, she said. “In Indonesia, there has been a wide-ranging movement to uncover the truth about the 1965-1966 killings and the series of political imprisonments that followed. Part of this is the passage of time and another part is the change in government. It is over 50 years since the violence and close to 20 years since Suharto was

pushed out of power,” said Ms Haberkorn. “In the cases of Argentina and Brazil, the nullification of the amnesty laws that protected the dictatorships by the Inter-American Court for Human Rights has caused a transformation, both in terms of being able to bring criminal cases against the former dictators and also in terms of catalysing social and political questioning of the past and its meanings for later generations.” But an attempt to uncover the truth of the 1976 massacre was never recognised by the state. A committee concluded a report in 2000 after interviewing eyewitnesses, examining extensive court evidence. The report was presented to then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, but there was no state response. “Thai society must decide how to deal with many forms of damage and injury resulting from the bloodbath of Oct 6. They must study the wider picture of historical events which lead to that morning,” said the report. Bangkok Post

10 THAILAND NEWS

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Fall of a master forger

Hamid Jafary, ‘The Doctor’ behind Thailand’s lucrative passport trade BANGKOK

or a few thousand dollars “The Doctor” opened doors to the world, supplying pristine fake passports to gangsters and rebels, refugees and migrant workers – all from an unassuming, scruffy house in the Bangkok suburbs. But this Iranian master forger now languishes in a Thai jail after a rare slip unspooled a criminal enterprise that helped thousands of people to sidle into Europe and beyond. In June Thai police said they had finally dismantled his network following a fiveyear probe, dealing a hammer blow to a gang that supplied “Triple A” quality forgeries to global trafficking syndicates. Nine men have been arrested, returning the spotlight to Thailand’s key role as a global hub for fake passports, a shadowy industry dominated by highly skilled Iranians and Pakistanis serving customers from South Asia, the Middle

A mugshot of Iranian passport forger ‘The Doctor’ Hamid Reza Jafary (left) is displayed with his cohorts at the Immigration Detention Centre in Bangkok on July 22. Photo: Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP East and further afield. For years detectives had hunted The Doctor, a name

revered among Bangkok’s criminal underworld for producing the most sophisticated

forged travel documents on the market for just $2,000 $3,000 (B69,725 – B104,587). But Hamid Reza Jafary, 48, evaded arrest, cocooned from the law by a network of five trusted Pakistani lieutenants and a low-key lifestyle that belied the fortune spun from his unique skill. His luck ran out in February when police intelligence officers traced a call by the hyper-vigilant forger to a pizza company. Police swiftly raided an unassuming address in Muang distirct in Chachoengsao where they found The Doctor – a soubriquet drawn from his past as a nurse in Iran. Also there, hidden in a secret compartment, were 173 passports from France, Israel, New Zealand, Iran and Syria and a cache of electronic chips, moulds for visa stamps, ribbons, inks and specialist printing equipment. The bookish, balding Jafary quickly confessed to his crime and explained how made-to-order passports were sent via DHL or FedEX to overseas clients, including Syrian refugees trying to enter Europe. But he refused to serve up his accomplices or reveal where the money went. “He told me ‘it’s a game.... police chase the bad guys, the bad guys run. But this is game over’,” Col Voravat Amornvirat one of Thailand's top immigration detectives said. Jafary was jailed in May

for 23 years, but his jail time will be halved due to a guilty plea. The Syrian migrant crisis has brought a deluge of work for Thailand’s forgers. Authorities say Jafary’s gang provided bespoke travel documents for trafficking syndicates. Over the years they had also served fugitive criminals and even wanted rebels, such as Tamil Tiger cadres escaping Sri Lanka. But punters never met The Doctor. “It was like a company... they had brokers and customer service people. The Doctor was at the top – but he was very low-key, he hid himself very well in the country,” immigration police commander Lt Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn said. The colourful cabal of crooks arrested from his group were key facilitators for Bangkok’s sprawling underworld. They include a pony-tailed Pakistani craftsman called Mahammad Ramzan – known by the alias “Jonny Painter” for his sideline as a Bangkok street portrait artist. After his arrest, Jafary’s compatriot Abdullah Ghani Bhori, in his late 50s, was paraded in front of the media, alongside more than 250 fake Spanish passports and chemicals, visa stamps and laminated sheets for passports. Of f icers said he had changed his identity so many

times over the years that he is now only really known by the nickname “Babu”. “I learned this skill in Thailand 10 years ago,” the diminutive and frail Babu said, before being led away. “Now it is finished for me.” The links to Pakistan and the Middle East have caught the attention of foreign agencies fearing high-end passport forgeries will fall into the hands of Islamic State terrorists. One of Jafary’s group is set for extradition to France, where a French embassy security expert in Bangkok said he is wanted for links to unspecified “terrorist groups”. Transient, vast and permissive, Bangkok has long provided sanctuary for people wanting to disappear or reinvent. Thailand welcomes visafree travel to many countries and is Southeast Asia’s best connected transport hub, sharing long, ungovernable borders with Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. That draws transnational criminals moving everything from people and rare wildlife to drugs, weapons and gems. In 2014, two European passports stolen in the Kingdom were used by Iranians who boarded Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Four years earlier, two Pakistanis and a Thai woman were arrested on suspicion of making false passports for Al-Qaeda linked groups, including those tied to the 2008 attacks in Mumbai and the Madrid train bombing in 2004. Police say The Doctor’s downfall has winded some criminal networks. But only temporarily whilst gaping holes remain in the detection system. Thailand does not check passports against Interpol’s stolen or lost passport database which registers tens of millions of documents. If it was, “we would know immediately,” when a stolen document was presented at a Thai border, Maj Gen Apichart Suriboonya, head of Thai Interpol said. After the MH370 discovery Apichart recommended the countr y fork out the B900,000 to access the database. “It was worth it... but we didn’t do it,” he added. AFP thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

ASIA NEWS 11

Contaminated and shortages

India’s blood supply dogged by poor screening, black market INDIA

very month, Seema Mishra and her daughter make the trip to an Indian hospital, praying the blood transfusion the youngster needs to keep her alive will not make her sicker. But Mishra’s fears were realised last month when seven-year-old Aarushi, who was born with a rare blood disorder, was diagnosed with hepatitis C from a contaminated transfusion. “She has suffered so much already, how come she has to suffer more?” Mishra said as she watched her daughter practise her dance steps. Experts say blood is not always properly screened and there is a black market supplied mainly by poor Indians who are paid for their blood, especially in rural areas. Government documents recently released showed more than 2,000 people said they had contracted HIV from transfusions in the 17 months to March. The government says some are probably falsely blamed transfusions, a more socially acceptable way of contracting HIV than sexual contact. But blood specialist J.S Arora said infection figures among India’s 150,000 thalassaemia sufferers such as Aarushi, who require transfu-

Experts say blood is not always properly screened and there is a black market supplied mainly by poor Indians who are paid for their blood. Photo: Money Sharma/AFP sions for life, are worrying. Arora, head of India’s thalassaemia welfare society, estimated up to 40 per cent of sufferers have contracted hepatitis B or C, many more than in other countries. Some have also contracted HIV. Thalassaemia sufferers cannot produce enough haemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that transports oxygen, a genetic disorder most common in Asia and the eastern Mediterranean. Contaminated blood donations have dropped significantly in recent years thanks to concerted efforts

to improve regulation, but experts still hold concerns about the safety and security of supplies. India has 2,760 licensed blood banks run by government and private hospitals and charities. They must screen for HIV, hepatitis viruses, syphilis and malaria, but the standard of testing varies. The more sophisticated methods reduce the period when an infected donor does not test positive, but they are expensive and not used everywhere. Experts say India needs a central collection agency

– common in many countries – with rigorous and standardised testing. “India is a massive country and the range of services is huge, from extremely good to extremely poor,” said Shailaja Tetali, who has studied blood supplies in India’s south. “There needs to be an overhaul of the system because the way in which blood services are carried out in India is haphazard,” Tetali, from the Indian Institute of Public Health in Hyderabad, said. In western Gujarat state, families are fighting for a

fresh probe into how 32 children, all suffering from thalassaemia, contracted HIV from transfusions in 2011. Eight have since died of AIDS, their lawyer Paresh Vaghela said. Police closed the original case, saying there was no criminal intent, while the hospital allegedly involved says the children received transfusions from more than one place. The government says thalassaemia sufferers are at higher risk than the general population of contracting an infection because they need so much blood. “There is no guarantee of a 100% clean blood supply in any country,” deputy director general of blood transfusion services, R.S Gupta said. India has long suffered from severe blood shortages, according to the World Health Organistion, which says countries should have blood in reserve from at least one per cent of the population. Fear of falling ill from donating along with taboos about swapping blood with those of different social castes are blamed for the shortage of volunteer donors. The shortfall of several million units a year is exacerbated by needless transfusions ordered by doctors which expose patients to unnecessary risk of infection.

‘Ice man’ keeps up tradition in India’s blistering heat INDIA AS THE TEMPERATURE heads towards 40 degrees celsius in New Delhi, Ram Babu sets off on his bicycle in an unlikely race against time to deliver ice before it melts. The 52-year-old is one of scores of ice vendors battling traffic, potholes and hordes of people in the Indian capital to supply small shops, in a tradition spanning generations. Babu has been buying the thick blocks from a wholesaler almost every morning for 30 years, wrapping them in brown sacks to keep them cool and then strapping them to the back of his bike. He rides an estimated 15 to 20 kilometres a day, delivering mainly to the scores of roadside eateries lacking refrigeration that are crammed into the city. “It’s a daily struggle. But this is something that I have @thephuketnews

been doing non-stop. Be it Sundays or holidays I have never taken a break,” said Babu, as he carefully unloads the blocks onto a bustling side street. The father of five earns about 15,000 rupees (B7,768) a month from selling the ice, but says income has been falling steadily as more businesses buy their own fridges. “Now obviously most households have fridges and

the offices have big water coolers. It is tough to sustain profits.” Affectionately dubbed the “ice man” by friends and neighbours, Babu takes pride in the tough, traditional job also done by his father and grandfather. But he said his children are more interested in finding jobs in offices and factories, and are unlikely to take over when he eventually retires.

“Look, I am already 52. I will carry on working for a few more years. “But my sons are not into this. For them it is a menial job. I don’t blame them and I will never force them to do it,” he said. AFP

Ram Babu sells ice to roadside vendor s in the old quarter of New Delhi. Photo: Chandan Khanna/AFP

As a result, patients needing blood at many hospitals have to first provide donors from among friends and family for each unit required. But experts said some have no choice but to pay people to donate blood – mainly poor Indians desperate for money. “If relatives don’t want to donate, are not fit to donate or are not there to donate, then how do you get the blood? You pay someone,” the head of one blood bank said. In her research, Tetali said she found families hiring donors, including an impoverished father who travelled to a city with his daughter suffering leukaemia. He was forced to borrow money to pay touts for a donor so she could receive hospital treatment. Vinod Bansal, president of the non-profit Rotary Blood Bank in Delhi, whose donors are all volunteers, said the replacement system bordered on coercion. Bansal said more properly-screened volunteers are needed to regularly give blood to ensure all Indians, rich and poor, have good access to clean supplies. Mishra, whose family struggles to pay for Aarushi’s treatment, wants that too, along with better testing technology at government hospitals. “I’m shocked and I’m scared,” she said. AFP

12 WORLD NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Voicing housemaids’ suffering

Brazilian rapper shines light on abuse maids receive from employers BRAZIL

Brazilian housemaidturned-rapper has cast a spotlight on the suffering of Latin America’s millions of exploited domestic workers by chronicling the abuse they receive from their employers. For seven years Joyce Fernandes was one of six million workers that cook, clean and mind children for Brazilian families. Now 31, she is a qualified history teacher, recorded rap artist, anti-racism activist and all-round celebrity. She is better known by the alias Preta Rara, or “Strange Black Woman”. Over melodic hip-hop beats she voices fierce calls for social justice. Her face, with its bright blue lipstick and nose-ring, has appeared in media around the world. After leaving domestic service, she started writing about some of her experiences online in a Facebook page titled “I, Housemaid”.

Joyce Fernandes, a former Brazilian housemaid, has launched a campaign on social networks to report employers’ abuse. Photo: Nelson Almeida/AFP “Joyce, we hired you to cook for us, not for yourself. Please bring your own food and cutlery,” she recalled her employer telling her. “Eat before us at the kitchen table if possible. It is a question of maintaining order in the household.” Fernandes’s tales prompted countless others to post their ordeals in domestic work: working long hours without

food for snobby families. “I think it is the voice of domestic employees who have wanted to speak out for a long time but had no particular channel to do so,” Fernandes said. “My memoir was a trigger that awakened other stories and opened up a discussion,’ she added. “We are making our voice heard. With this site I want to provoke and shake up the model

of the traditional Brazilian family which will recognise itself in most of these stories.” A report by the International Labour Organisation in 2013 showed Latin America was the region with the most household employees in the world. Some 7.5 per cent of employees in Latin America worked in that sector compared with 0.8% overall in the

developed world, according to the study. Brazil employs more domestic help than any other country in the region: around six million, most of them women, according to the IBGE state statistics institute. “In Latin America, it is not just the very well-off families” that employ household workers, said Laura Carpentier of the French political studies school SciencesPo, author of a report on the subject. She said there is more demand for domestic workers in Latin America because countries there have fewer daycare centres for children and nursing homes for the old. In 2013, Brazil’s left-wing government imposed rules to protect domestic workers, guaranteeing them a minimum wage and limiting their overtime. Uruguay and Chile have passed laws limiting housemaids’ working hours and boosting their welfare rights. The 2014 law in Chile spared them the obligation to wear a uniform in public. But testimonies on the “I,

Housemaid” page and by rights groups in other countries indicate that many such workers in the region still suffer abuse and prejudice. In some countries they live in a legal void. In Guatemala, the Domestic Workers’ Association says children as young as eight and women as old as 70 work in domestic service. Some employees work up to 16 hours a day. Over recent years “there has been a rise in pay for domestic workers in numerous Latin American countries,” said Alexandre Fraga, a sociologist at Rio de Janeiro University. But most have no formal work contract. The mistreatment of housemaids also raises dark historical memories in a country where slavery was not abolished until 1888. “This profession reflects social inequalities. In Brazil, most domestic employees are female, poor and black,” Fraga said. “That cannot continue. This cannot be a hereditary profession.” AFP

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

BUSINESS NEWS 13

Pension cash QROPS Moving offshore can make your pension worth more than you think PHUKET EXPAT FINANCE

or any expat who has worked for a company in the UK for many years, and is a member of a final salary – or defined benefit – pension scheme, this could be the ideal opportunity to look at the transfer value of your pension. Every final salary pension has a Cash Equivalent Transfer Value (CETV), which is the cash equivalent sum you would receive in exchange for replacing the pension from your old company with a qualifying overseas scheme. Right now, transfer values are the highest they have ever been since QROPS became an option for final salary holders back in 2006. Most analysts also agree that we are not likely to see valuations this high ever again. That is because the inflation and interest rate assumptions trustees must use to calculate a transfer value have never been more favourable. Although anyone who transfers a final salary pension does give up their rights to the final salary, they do receive in return a personalised pension with a significant sum of cash from which to fund that same pension income. Not only are they able to lock in this cash value now, but they will receive full control of how that money is allocated both now and throughout retirement. And provided they transfer to a jurisdiction and provider recognised by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), there are many other advantages that a QROPS can offer. Every individual’s situation is unique, but there are many reasons why someone would consider transferring their pension. Consider for example an individual who is not married and is in ill health. If they remained in a final salary scheme and died two years after they began drawing benefits, then the entire balance of the pension pot would disappear into the coffers of the trustees. With a QROPS that person instead has the option of passing on the full cash value of their pension to other relatives, or even to a charitable cause. A n individual with a spouse and children will probably want to ensure that something is passed down after both their death and that of their spouse. Most @thephuketnews

Instead of paying a minimum of 20% taxation on income should the pension remain in the UK, a QROPS can reduce this to as little as 2.5%, if the pension is moved to a jurisdiction such as Gibraltar. Photo: AFP final salary schemes pay half (sometimes two-thirds) of the original pension income to a surviving spouse, but after he/she dies all benefits cease. With a QROPS, the balance of the pension pot can be passed on to the family. Irrespective of any health or family considerations, many expatriates like the fact that a QROPS allows them the possibility of taking their taxfree lump sum before age 65 (typically after age 55). And most QROPS jurisdictions also allow for larger lump sums than those available to UK pensions – usually up to 30 per cent, as opposed to 25%. Some pension owners also wish for more flexibility and/ or control over their pension investments. Rather than have company committees, trustees or a pension provider manage – or in the case of so many UK schemes, MISmanage their money – those who prefer to choose exactly how their pension monies are invested may consider

a pension transfer with an open-architecture investment platform. Open-architecture not only means investment freedom, but also currency freedom, i.e. they are not required to leave their money in Sterling, unless they consider it advantageous to do so. Another issue for pension holders right now – and perhaps a deciding factor when considering whether or not to leave a scheme – is the current state of UK pension deficits. The combined deficits of FTSE 100 company schemes has doubled over the last year, and now stands at a staggering GB£63 billion (B2,831 trillion), according to pensions specialist LCP. It is important to be aware that the same falling interest and bond rates, which have created extremely beneficial transfer values for scheme members, have simultaneously – and somewhat paradoxically – increased the pension deficits faced by their companies.

Last but certainly not least, are the tax implications on the income itself. Instead of paying a minimum of 20% taxation on income should the pension remain in the UK, a QROPS can reduce this to as little as 2.5%, if the pension is moved to a jurisdiction such as Gibraltar. The rise in transfer values has also moved many final salary scheme owners close to – or even above – the Lifetime Allowance. If you obtain a current transfer value and it has risen above GB£1 million, then you must act to protect your lifetime allowance. In 2010, the Lifetime Allowance was £1.8 million. In his most recent budget, however, George Osborne lowered the LTA once again from £1.25 million to £1 million, and further reductions are expected in the future. Hence, if Inland Revenue determines you are liable for tax on your excess pension contributions, you would be paying 55% on the excess

monies taken as a lump sum and 25% tax on excess monies taken as income. This tax is levied before you even receive your income, after which you are taxed on the pension income itself. This should be addressed as soon as possible as some final salary scheme members with substantial CETVs may be able to save hundreds of thousands of pounds in unnecessary taxes. Depending on the size of the pot, some expats may be able to avoid this tax altogether. Some scheme members are scurrying to act now because they also fear that the recent Brexit vote could

mean that the UK leaves the EU and must no longer abide by EU legislation. Because QROPS was born from an EU Directive, if the UK leaves it could theoretically scrap all pension transfers, leaving those who have already moved their pensions the lucky ones. Some expatriates have been holding off transferring their pensions until they either leave the company or decide whether or not they will retire abroad. But current transfer values make it worth at least obtaining an up-to-date CETV. This may prove to be the ideal time to make the move out of a defined benefit scheme. If you are the owner of a UK final salary scheme, it is highly advisable to obtain a current transfer value right now. Obtaining a CETV does not commit you to move your pension, it simply gives you an indication of what you would receive as a cash lump sum, should you decide to move into a personalised scheme. Phuket Expat Finance can help you obtain a valuation and provide you with a riskfree assessment of your final salary scheme. We would be happy to provide you with a no-obligation written report, and advise you on all the options available to you should you wish to consider a transfer. Email us at chatwithus@ phuketexpatfinance.com

14 BUSINESS NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Competitive for good Researchers find CSR offers a competitive edge to firms, benefits stakeholders CORPORATE Mabel Sieh editor@classactmedia.co.th

orporate social responsibility (CSR) has become increasingly popular over the years. More and more companies are actively finding ways to give back to society – some are engaged in environmental projects while others set out to help disadvantaged children in poverty. The very nature of helping others resonates in our human nature – it makes us feel good to do well. In the corporate world, however, perhaps there is more to feeling good by doing good. As researchers in the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School find, CSR can be a strategy which helps to create a competitive edge for firms and make their peers in the industry want to follow suit. “No firms operate in isolation. If CSR creates a competitive edge, its advantage should be mostly manifested

through a firm’s competition with other firms,” says Prof Jie Cao, Associate Professor in the Department of Finance at CUHK Business School. The study titled “Peer Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility” was written by Prof Cao and his former PhD student Xintong Zhan, who joined Erasmus University Rotterdam as Assistant Professor in Finance in August, alongside their collaborator Prof Hao Liang from Singapore Management University. Their study has attracted much positive attention by winning the Zephyr Prize as the best corporate finance paper in the 28th Australasian Finance & Banking Conference in Sydney, and being featured at the Harvard Law School Forum of Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, as well as on 3BL Media, a leading news and content distribution company focusing on CSR and sustainability stories. Recently, it has also been presented in high-level events such as the 3rd Geneva Sum-

The study of 3,452 US public non-voting peer firms from 1997 to 2011, reveals that CSR does matter to peer firms by affecting stock returns and company strategies. mit on Sustainable Finance in Switzerland, and at the Conference on the Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility in the BB&T Center for the Study of Capitalism in the United States. Prof Cao further explains by using an example that if a firm adopts a green technology in its production, it may be perceived as a threat to its peer firms, as some customers

concerned about the environment may switch to the more environmental friendly firm. Investors of these peer firms will also be aware of the potential loss of their companies’ market shares. “To catch up with their competitor and regain their edge, these peer firms will likely adopt similar technologies in the next period. In our study, we build on this competitive advantage perspective of CSR and examine whether and how a firm’s adoption of CSR can affect the practice and value of its peer firms,” he says.

The Study and Results

Taking a large sample of 3,452 US public non-voting peer firms from 1997 to 2011, the study compares the effect of a firm’s shareholder-sponsored CSR proposals that pass or fail by a small margin of votes in annual meetings on its peer firms’ stock returns and future CSR performance. “Close-call CSR proposals provide a source of random variation of a firm’s CSR that can be used to estimate the causal effect of CSR on its peer firm’s market valuation and CSR practice,” Prof Cao explains. The study reveals that CSR does matter to peer firms by affecting stock returns and company strategies.

CSR Affects Peer Firms’ Stock Returns

The researchers found that the passage of CSR proposals by a small margin of votes on average leads to a significant decrease in peer firms’ shareholder value compared with CSR proposals that are marginally rejected. This shows that CSR has strategic value and firms observing their peers adopting such strategic CSR practices could lose their

competitive edge, causing a negative stock market reaction. If this is the case, will a firm’s adoption of a CSR approach affect its peers to change their CSR practice? The answer is yes. As the results show, when a firm adopts a CSR approach, its peer firms will significantly increase their CSR practice as well. This confirms that peer firms perceive CSR as a valuable business strategy and they will follow their rivals to adopt such practice in order to maintain their competitive edge in the market.

CSR Strategies Matched by Peer Firms

If CSR matters to peer firms, does the kind of strategy matter, too? Will the peer firms adopt similar CSR strategies to those adopted by their rivals or start their own initiatives? For example, if the voting firm passes a proposal to enhance its environment strategy which is perceived to be competitive by its peer firms, will these peers also adopt more environmental friendly CSR strategies? The result is again positive with evidence showing that peer firms indeed match their CSR strategies with their competitors. Further analysis has been done on a few sub-dimensions of the most important aspects of CSR, including environment, employee relationship and workforce diversity. The scores all support the researchers’ hypothesis that CSR is seen as an important strategy and will induce peer firms to follow specifically. When a firm adopts a CSR proposal focusing on specific dimensions such as environment, employment and workforce related issues, its peer firms significantly increase

their CSR practice by upgrading their engagement in the same specific dimensions to stay competitive in the game. The study also reveals that the competitive relationship between the firm and its peers plays an important role in shaping the peer effects of CSR – the higher the competition, the more intense the peer effect. Such competitive relationship will lead to a more pronounced market reaction and bigger improvement of CSR future involvement of the peer firms. Moreover, peer effects are stronger in peer firms with greater information or more transparent information – i.e. firms that are followed by more financial analysts or have a larger firm size.

CSR Peer Effect on Strategic Alliance Partners

If one follows the logic that CSR proposals create competitive advantages, one would then expect alliance partners of a firm that adopts new CSR proposals are more likely to benefit from such a competitive advantage through their connection, thus enhance their own CSR practice as well. According to the study: when a voting firm adopts a CSR initiative, its alliance partners will also significantly increase their CSR practice.

Implications

The study has filled the gap of previous research which shed little light on how the practice of CSR can influence the industry dynamics and their peers’ CSR practice. “From the government’s perspective, it is good to have more companies taking part in CSR because it is ultimately good for the society. The government can certainly help by encouraging more firms to pay serious effort in CSR,” says Prof Cao. “The effort in promoting CSR could be strategically adjusted according to the competitiveness of the industry. The competitive nature of the market would leverage the impact of the policy and help achieve an overall improvement in CSR. Therefore, more efforts are needed for promoting CSR in monopolistic and oligopolistic industries,” he adds. As for companies, they should do more CSR, according to Prof Cao. “Doing more CSR will not only give them a competitive edge, but also benefit their stakeholders,” he says. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Get your best dress on for the Melbourne Cup

Author uncovers bloody tales from Phuketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past

HAPPY AT HOME Barnhem home for children re-opens after year-long renovations > P19

Some of the Barnhem kids about to dig in to a beautifully decorated cake during the re-opening ceremony last Saturday. @thephuketnews

16 EDUCATION

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Changing lives

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Gala event raises B1.6mn to fund full scholarship for a local student The Phuket News editor1@classactmedia.co.th

fortnight ago, 350 people from around Phuket came together to celebrate the inaugural UWCT Benefit Gala, which aimed to raise B1.5 million in the hope of fully sponsoring a local underprivileged Thai student to join Grade 11 at UWCT in August 2017. The fundraiser was not only attended by parents with children at UWCT, but also by parents from other schools on the island, general managers, business owners and sponsors. Thanks to the huge generosity of supporters, the event had over 130 different sponsors, including the Phuket Academy of Performing Arts, who put on a fantastic live set; Dusit Thani as the gala’s main event partner; James Drysdale, who headed the planning, decoration and audio-visual effects for the event. The gala was hosted by Jay Leshark, who offered his MC services together with Russell D Russell, a UWCSEA graduate. In addition to the evening’s entertainment, Husam, a Palestinian student currently in Grade 11 at UWCT, shared his moving educational story with the

guests. At the end, he said, “Give hope. Give a chance. Give a hand, by giving a real high standard educational opportunity to those who need it, and make this world a better place for all to live in. Some people would be able to take this world from a good place, to a better one. But together – you and we – will be able to take it from good to great.” The event was hugely successful, and thanks to the combined efforts of so many people, managed to raise B1.6 million, exceeding its original goal. This money will all be put towards a full IB Diploma scholarship for a local student. The Benefit Gala team – small but dedicated group of UWC Thailand parents and staff who spent months of planning and hard work were thanked for all their efforts and on Wednesday last week a rambutan tree was planted on the UWCT campus in commemoration of the event. UWC Thailand currently has three recent graduates residing in the school’s Boarding House: Barbara from UWC Atlantic College; Saeesh from UWC Mahindra; and Daniel from UWC Mostar. They have taken a year off before continuing on to university to help UWC Thailand establish the unique culture that UWC schools have.

The UWCT Benefit Gala team plants a rambutan tree in commemoration the event. Barbara and Saeesh have been working together with Julian Whiteley, Head of School, to create a series of selection criteria for potential candidates, which are modelled off similar criteria used by UWC National Committees around the world. National Committees are composed of groups of volunteers that select more than 1,000 students each year from within their countries and territories to attend one of the 16 UWC schools and colleges. The scholarships given to students are needs based, in the hopes that as many young people as possible have the opportunity to receive a transformational UWC education, regardless of their socioeconomic background. There are National Committees in over 150 countries around the world,

which are dependent on the dedication and expertise of hundreds of volunteers. For UWC Thailand, the next step is to inform local schools of this unique educational opportunity now available to students on the island, and to begin the selection process. On Thursday (Sept 29), the gala committee team sat down for the briefing from UWCT interns with Julian Whiteley to walk through the process of finding a scholar. Although the money raised from the gala was sufficient for two years’ enrolment in the IB Diploma programme, it was decided that UWCT will offer studies from Grade 10 onwards with full boarding. For more information, email info@pia. ac.th. The Phuket News was a proud media sponsor of this the gala event.

Outdoors and upwards Matt Clemens editor1@classactmedia.co.th

ecko Nursery School prides itself on offering a hands-on approach to education and getting children involved both in the local environment and community. The moment you enter Gecko’s gate, you know it is different. It doesn’t feel like entering a school, more like entering a garden combined with an outdoor playground. The first thing you’ll notice is one of the kids’ favourites – a trampoline for carefree jumping and bouncing. Right next to it is a handmade bamboo sala, tables and chairs – all recently donated to Gecko by the Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach, as part of their “Spirit to Serve” CSR efforts. Further in, you will find kids playing in a mud kitchen, building sand castles in a sand pit or enjoying the tree house situated under a sprawling rose apple tree. “Outdoor play has always been a fundamental part of Gecko’s outlook on education,” says Jasmine Gurung, one of Gecko’s owners and early years teacher, as she begins listing just some of its many benefits – cognitive and emotional development, mastering of emerging physical skills, building autonomy, decision-making and organizational skills and promoting good health. “The children are not only playing to have fun, they’re learning,” adds Ms Gurung. And indeed, they are. When it’s time for a nature class, the students grab

The Gecko kids and teachers during their recent outing to the Mariott in Nai Yang. their magnifying glasses and follow the teacher out to explore the garden, reading sessions take place in the sala under a banana tree and PE classes are conducted by a professional football coach on Gecko’s own soccer pitch. To take it even further, Gecko’s kids regularly venture outside the schools premises. In just one short month since the beginning of Gecko’s fourth school year, the children have already visited the JW Marriott’s Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, marked their presence at Trash Hero Phuket inaugural beach clean-up and organized their own, together with Marriott Nai Yang, as well as a visit to the Kids Mania@RPM Kid’s Fair where the kids helped to raise funds for Phuket’s new Elephant Sanctuary. With further plans for a trip to a local goat farm and much more the upcoming weeks at Gecko Nursery School look no less exciting. For more information visit: geckoschool. org or facebook.com/geckoschoolphuket thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

CULTURE 17

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Why Me Again? Buddhism and depression ALL ABOUT BUDDHISM Jason A. Jellison mitnoy@live.com

wrote this article for anybody out there who suffers from depression. This is the first article I’ve written that I am certain will create a controversy, because when it comes to depression, there are two opposing schools of thought in the Buddhist world about how to manage it. The first opposes the use of antidepressants and/or any other psychotropic drugs whatsoever and the other allows for the use of those medications. In my last article (TPN, Sept 9, p18), I went to great lengths to precisely outline why it is that human beings have to suffer so much. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, I encourage you to read it on the website before continuing on with this article. Having done that, you should now have a general awareness as to how Buddha viewed suffering: suffering is simply inherent to the human condition. What is the very first thing that a baby does when he is born? The answer is he cries. He doesn’t laugh, he doesn’t smile, he simply cries. The baby arrives in this world crying. That should tip you off that life is full of suffering. The baby cries he because he is anxious, unhappy, scared, or already otherwise suffering. All human beings will suffer while we live and all human beings will experience depression before they die. Depression is simply a normal expression of the state of man. However, there are two things that separate normal depression from medically diagnosed depression. The first is how long the depression

lasts. The second is how we deal with it. To that end, one school of Buddhism shuns most psychotropic medications in favour of managing the depression with the power of the Dhamma (Teachings of Buddha). The other school favours antidepressants first and the Dhamma second. If you suffer from chronic depression and want to acquire peace through Buddhism, I suggest you go with the latter of the two options. I urge you to see a physician and follow their advice before proceeding with learning and practicing Buddhism. I say this for a number of reasons. First, it generally takes several years for most people to master Buddhism. Whereas antidepressants can work in as little as two weeks. Second, if an antidepressant is successful, it can calm the storm within you and give you an excellent platform on which to begin your journey into Buddhism. Buddha himself indicated that a person needs to satisfy their basic needs before engaging in Buddhism. In other words, a hungry man cannot meditate. Antidepressants are a new and powerful tool that can help people meet their basic needs. Moreover, you can gradually wean yourself off antidepressants as your knowledge of Buddhism progresses and begins to change your life and your way of thinking. But you might ask just how is it that Buddhism can help improve a chronic case of depression? My answer to that is drawn from a Dhamma talk given by an Enlightened Monk named Luang Pu Waen Succino. I had suffered horribly from depression for many years before I learned these helpful words of insight – I’ll paraphrase what he said. Have you ever noticed that, when we’re depressed, we are often dwelling

Thai puppeteers star in Poland

he road to success wasn’t paved with roses, but Nardthaya Burapha Club has made Thailand proud by winning two awards at the World Puppet Carnival 2016 in Poland. The troupe’s show, The First Human in the World, won the Grand Prix award for Best Carnival Show, beating troupes from 33 other nations. The club also won the Young Puppeteers award at the competition, held in Lodz from Sept 24-30. “We are proud of the awards. They are sources of national pride,” said troupe director Den Halert. “A budget of nearly B2mn was required, mainly for travel costs for 25 team members and other expenses,” he added. He had around B200,000 when he learned that the team had passed its audition for the carnival, he said. Young team members sold drinks at local markets after school and on weekends to raise money. The Ministry of Culture allocated a budget of B400,000 to the team

@thephuketnews

Nardthaya Burapha Club won the Best Carnival Performance awards at the World Puppet Carnival 2016 in Poland. Photo: Thanarak Khunton after it learned of its financial problems, Mr Den said. He thanked donors who love art and culture by making financial contributions to support his team, saying his team had raised public funds via Facebook for travel expenses. The World Puppet Carnival is celebration of puppetry from around the globe where the world’s best puppet artists work towards the goal of creating a renaissance of puppet art in the 21st century and share their art, culture and customs. Bangkok Post

Often the simple things in life, such as ice cream, can help you pause and reflect on your situation. on the past? Thinking of things we used to have, people we used to love or injustices that have befallen us? In turn, have you ever noticed that, when we’re anxious, we’re almost always thinking about the future. Events that we cannot control, bad things that could happen to us, or a fate which may or may not ever be? There’s actually a simple formula here, if you allow yourself to see it. Thinking too much about the past causes suffering. Thinking too much about the future causes anxiety. Depression and anxiety routinely lead to anger but depression, anxiety and anger are actually just the same emotion: Agitation. Agitation always leads to stress and suffering. You can prevent suffering by allowing your heart to dwell within the living moment, the eternal now. For example, I was worried about the US economy the day that I wrote this article. I was worried about my

financial security. However, remembering Phra Succino’s talks on this matter, I realised that I was thinking too much of the future and causing myself to suffer. I needed a way to allow my heart to dwell in the living moment and I found one: ice cream sundaes. Yes, it was over my daily budget but it soothed my troubled spirit. That relaxed me a bit, and I meditated, and that was all I needed. I was calm the rest of the day. So, to conclude, if you’re fighting depression and are interested in Buddhism, be mindful of this formula: First, follow the Five Precepts of Buddha. Then, meditate often. When you start to get depressed, stop thinking of a bygone past which you can’t change anyway. Nor should you think of the bad things that could happen in the future. Instead, allow your heart to dwell in the living moment.

18 DINING

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Many hands make tasty work The dinner will be prepared by six extraordinary chefs all chipping in to help raise money for a very worthy cause.

aresa Resort Phuket is hosting an evening of culinary and musical excellence with its “12 Hands” charity dinner on Nov 5. The dinner will be prepared by six extraordinary chefs all chipping in to help raise money for a very worthy cause. This exclusive gastronomic evening will feature six top chefs from world class establishments who will be preparing a six-course dinner and drinks pairing while Thailand’s first and only pop-opera band FIVERA performs their classic pieces. All funds raised from the dinner will be donated to the rebuilding project of Phuket Barnhem Muang Mai home for children in need (see story p19). Participating chefs for this year’s event will be: Chef Paulo De Souza, Executive Chef of Jumeira hotels Dubai, previously from El Bulli; Chef Alessandro Frau, Owner of Acqua Restaurant, Phuket; Chef Tammasak, Owner of Suay Restaurant, Phuket; Chef Jamie Wakeford, Owner of Bampot Restaurant, Phuket; Chef Peter Webber, Owner of Les Diables Restaurant, Phuket; Chef Jordi Valles and the Paresa Chefs Brigade. Tickets to the dinner are B5,500, the dress code is elegant and the cocktail reception starts at 6:30pm on Saturday, Nov 5. Seats are limited, so book early. For bookings email pagm@paresaresorts.com The Phuket News is a proud sponsor of this event.

Fantastic views will be accompanied by delicious food at Paresa.

Oktoberfest at Two Chefs

The Two Chefs house band will be taking requests all through Oktoberfest celebrations.

re you missing your favourite Oktoberfest cuisine, festivities and traditional fun? If the answer is yes, then you’re in luck, because Two Chefs is bringing the Oktoberfest festivities right here to Phuket. Get your family and friends together and make a reservation to join Two Chefs Kata Center. This month during October 14 to 16 Two chefs will be hosting three fun-filled days of mouth-watering German cuisine, live music, contests, games, food, fun and more. The professional team of chefs are super excited for Oktoberfest and ready to serve up all of your traditional favourites. They’re preparing a special German menu with a variety of delicious options. Here are just some of the fabulous German dishes that Two Chefs Kata Center will be cooking up for Oktoberfest: German style pork

knuckle with Bavarian Cabbage, grilled Nurnberger sausages, giant Munich soft pretzels, Bavarian veal sausage and Bavarian potato salad. You can also join in and participate in a variety of contests and games at Oktoberfest for a chance to win great prizes each day. The Two Chefs House Band will be playing every night during Oktoberfest with all of your favourite hits from the past to now. Do you love to sing, dance or play? You can even join in with the band and perform your favourite songs. They love jamming with guests at Two Chefs and are always able to take requests. Book your table now at: bit.ly/ReserveTwoChefs or by email at katacenter@twochefs.com or by Phone on 076 330 065. Plenty of parking is available next to the restaurant.

Elephant Parade Charity Gala Dinner

he Westin Siray Bay Resort and Spa will be holding its Gala ‘Elephant Parade’ charity dinner on Oct 22. The event aims to raise raises awareness and funds for various elephant welfare and conservation projects. The dinner featuring fresh seafood, live barbecue stations, and local Thai favourites to entice your taste buds and accompanied by live entertainment, with lots of wonderful prizes from Starwood Hotels and Resorts. There will also be a charity auction and a lucky draw where you can win great prizes.

The dinner will cost B1,950 per person, or if you want to organise a table of ten the price is B17,500. This includes beer, wine, soft drinks and fruit juices. The will be held in the Siray Bay Ballroom from 7pm to 9:30pm on Saturday, Oct 22. Advance reservation are recommended and accommodation packages are also available. For bookings call: 076 335 600 or email f#b.phuket@ westin.com. The Phuket News is a proud sponsor of this event.

The dinner will raise funds for elephant welfare and conservation projects.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

COMMUNITY 19

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Barnhem home re-opens The Phuket News editor1@classactmedia.co.th

he team of dedicated staff and supporters of the Barnhem Muang Mai home for children celebrated a key milestone last Saturday, October 1 – the completion of nearly a year of renovations. The upgraded buildings, including dormitories and sports facilities will provide safe and good-quality accommodation for the three dozen children who call the centre home. Scores of people came to celebrate the re-opening and the children from Barnhem performed songs for the crowd. A team of cyclists also set off to begin an epic, year-long around-theworld ride to raise money for Barnhem. Susanne and Hans Janson, who have been closely involved in Barnhem since its inception, said they were elated to be re-opening the home and grateful for generous and steadfast support from the community that enabled them to make the renovations. “It is a very happy day for us, we can’t thank everyone enough for their generous donations of materials, time and money,” said Susanne. The name “Barnhem” literally means “home for children” in Swedish, as it was the Barnhem Thai-Swedish Foundation that stepped in to build the centre to care for children orphaned by the devastating tsunami that struck Phuket’s shores in December 2004. Quick work back then saw Barnhem open just months after the tsunami, but

the quick work also meant speedy workmanship, as dire necessity drove the speedy pace of construction. “There was a lot of stagnant water. That allowed a lot of mosquito larvae to grow; the waste water wouldn’t go, which attracted vermin, then snakes. A friend in construction looked at it and said it was a danger, especially to the children,” Barrie Buck, whose company Siam Guardian Services is closely involved with Barnhem, explained to The Phuket News. Barrie further explained that the renovations upgraded all the electrical work to proper standards, a new dormitory building was constructed along with a covered and paved sports and activity area and new grass turf was laid around all the buildings to make it a pleasant and safe place for the children to play. “I want to make a special mention to the three people that run this place, Susy and Hans and Khun Wow, who is the manager, without them this place is nothing, they really are the driving force behind the whole project,” added Barrie. Barrie with his friend John Grendon joined their efforts and drew up plans to rebuild the compound with the children’s safety firmly in mind. As a result of those efforts workers broke ground last November, but initial donations of cement, bricks, labour hours and other construction materials fell short. Thankfully, the Alba Care Foundation reached out and made a huge donation, and this, together with major donations from Paresa, Happy Child Foundation, The Sam and Ruby Char-

Adopt a friendly feline

espite its name, Soi Dog doesn’t focus solely on dogs, they also take in many cats that have been suffering terrible lives on the street. Soi Dog has been inundated with abandoned kittens and cats in need of medical care and shelter over the last few months, and therefore has a wide range of feline pets available for adoption, from cute kittens to mature animals. All of them have been brought back to good health under expert medical care and have been vaccinated and spayed or neutered. Oasis is just one of the many cats rescued by Soi Dog, she was born behind a shop in Phuket and some local people noticed that her mother had sadly passed away when she was just a few days old. Thankfully, they told Soi Dog all about her and her life was saved. The staff at Soi Dog took care of her, fed her and cleaned her, just like her mother would have, and now she is ready to find a permanent home. Oasis is a small black female of about five-months-old and has delicate features. Teresa Colman, Adoptions Manager, said, “Re-homing dogs and cats is a major part of our work, and the success of our adoptions program has a huge impact on the amount of space we have available to provide

@thephuketnews

Oasis is just one of many cute kittens and cats available for adoption at Soi Dog. treatment and care to more animals in need. “We work really hard to find each adopter the right pet and we will help you find the right pet for you.” Potential adopters will need to complete a short interview with the adoptions team. Teresa said, “We have an interview with adopters to get to know them better and to make sure we’re matching the right pet for the right reasons with the people in the right home.” Interested potential adopters can call Charoenkhwan Pongpradith – Thai Adoptions Coordinator on 098 868 0058 or email: thaiadoptions@soidogfoundation.org during the week to schedule an appointment. For more information please visit: soidog.org or facebook.com/SoiDogPageInEnglish.

Staff, children and supporters of the Barnhem Muang Mai home for children celebrated the re-opening last Saturday. ity, Odd Fellow and Lars and Helena Tenerz, enough funding was raised to build the new dormitories and continue the improvements on the compound to a total cost of over B14 million. The 31 children, between the ages of 5 and 17, under the care of Susanne, Hans and Khun Wow at Barnhem now also have a sports centre, which they made good use of on Saturday, running around playing football. “If we believe we can help the child, and that the child will be better off, then we take them,” explained Hans, who noted that he and Susan conduct home visits and do as much research as they can to find relatives who could possibly take the child in, making sure

that Barnhem is only a last resort for children. Paresa Resort Phuket is hosting a charity dinner on Nov 5 to raise funds for the ongoing work at Barnhem (see story on p18). For more information or to make a donation visit: barnhem.org The full list of worthy donors for the renovations: Alba Care Foundation, Paresa Resort Phuket, Happy Child Foundation, The Sam and Ruby Charity, Lars and Helena Tenerz, Odd Fellow, Tommy Gustafsson, Peter Wallenberg, Accor Hotels, Eka Soundz, Lert Construction & Design Co, Ltd, Twinpalms Phuket – Ms Prasop Sattaman, Amata Associates – Khun Joe, Siam Guardian Services and Tropical Landscaping International.

20 ENTERTAINMENT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Raring to go! Without a doubt, this year the ladies and gentlemen attending will be sure to impress with their race attire.

his year’s celebration of Australia’s “race that stops a nation”, otherwise known as the Melbourne Cup, is being held at the Hyatt Regency in Kamala on Tuesday, November 1. It promises to be a glamorous, fun-filled day which will kick off at 9am, before a live screening of the 3,200-metre thoroughbred horse race, the winner of which will take home the Melbourne Cup, at 11am. Live 89.5 will also be broadcasting live from the Hyatt from 7am. Guests will be treated to a sit down menu

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

2014 Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist. Photo by Chris Phutully

designed to be shared, which will begin with an assortment of delicious breakfast items, and will gradually move on to several more Australian-inspired courses. One of the highlights at last year’s event was the fashion on the fields, and without a doubt, this year the ladies and gentlemen attending will be sure to impress again with their race attire. Prizes will be awarded this year for Best Hat, Best Dressed Lady and Gentleman, and Best Dressed Table. The party will continue into the afternoon thanks to the Hyatt’s resident DJ and delicious Aussie sausage rolls and pies being served thanks to Lady Pie. The proceeds from the event will be going to The Good Shepherd in Phuket. The charity organisation has many projects around the island that endeavour to help those in need through support, counselling and education in local camps and poor villages. One of the biggest Good Shepherd projects in September this year has been the opening of the new Ban Ya literacy centre. At present there are 120 children at the centre, ranging from 4 to 12 years old. Arrangements are currently being made to bus another 30 children who will travel from Patong. The centre accommodates children who have never had the chance of an education – mainly children of very poor families from Myanmar. The aim of the centre is to provide a Myanmar curriculum with an emphasis on Thai and English, to give the students an opportunity to either return to the Myanmar school system in their home country or to enrol in local Thai schools upon graduating. The centre is in much need of money to support the students and teachers and all proceeds will be used to complete the landscaping, walls and lunch shelter and the outdoor furniture for the children. Additional funds will be used for teachers salaries, transport, utilities, clothing, food, milk and educational materials. The Good Shepherd have a secondhand clothes shop in Wana Park, in Srisoonthorn, Thalang, which is open on

GM of Hyatt Regency Keith Massey with his wife Danielle Massey at last year’s Melbourne Cup event. Mondays, Wednesday’s and Saturday’s from 10am till 1pm. They are currently looking for volunteers to help and for donations of clothing or household items to sell in the shop. School materials that can be used at the new literacy centre would also be greatly appreciated. If you would like to volunteer at the shop or would like to make a donation, The Good Shepherd would love to hear from you. Please contact Karen Ellison: contact@thegoodshepherd.info Show off your best hat, put your best fashion foot forward and gather your friends! Tickets must be purchased in advance and this event is sure to sell out quickly. For more information about the event can be found at thegoodshepherd. com and Facebook: Melbourne Cup 2016. Live 89.5 are proud media sponsors of this event.

Children from the Ban Ya Literacy Centre. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

ART 21

Street battles and daring escapes Mackay uncovers more thrilling stories in his updated history of Phuket

Mark Knowles editor1@classactmedia.co.th

he most comprehensive English-language book written about Phuket’s history, A History of Phuket and the Surrounding Region, which details the island’s rich and fascinating past from preThe Tong Ho was leased to Phuket’s farangs so they could escape to Singapore in 1942. modern times up until the th mid-20 century, is now being released in its second edition. market in Phuket Town. bour Mining Company in Phuket, then Author and long-time Phuket resiAfter drinking with the the largest on the island, to arm, codent Colin Mackay has updated his Gee Hin leaders, the ordinate and lead the evacuation of Albook with new information, some from Kien Teck leaders slipped lied personnel from Phuket. first-hand sources which were provided out and their fighters “We knew that these 250 or so by readers of the first edition. quickly locked the doors, armed farangs and their families Mr Mackay been invited to launch set fire to the building gathered at and defended the Phuket the second edition with a lecture at the airfield waiting – as prearranged – for and threw in explosives. Siam Society – the King’s Library – in “Anyone who escaped planes from Malaya to airlift them out. Bangkok on November 10. was hacked to death. “But in the two days immediately “The first edition was very wellWhen the Gee Hin fighters came to try after the Japanese invasion of the received both locally and internationto rescue their brothers, huge vicious Peninsula their air attacks destroyed ally and is now available in many of the most British airfields and their planes street battles raged all night through world’s most significant libraries,” said Phuket Town,” Mr Mackay noted. in Northern Malaya, so the farangs in Mr Mackay. “In the morning hundreds of mutiPhuket were told by radio that they “I’m proud to have at last let lated corpses littered the bloodstained could no longer be airlifted out as Phuket’s long, colourful, yet previously streets. Today a shrine to the 417 Gee planned and had to escape by themlittle-known hisHin fighters who fell that night still selves.” tory out of its box. stands in Kathu,” he added. This is where “I got great The meticulously researched and coconflicting verfeedback from lourfully written book deserves a place sions of their escape the first edition on every Phuket resident’s bookshelf arose. Luckily a reland as I’d hoped ative of Major Parfor, several readsons in Melbourne, ers responded by who read the first providing me with edition of the book, further new interkindly contacted Mr esting informaMackay and sent tion which I have him a copy of Major now incorporated Parson’s actual warinto this second time diary. edition.” “The facts of The new 472this daring escape page soft-cover of Phuket’s farangs second edition from behind Japacontains several nese lines is a fasupdated and new cinating new story sections. Mr that I have added to Mackay spoke to the second edition,” Phuket heroine Thao Thepkasatri adorns the cover. he said. The Phuket News about some of the Mr Mackay has fascinating new information he has inalso expanded the section covering cluded in the new edition. Phuket’s warring Chinese triads, who “For example, when I was researchruthlessly fought for dominance of the ing the Japanese invasion of Thailand islands economy in the 1870s. in 1942, despite much investigation, I “When writing the first edition I was previously unable to confirm exwas unaware of a great massacre that actly how the farangs (foreigners) on occurred in Phuket in 1879. Then one Chinese scholar in Malaysia who read Phuket at the time had managed to my book contacted me and introduced escape from the island. me to some new research she has been “It was well documented that the doing on this period. Allied military command in Singapore “At that time the island was a lawordered a Major Warren Parsons, the less place and two main Chinese triads Australian manager of Tonkah Hareffectively ran the island – the Gee Hin from Kathu and the Kien Teck from Phuket Town. “Both triads had well over 1,000 armed fighters who fought for control of Phuket’s lucrative tin mines, tin smelting, bird’s nest harvest, tax and opium farms. “In 1879 the Kien Teck leaders invited the main Gee Hin leaders for a so called ‘peace conference’ in a big Farang members of The Miners Club in Phuket Town c1939. a wooden house near the @thephuketnews

Author Colin Mackay. for its fascinating stories of the island’s long, multi-faceted, and often bloodsoaked and ruthless, past. The second edition costs B1,000 and is available in several outlets in Phuket, including Seng Ho Books. Or simply visit the website: historyofphuket.com for a full list of outlets or to buy a copy of the book, which will be mailed to your address. An ebook, in epub format, is also available for B700 through the website.

22 ISLAND SCENE

Class Act Media GM Jason Beavan with Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office Chief Anoma Vongyai.

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Chef Nooror (centre) with family and staff during the launch of the ‘Pink Ribbon Menu’ at The Blue Elephant Phuket.

BLUE ELEPHANT LAUNCHES PINK RIBBON MENU TO RAISE CANCER AWARENESS. The Blue Elephant Restaurant’s famous Chef Nooror and her family showcased the 2015 ‘Pink Ribbon Menu’ in support of the Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer. Proceeds from the special menu, which is available for lunch and dinner at the Blue Elephant Cooking School and Restaurant throughout the month of October, will benefit Thai women at the Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer.

Peter, Andrew and Paul mark the opening of Multihull Solution’s office at Phuket Yacht Haven

MULTIHULL SOLUTIONS CELEBRATES ITS MULTI-OFFICE PRESENCE IN PHUKET Multihull Solutions celebrated the opening of is third sales office in Phuket last Friday, Sept 30. The new office is located at Phuket Yacht Haven.

Laguna Phuket Kindergarten Team with their craft and clay art pieces. The Team members were: Suchada Keawluan, Yanisa Boonchareon, Sutirat Sroyson, Apichaya Phopakdee, Rockfa Jampada and Soraya Samart.

STUDENTS FROM LAGUNA PHUKET KINDERGARTEN DEMONSTRATE THEIR ARTISTIC DEXTERITY Laguna Phuket Kindergarten students were awarded two gold medals from the 2016 Artistic Dexterity Competition. There were 51 entrants at this year’s competition. The annual event was held by the Primary Education Area Office at Phuket Kindergarten School on Sept 24.

From left: Jasmine Gurung and Khun Rath staff the Gecko booth at RPM’s Kids Mania.

GECKO JOINS THE FUN WITH KIDS MANIA AT ROYAL PHUKET MARINA Gecko Nursery joined in the fun of the Saturday Market at RPM’s Kids Mania last Saturday, Oct 01. Royal Phuket Marina’s Kids Mania at RPM is a multi-purpose children’s play zone. With an air-conditioned indoor soft play area full of toys and ball pools, a large adjacent outdoor shaded play ground with climbing frames, play apparatus, swings and more – there are also three private indoor activity rooms.

From left: President of Housekeeping Management Club Phuket and Andaman Wutti Choobal presents the award to Amari Phuket’s Florists Sawaeng Yiti and Chansupa Suanya.

AMARI’S FLORISTS IN FINE FORM FOR FIRST PLACE IN FLOWER COMPETITION Two florist representatives of Amari Phuket recently won the top award for a “Ceremonial Flowers Creation” at the Andaman Hotelier Event 2016 and received the award at Limelight Avenue Shopping Centre in Phuket Town on Sept 19. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

ISLAND SCENE 23

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Mr Craig Ferguson (centre), Australia’s first Consul-General in Phuket, with staff and Australian students at International School of Phuket.

From left: Phuket Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan meets Class Act Media GM Jason Beavan and Class Act Media PR Manager Natchaya Sittiprasert.

AUSTRALIAN CONSUL-GENERAL VISITS ISP INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

CLASS ACT MEDIA WARMLY WELCOMES OUR NEW GOVERNOR TO THE ISLAND

Australian Consul-General Mr Craig Ferguson visited International School of Phuket (ISP) on September 27. Mr Ferguson met with ISP Director Mr Laurent Minguely and ISP’s Australian students to discuss his commitment to improving consular and passport services to the Australian citizens currently residing in Phuket. Mr Ferguson also shared stories with the students about his previous experiences of living in Shanghai, Brasilia and New Delhi as well as a fun discussion about Australia’s animals.

From right: Barnhem co-founder Susanne Janson, John Grendon, Lert Construction and Design Co Ltd MD Montri Kraisrisombut, and a Lert Construction staffer.

New Phuket Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan met with Class Act Media GM Jason Beavan and PR Manager Natchaya Sittiprasert at his office at Provincial Hall in Phuket Town on Tuesday, Oct 4. Governor Chockchai was presented with a gift basket and warmly welcomed to the island to take up his new post.

A team on cyclists left Barnhem last Saturday, Oct 1 to ride to Malaysia. Four of the cyclists will be continuing on a round-the-world cycling trip to raise money for the home.

BARNHEM HOME FOR CHILDREN RE-OPENS AFTER RENOVATIONS Staff, children and supporters of the Barnhem Home for Children celebrated the home’s re-opening last Saturday, Oct 1. The renovations included a new dormitory, a new sports play area, and updated electrical work for all the school’s buildings. See the full story on p19.

Movenpick staff get down and dirty during a day of mangrove tree planting.

A KILO OF KINDNESS GOES A LONG WAY

Movenpick Karon GM Nick Porter presents a donation to a representative of SOS Children’s Village Thailand.

Movenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket organised a donation of over 200kg of toys, sports equipment and food for SOS Children’s Village Thailand as part of their CSR campaign called ‘A Kilo of Kindness’. Staff also took part in the planting of mangrove trees to help maintain Phuket’s coastal environment. @thephuketnews

24 EVENTS

FRI

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

7 OCT

WEEKLY BBQ EVERY FRIDAY

Come join us for our WEEKLY BBQ EVERY FRIDAY at Two Chefs Kata Center, Karon, Kata Beach and Patong from 12pm-Late! Indulge in All You Can Eat BBQ Pork Ribs, Chicken and Sides for ONLY 395 BAHT! Our BBQ is famous at Two Chefs! Come try us out and enjoy our mouthwatering pork ribs, flavour-bursting chicken and more! Join us for Live Music from 8-Late Performed by Our Famous Two Chefs Band! Come for the FOOD - Stay for the FUN at Two Chefs!!! RESERVE Your Table Now Online at bit.ly/TwoChefsReservations Check out more details on our website at bit.ly/TwoChefsEvents.

8PM – LATE. Latin American live music, privileges for all ladies on the most famous Brazilian drink. Reservations recommended: info@cariocaslounge.com.

Indian Curry Night on Fridays

Come to Navrang Mahal in Karon Sea Sands Resort & Spa for an authentic Indian Feast First Week Friday and the Third Week Friday, in Karon Beach. Try out our delicious Aloo Tikki, Samosas, Chicken Tandoori, Aloo Gobi, Navrang Korma, Butter Chicken, Lamb Vindaloo, Naan, Rice, Salads, Chutneys / Achars, Pistachio Ice Cream, Gulah Jamun, Fruits. And extra dishes on the menu: ONIONBHAJI, BOMBAY ALOO, DAL MAKHINI, VANILLA ICE-CREAM. For only 499/- nett and special reduced prices on drinks. 076-286464 Ext 4.

SAT

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.

Cricket league every Sunday @ Alan Cooke Ground, Thalang

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

Phuket Cricket Group (PCG) hosts the T20 Cricket League every Sunday at the Alan Cooke Ground in Thalang. Two games per day, starting at 11am and 2pm. Everyone welcome to come and enjoy cricket at a fantastic venue. Food and beverages available all day at the Boundary Bar. Anyone interested in cricket in Phuket please email phuketcricketgroup@gmail.com. Visit www.phuketcricket. com and www.acgphuket.com for further info and directions. This event is sponsored by Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort, The Phuket News and Live 89.5.

Bellini After Hours

12th Mai Khao Turtle Fun Run and Mini Marathon 2016

Chalong nightlife will never be the same with the launch of Bellini After Hours, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday only, dance the night away with the Bellini Band and DJ from 10pm till 2am. Pizza available all night. Join us each and every Friday night, and remember to like us on Facebook to get a free drink. More info on Facebook - Bellini After Hours.

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.

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.

12 OCT

The 12th Turtle Fun Run: Run Across the Sea Mini Marathon and Fun Run will take place on 9 October 2016, at 6:15 am at Phuket Gateway. Proceeds benefit the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation. There will be a 10.2 km mini marathon (350 THB), a 5.3 km Fun Run (300 THB), and a 2.5 km Family Run (1,000 THB/family). Registration at the JW Marriott Mai Khao concierge from 3-8th October from 10:00-17:00, or the day of at Phuket Gateway 4:30-5:30 am. Contact Kittipan: 0897738830. Sponsored by The Phuket News and Live 89.5.

Sunday Brunch

Every Sunday from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM En-

All you can eat BBQ Ribs night

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

Sunday Tapas

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

Sunday Roast EVERY SUNDAY

Come enjoy a Traditional Sunday Roast EVERY SUNDAY at Two Chefs Kata Center, Karon, Kata Beach and Patong. Indulge in our Traditional Sunday Roast ALL DAY & ALL NIGHT for ONLY 395 Baht! Enjoy a Large ALL YOU CAN EAT selection of your favourites! Featuring: Roast Aussie Beef, Pork Loin and Chicken. Roasted or Mashed Potatoes. Roasted Mixed Vegetables Flavored with Thyme and Garlic. Yorkshire Pudding and Red Wine Gravy. Enjoy Live Music from 8-Late Performed by Our Famous Two Chefs Band! Come for the FOOD - Stay for the FUN! RESERVE Your Table Now Online at bit. ly/TwoChefsReservations Check out more details on our website at bit.ly/TwoChefsEvents.

MON

10 OCT

FIESTA FRIDAY LIVE MUSIC

You feel this fire burning inside you? You like good atmosphere, excellent food and seductive drinks? Join us for our FIESTA FRIDAY in Phuket Town at CARIOCAS Bistro & Lounge

Public Speaking made easier

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

WED

9 OCT

Pool Competition at Expat Sports Bar

Mussels night @ Shakers

TUE

11 OCT

All you can eat Sunday Roast Buffet

SUN

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

Sausages, Prawns & Squids, salad buffet, Choice of potatoes & Sauces, Bread, Buns & garlic bread Reservation recommended 395 baht P.P. shakersphuket@gmail.com, 081 891 4381.

Traditional Sunday Roast Angus O’Tool’s Karon Beach

8 OCT

All Day Breakfast at Cafe Siam

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

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

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

All you can eat BBQ night

6PM – 11PM: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Burgers,

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

THU

13 OCT

PIWC Meet & Greet Coffee October

WHERE: Starbucks @Central Festival WHEN: 2nd Thursday of each month from 10:30AM to Noon WHAT: 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. Contact info@piwc-phuket.com attention Maggy Wigman if you have questions.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

EVENTS 25

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

FRI

14 OCT

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

TUE

1 NOV

Oktoberfest

Do you enjoy Oktoberfest festivities? How about delicious, savory and mouthwatering German Cuisine? Oktoberfest is coming to Two Chefs Kata Center on October 14th-16th! Enjoy a special German Menu filled with all of your favorites. Join in on the fun and participate in Contests and Games for a chance to win Great Prizes! Relax, enjoy and make memories with us as our Famous Two Chefs Band plays Live Music from 8pm-Late! Bring your requests and get ready for an enjoyable evening! Don’t Miss Out! BOOK Your Table NOW at bit.ly/ReserveTwoChefs Enjoy easy parking next to our restaurant. More info at bit.ly/TwoChefsEvents, marketing.twochefs@gmail.com

SUN

16 OCT

Melbourne Cup 2016

CARIOCAS - OFFICAL GRAND OPENING

Grand opening party on the 21st of October. Live entertainment, special drinks, special prices and many, many more. Reservations recommended info@cariocaslounge.com CARIOCAS Bistro & Lounge, Phuket Town, near BKK Hospital, 076 218 403-4.

SAT

The race that stops a nation! Starts at 9am ends at 2pm. Ticket costs THB 3,000/person (food and beverage are inclusive). For more information and reservations details, please contact donna_scot@toon.co.nz. Proudly sponsored by Live89.5. Dress code: At the Races. Venue is air conditioned. Contact: Donna Toon at Hyatt Regency Phuket: donna_scot@toon.co.nz

SAT

5 NOV

22 OCT 12 HANDS DINNER

RUN TO GIVE 2016

Venue: Bangwad Dam, Kathu, Phuket. Time: 5.00-9.00am. Categories: 3km - THB 250 / 10 km - THB 350. Beneficiaries: Maha Jakri Sirinthorn’s Children’s Project and Pun Fun Pun Yim. Project Registration and distribution points: 13-15 Oct. at Central Festival Phuket from 11am - 8.30pm and 15 Oct. at Bangwad Dam from 9am - 8pm. Contact number 076370100, 076-371410, 076-335770-4. Proudly sponsored by Live89.5

THU

20 OCT

Elephant Parade Charity Gala Dinner

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT, AUCTION, LUCKY DRAW AND GALA DINNER 1,950 NET* PER PERSON 17,500 NET* FOR A TABLE OF TEN *Prices are in Thai Baht includes selected drinks and fruit juices. AT SIRAY BAY BALLROOM, THE WESTIN SIRAY BAY RESORT & SPA, PHUKET Dinner from 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM Advance reservation is recommended, for information and reservation please contact +66.76.335.600 or email fb.phuket@westin. com Proudly sponsored by The Phuket News.

SAT

The Entrepreneur Now Awards 2016

The next PIWC luncheon will be held at Divino Tapas. The restaurant is located in Boat Avenue. Your RSVP is requested no later than Tuesday 18 October. Contact info@piwc-phuket.com attention Maggy Wigman if you have questions. The monthly lunch price is 600 baht for members and guests are charged 750 baht per person. Registration begins at 11:30am with the lunch service starting at noon.

FRI

The 3rd Bhut Jolokia ‘Ghost Chili’ Challenge

Navrang Mahal Indian Restaurant, Karon invites

@thephuketnews

WED

23 NOV

29 OCT

PIWC Luncheon October

21 OCT

Join us for this exclusive gastronomic evening featuring 6 top International and Local chefs from world-class establishments for a 6 Course Dinner & Drinks Pairing while Thailand’s first and only pop-opera band FIVERA performs their classical pieces. 100% of all funds raised will be donated to the Barnhem Muang Mai Phuket home for children in need. www.barnhem.org. Don’t miss this iconic event, seats are limited so book early at pagm@paresaresort. com tel 076 302 000. Proudly sponsored by The Phuket News.

The Entrepreneur Now Awards 2016, back in its second year, is receiving nominations from entrepreneurs of all nationalities who have a registered business in Thailand (no subsidiary or branch office) from now until October 31st 2016. Over 10 million baht in prizes will awarded to winners during the Awards Night, which will be held on November 23rd 2016 in Bangkok. For details, visit http://entrepreneurnow.asia/, email awesome@bnow.org or call 02-105 4217.

Underworld Haunted Harbor & Trick or Treat

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

from 4pm onwards. Location: Tamarind Bar & Grill in Chalong. The weigh station will be at the Tamarind Bar & Grill in Chalong on all 3 fishing days, 24th, 25th & 26th November. The final evening and prize giving party will also be held in the Tamarind Bar & Grill, Chalong. For more info visit www.phuket-international-sportfishingtournament.com The event is proudly supported by Live 89.5 and The Phuket News.

THU

24 NOV

Ocean Marina

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

EVERY DAY

7 Nights 7 Themed Dinners at Rim Talay

Phuket International Sportfishing Tournament (PIST) 2016

Registration is on the 23rd November 2016

Make each night unique! Enjoy our themed dinners with the cool sea breeze. Curry Night @790 THB++, Thai International @750 THB++, Seafood BBQ @940 THB++, Thai Gala Dinner @690 THB++, Butcher Shop @market price, Ribs and Wings @620 THB++, Surf and Turf @950 THB++ Only in October, show the promo code: PMRTPN2016/1 to receive a 10% discount! For reservations, email rimtalay@amari. com or call 076 340106-14.

26 TIME OUT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Crossword by Myles Mellor & Sally York Across 1) In which year did the world’s population reach 1 billion? 2) Which famed writer created the character ‘Tarzan’? 3) Which city became the second metropolis in Africa to open an underground metro rail system in 2011? 4) What is the first name of the composer Vivaldi? 5) Who was the first European post-war golfer to win three different majors? Answers below, centre

SUDOKU

25. Pans 27. Stimulate 1. Wound 28. Goof 5. Trot or canter 29. Relief 9. Billiards shot 30. Picnic dish 14. Capable of 31. Short end burning 32. Greek portico 16. Gray 33. Natural hideout 17. Tolkien collection, Down 34. Brother of Cain with “The” 35. Averageness 19. Accord 1. Hecklers 20. Baloney 2. Relating to great 36. 18-wheeler 37. Thanksgiving 21. “Darn it all!” pain serving 22. Long stretch 3. Uppish 41. Drudge 23. Big mouth 4. Snaps 42. Hindu religious 26. Cunning 5. Knack book 27. Actor Snipes 6. Experienced 30. Missile housing 7. U.N. working43. Nabokov title 31. Woody plant conditions agcy. 44. Not alert 32. Smooth 8. Guinea pig 45. Gliding dance 33. Chaucer classic, 9. Morning service step with “The” 10. P.D.Q. 47. Beau 38. Give or take 11. Bungler 48. Hyperion, for 39. Cat’s cry 12. Bishop’s one 40. Hop, skip or jump jurisdiction 50. Remove from a 41. Bad mark 13. U.S.N.A. grad manuscript 43. Fond du ___, 15. Elephant’s 51. Night light Wisconsin weight, maybe 52. Highest point 46. Slippery ___ 18. City on the 53. Game with 47. Withdraw Hudson matchsticks gradually 22. Water-soluble 54. Jerk 48. Rot protein 55. Literary olio 49. Deck out 24. Nautical 56. Court 51. Folder type heading 54. Dickens novel, with “A” 57. “I give up!” 58. Space sharers 59. More cheerful 60. First-class 61. Neck part

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s Pop Quiz: 1) 1804; 2) Edgar Rice Burroughs; 3) Algiers (Previously Cairo was the only city in Africa to have one); 4) Antonio; 5) Rory McIlroy

GOT YOUR NUMBER

ISLAND VIEW

3.7

■■ Oct 7, 1996 The Fox News Channel begins broadcasting.

mistakes for every 100 words is the best writers can do, making the fewest mistakes, from 1pm to 5pm.

■■ Oct 8, 1978 Australia’s Ken Warby sets the current world water speed record of 317.60 mph at Blowering Dam, Australia.

■■ Oct 9, 1983 Rangoon bombing: Attempted assassination of South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan during an official visit to Rangoon, Burma.

days was how long Raejali Buntut spent in various lounges at Changi Airport by forging boarding passes – it was a free vacation, until he was arrested.

■■ Oct 10, 1897 German chemist Felix Hoffmann discovers an improved way of synthesizing acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).

per cent of Americans making more than $150,000 a year have less than $1,000 in savings.

■■ Oct 11, 1634 The Burchardi flood: “The second Grote Mandrenke” killed around 15,000 men in North Friesland, Denmark and Germany.

■■ Oct 12, 1979 The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the first of five books in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy comedy science fiction series by Douglas Adams is published.

women have run for President of the United States.

2 billion

dollars was wasted in the past year in the US alone by people putting premium gasoline into cars that don’t need it. Source: Uberfacts

This week in history

Bangla in the rain. Photo by Blair Horgan Got an unusual or particularly beautiful picture of Phuket? Email it to execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

■■ Oct 13, 1923 Ankara replaces Istanbul as the capital of Turkey. Source: Wikipedia thephuketnews

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Buy&Sell JOBS Full Time Maid

Full time maid required for villa in Kata. Only 2 adult inhabitants. Salary negotiable. More if can speak English and drive Car/Motorbike. Nice bedroom with ensuite. 12000, Nicholas, nicksamson2301@gmail.com,062 772 1212.

ACTIVITIES, GROUPS Free Tiya’s Hammocks campaign

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

BOATS, YACHTS FOR SALE Steel boat for sale

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

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Looking for investor / partner

Looking for investor / partnership for Patong beach front location to start with Japanese and Indian restaurant. Narin, narinpga@gmail.com, 081 826 9390.

Price reduced for quick sale

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

Restaurant for sale in Rawai

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

Looking for a Partner Investor

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

Restaurant set up for sale

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

CAR FOR SALE 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. @thephuketnews

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CAR FOR SALE le

t sa n e g

Honda Jazz 2009 1500cc Auto

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

MEMBERSHIPS Loch Palm Golf Membership

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

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE New loft trailer

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

MOVING SERVICES Looking for Moving Company?

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

REAL ESTATE SERVICES Phuket real estate tour

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

WEBSITES, IT 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 Land For Sale

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

Kay McDonnell

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

Waterfront Condominium

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

PROPERTY FOR SALE Prime Land near Natai Beach

13 Rai. Prime flat land, Full Chanote. 5 mins to beautiful Natai Beach, 5 mins to Khok Kloi, 20 mins from Phuket Airport. Close to temples, beach & mountain views, perfect for large property or subdivide for development. B13,500,000, Antoine (Thai & English), 081 979 9307, dannyred@hotmail.com

Outstanding Beach Front Pool Villa

A rare opportunity to purchase a 4 bedroom beachfront villa in a 5* resort at The Village Coconut Island. A “snip” at 22m THB. Contact email aadmo@btinternet.com, Somjit, aadmo@btinternet.com, 081 9791945.

COMMUNITY

PROPERTY FOR SALE Beautiful Land in Rawai For Sale

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

House for Sale

3 bed, 2 bath, living/dining, Farang & Thai kitchens. Back/ both sides under cover. Water fall/relax area. BBQ area under cover/car port. 4 aircons/7 fans. Very private, close to all services, 500 meters from Heroines Monument. 4.9 mil. o.n.o. Contact Randy. Email randyalltime@gmail.com thephuketnews

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Buy&Sell

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PROPERTY FOR RENT ROOM FOR RENT

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

PROPERTY FOR SALE Sale by owner Apartment ‘The Pearl of Naithon’ Leasehold

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

LAND NEAR WATERFALL FOR SALE

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

Modern home office for sale

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

House for Sale

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

MAI KHAO LAND

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

PROPERTY FOR RENT Kata Western Apartment

1 and 2 115M2 furnished apartments, full kitchen, huge covered terraces, mountain and seaview. 1 month minimum, 1 year lease starting 20,000/month. gordy240@hotmail.com, 084 840 1262.

Kamala Villa for rent

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

PROPERTY FOR SALE New Sea View Villa

Premium villa 8B in the prestiques Sunrise Ocean Villas developement is now for sale. Being built on the highest point in the estate, only 80 meters from the ocean and located 3 mins away from Grand AoPor Marina, 10 mins from golf course, 20 mins from the airport, shopping centers, schools and hospitals, this villa is a perfect place to live with no traffic, no pollution and no mass tourism... More than 600 Sqm usable building area, 3 bedrooms, guest apartment, maid quarters, games room, 10 meter infinity swimming pool, roof terrace and breathtaking views. Can be ready to move in within 8 weeks and still can be customized to the wishes of new owner. For sale at only 24.9 mill Baht. For viewing or more information please contact our sales director, Khun Montha 081 343 0777 Email : montha_phuket@yahoo.com.

PROPERTY FOR RENT Vassana Residence. Rawai

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

Kathu Condo for Sale/Rent

36 Sqm Fully Furnished with Pool & Fitness. Rent start 9,000 monthly. Close to Patong, Central Festival Phuket and Prince of Songkla University. Lily Line ID: 0841094466, flyfreelily@gmail.com, 084 109 4466.

2 BDR Bungalow, Nai Harn Beach

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

Two condos for sale/rent

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

Office/Shop for Rent

Ground Floor space with excellent positioning on Chalong Pier Road. For more information, please call 081 416 4177 or 076 381 341.

PROPERTY FOR RENT Villas & Apts Rent-Chalong

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

34 PROPERTY

THEPHUKETNEWS.COMFRIDAY, FRIDAY, OCTOBER30, 7, 2016 THEPHUKETNEWS.COM SEPTEMBER 2016

A rare beachfront location in the quiet and beautiful Cape Panwa. Featuring spectacular views of the surrounding islands. Situated within a well-managed estate of 10 villas sharing the beachfront pool. High potential for capital appreciation.

U D niq es u ig e n

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4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 260 sqm

BRAND-NEW POOL VILLA, Ao Po

3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2400 sqm

Standalone pool villa in a quiet location on an expansive 2400 sqm land plot. Completed last year and built with high quality materials with a modern feel. Outdoor dining area and separate building with home cinema. Must-see property.

17,300,000 THB

To N M ew ar ke t

15,500,000 THB

BEACHFRONT HOUSE, Cape Panwa

NEW LAUNCH – BEACHFRONT CONDOS Starting at

4.2M THB

Studios-2 bedrooms, 34-68 SQM

Exciting new project in a great location in Kamala. Panoramic sea views, hotel managed and steps from the ocean. Best units are still available at pre-launch prices. Be quick to arrange a viewing.

SWEEPING SEA VIEW VILLA, Karon 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 1000 sqm

Located hillside in Karon, this property is spread across 3 levels on a 1300 sqm land plot. Beautiful sunset views over Karon Village. Rare property to enter the market.

15,000,000 THB

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MODERN 1-BEDROOM APARTMENT, Karon

1 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 43sqm

2,990,000 THB

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

LARGE 2-BEDROOM APARTMENT, Bang Tao 2 bedrooms, 1 bathrooms, 110 sqm

6,000,000 THB

3 minute walk from Bang Tao Beach, this corner unit was completed in 2006. Great common area facilities with a large pool, on-site management and a well-equipped gym.

SPACIOUS STUDIO OVEROOKING POOL, Layan Studio, 1 bathroom. 57 sqm

This leasehold studio offers a spacious terrace, open and bright. The colonial style development is very well maintained with lots of greenery, swimming pool, kid’s pool and outdoor seating areas. Must-see development.

2,500,000 THB

STUNNING FREEHOLD PENTHOUSE, Patong

2 bedrooms, 3 bathroom. 325 sqm

Unique condo with breath-taking sunset views over Patong. Originally 3 smaller apartments, now combined and fully renovated to a high standard. Existing long term tenant with rentals contract transferable to new owner.

48,000,000 THB

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

2,000,000 THB

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

CHARMING TOWNHOUSE, Kamala

4,500,000 THB

2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 173 SQM

WELL-MAINTAINED POOL VILLA, Rawai 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 206 sqm

Located within a small gated community, this 2-bedroom home has been taken well care of by its current owner. Recently reduced in price, this offer one of the best-value opportunity in the Rawai area.

6,400,000 THB

OUTRIGGER TOWNHOUSE, Laguna

2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 202 sqm

Situated within a gated community in walking distance to Kamala Beach, this 3-storey townhouse offers modern living and a spacious rooftop terrace. Only 26k THB per SQM.

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

SPACIOUS FREEHOLD APARTMENT, Kamala

IMPRESSIVE SEA VIEW APARTMENT, Ao Po

In walking distance to Kamala Beach this well-priced apartment is situated within a gated complex with excellent common area facilities including 2 pools and 2 gyms

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

3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 100 sqm

9,900,000 THB

2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 160 sqm

8,500,000 THB

Sh to or B tW ea a ch lk

4,800,000 THB

re Pr du ice ce d

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

OCEANFRONT LUXURY VILLA, Kamala 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 582 sqm

82,500,000 THB

@thephuketnews

New to market luxury villa on Millionaire’s Mile in Kamala. Spread across 2 levels with a possible add on of bedrooms in the footprint of the property. 5-star hotel services connected to the villa.

HIGH QUALITY POOL VILLA, Bang Tao 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 700 sqm

Situated within a peaceful 8 villa development in great location close to Bang Tao Beach. 3 well-appointed bedrooms with an open plan living room. Strong holiday rental demand.

17,400,000 THB

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1Bar is back in contention in PPL POOL 1BA R A R E BACK I N contention for the top spot in the Patong Pool League after pulling back to just one point of table-toppers Wet Dreams following a big 9-2 win over Champs Bar last Thursday night (Sept 29). Wet Dream’s position wasn’t helped by the fact that they lost 5-6 at home to Natalie’s Bar. But the biggest win of last Thursday night’s action came in the game between M&M and Dirty Nellies. M&M, who were second to bottom in the league table going into the game, played at home and walked away with a surprising 10-1 win. Andy from Dirty Nellies was the only player from their team to pick up a win. The result took M&M up one place in the table. Elsewhere, Martin Swiss suffered a narrow 5-6 loss at home to Ting Tong Bar, while Simon and Oils lost 4-7 at home to Sports Bar Genius Bar got the automatic 11 points as they

John from Genius Bar was proud to show off his new cue in last week’s action. were set to play Amigo who decided to leave the league some weeks ago. There are only f ive games remaining in the league this season, and it could be any of the current top three teams that will walk away with the title.

League Standings Wet Dreams

124

1Bar

123

Ting Tong

119

Genius

111

Sports

107

Natalie

106

Champs

101

Dirty Nellies

Martin Swiss

M&M

Simon & Oils

Amigo

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Get your lines tight for 12th P.I.S.T event F

FISHING

ollowing the destructive Tsunami in the Indian Ocean region in 2004, the former organisers of the Phuket fishing tournament decided to call it a day. However, in 2005 they decided – in only two weeks – that they would start to organise a new tournament, and the Phuket International was born. In its first three years the event went by various names, but from 2008 onwards it was officially known as the “Phuket International Sportfishing Tournament” (P.I.S.T). In the tournament’s early days there were just five people who joined, but that number soon increased to a healthy number of three-man teams. By 2009 the event had became so popular that the organisers started to hold a charity evening whereby funds raised from the event were donated to the local Sunshine Village Orphanage. Now in its 12th year, the decision to run a fun fishing tournament is paying off very

Tournament Info:

At the end of the event a special release trophy will be awarded to the team releasing the most Billfish. well, as rather than paying out prize money to entrants, the money now goes to charity instead. The P.I.S.T is now the longest-running fishing tournament in Asia, and last year

the event alone brought in some B175,000 in funds which were all donated to The Phuket Sunshine Village. This event is proudly sponsored by The Phuket News.

• Registration to enter the tournament is on November 23 from 4pm onwards at the Tamarind Bar & Grill in Chalong. • The weigh station will be at the Tamarind Bar & Grill in Chalong on all three fishing days – November 23, 24 and 25. • The final evening and prize-giving party will also be held at the Tamarind Bar & Grill, Chalong • In an effort to showcase individual team skills, the rules of the P.I.S.T 2016 have been designed to allow teams to fish the event as they would while fun fishing. • The P.I.S.T 2016 is a three-day team fishing event with top team honours going to the team that tallies the most points (per kilo) during the tournament. • The tournament also awards prizes to the team that catches the largest fish (by weight) in each eligible species. • A special release trophy will be awarded to the team releasing the most Billfish.

BISP Swim Academy takes silver at Asian sports awards SWIMMING THE BISP SWIM ACADemy at British International School, Phuket won the Silver Award (coming second out of 15 nominees) for Best Sports Youth Academy of the Year in Thailand at the 2016 SPIA Asia – Sports Industry Awards in Bangkok on Tuesday, October 4. The winners were announced at a black tie gala dinner on Tuesday evening in Bangkok attended by more than 300 sports professionals from around the region. Following a rigorous judging process and a record 208 entries, winners were awarded in 17 categories recognising excellence of sports brands, events, organizations, and academies across 17 Asian countries. Speaking at the Gala Dinner and Awards ceremony in Bangkok, Mr Didier Brun, Deputy CEO of organiser Sport360 said, “The Asian Sports Industry Awards has grown this year – a clear sign of the industry’s health. It’s encouraging to see such a

School Athletics Director Jeff LaMantia (left) and BISP Headmaster Neil Richards accepting the award. large number of entries, but what is even more encouraging is the quality of those entries. Twenty independent judges, each a leader in their field, undertook a thorough judging process and after many hours identified winners across 17 categories representing the best-of-the-best in the Asian sports industry.” After the initial round of judging, 72 Thai entries were short-listed across the 17 categories and claimed five Gold, five Silver and five Bronze Awards, with the BISP Swim Academy being

pipped by the Bangkok-based Chelsea Soccer School for the category’s top prize. Along with BISP Headmaster Neil Richards, school Athletics Director Jeff LaMantia was at the ceremony to accept the award on behalf of the school, and he had this to say about their experience: “It was an incredible night, and an inspiration for the BISP Swim Academy to be recognised alongside all these famous organizations, clubs and academies. While we are naturally disappointed not to have taken gold, we are still proud of coming a close second out of 15 shortlisted entrants, and would like to thank all the hard work by our swimmers, and our coaches: Head Coach Colin Braund, and Perfor mance Coach Hayley Palmer. Recognition must also go to former Head Coach Simon Jones, who was instrumental in laying the foundation for the continuing success of the BISP Swim Academy, before he took over as coach of the Thai national swimming team earlier this year. Next year we’re going for gold!” thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

SPORT 37

BISP swim team breaks records in show of style SWIMMING

Turning is as simple as looking where you want to go.

Turning your board is all about looks SURFING

Tim Campbell info@skylaphuket.com

HEY OCEAN LOVERS! Everyone wants to be able to turn on the wave while riding your surfboard, right? Just like driving a car, you turn the steering wheel to move the car in what direction you want the car to go. With surfing your eyes are your steering wheel so where ever you turn your head and look, your body will follow in that same direction. The photo above shows

the surfer getting low as he makes a bottom turn (most important turn), then looks up to the top of the wave where he will want to make a top turn. By getting low into one turn, he allows himself to then explode upwards giving him speed and power to make the next turn. You need to eat something that is jammed packed with protein and energy before you hit the waves. Try this energy shake next time you head out: get some kale, bananas, oats, f lax seeds and honey, and blend them all together with some water. It’s great before a surf to give you long lasting energy and keep you surfing for longer. Keep practising!

t the recent Thailand Short Course Swimming Championships 2016, held over October 1 to 3 at Assumption University’s Aquatic Centre in Bangkok, the BISP Swim Academy from British International School, Phuket (BISP) finished third overall on points scored, but first in average points scored, with only 12 swimmers competing in just two days of a three-day competition. The championships were the selection trials for the Thai national team for the 13th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) which will be held over December 6 to 11 in Windsor, Ontario. Three BISP Swim Academy records (and personal bests) were broken at the meet, namely: Raine Gavino in the 200 Breaststroke with 2.32.36; Hendrik Faber in the 400 Freestyle with 3.59.41; and Kimiko Raheem in the 100 Backstroke with 1.02.47. Kimiko has already been preselected by the Sri Lankan

The BISP Swim Academy team. national team for the World Short Course Championships. “I am happy with the way we performed up in Bangkok considering we’re still in pre-season training and not focusing on major weeks for another six weeks,” says BISP Swim Academy Head Coach Colin Braund. “This was more of a training meet for the guys to lift and swim personal best times, and assess where we’re at with our training. They showed a lot of professionalism in their attitude, and now should be looking to build on their performances.” Elsewhere in Asia, the

BISP Swim Academy’s Nicholle Toh broke three more Academy records at the Beijing leg of the FINA World Cup series, where she was representing her home nation of Singapore, in the 50 Butterfly (27.78), 100 Butterfly (1.01.02), and 200 Butterfly (2.15.76). After the racing in Beijing, she was continuing on to the Dubai then Doha legs of the FINA World Cup, before returning back to BISP to continue training. In November, she will be competing for Singapore at the 10th Asian Swimming Championships in Tokyo. “It’s invaluable for her to

Nicholle Toh. gain international competitive experience at these types of events,” says Head Coach Braund about Toh’s recent meets, “especially for such a young swimmer, with Nicholle having only just turned 15. Her recent races in Hawaii, China and the Middle East will stand her in good stead for the upcoming Asian swim championships in Tokyo.”

Phuket teams sweep medal tally Cruzeiro Soccer Schools October camp FOOTBALL LAST WEEKEND (OCT 1-2) Phuket Soccer Schools hosted its PSS 4th National Youth Tournament at Thanyapura. Teams from Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Samui traveled to Phuket for nine hours of tournament play across two days. The tournament was categorised into four age groups: Under 8; Under 10; Under 12 and Under 14, all using ageappropriate-sized goals, fields and footballs. In the Under 8 tournament Karon FC and Andara Sports

@thephuketnews

Action from the PSS v BIS Cruzerio U10s match, result 0-0. Photo: Andrey Nekrasov, Club from Phuket won gold and silver medals respectively. The bronze medal went to Genufood Galay 2 from Bangkok. In the Under 10s FC Bangkok won gold and Phuket’s Headstart managed to secure

the silver, with FC Planet from Pattaya taking home the bronze. For the Under 12 tournament Arsenal Soccer Schools from BKK won gold with FC Bangkok picking up the silver. BIS Cruzerio and FC Planet fought it out for the bronze medal with FC Planet winning by 2-1. The undefeated winner of the Under 14 tournament was BIS Cruzerio from Phuket and another of Phuket’s own Youth Football Home secured silver. Bronze medals went to MJ Panthai, also from Phuket. PSS Head Coach Martin Hill said he was very proud to see such competitive play.

FOOTBALL THE BISP CRUZEIRO October Soccer Camp will run from October 17-19 and the specialist Goalkeeper Camp, run by Coach Fred, will be from October 15-16 at BIS Phuket. The camps are open to all age groups from Under 5 to Under 16, for both boys and girls. Under 5 and Under 7 age groups will train from 8:3010am, Under 9 and above will train from 8:30 - 11am. Both camps are only B2,500

with a 20 per cent discount for all Soccer School members to B2,000. Please email: infobisp@cruzeirothailand. com for more information or to reserve your place. In other general news from Cruziero, players are reminded to take both indoor and outdoor footwear to all training sessions, shin guards and water bottles. Players who have missed training sessions for any reason, are welcome to attend any of the other weekly sessions to make up for their loss. No advance notice is required.

BISP’s Cruziero Soccer School will be holding its soccer camp in October. With likely another wet week ahead, the focus for Cruziero’s training sessions will be transition, both from attack to defence and defence to attack.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

Three races under a cloud

Canadian, German, and Brazilian GPs in doubt for 2017 F1 calendar FORMULA ONE BOX OF NEUTRALS Michael Lamonato michael@boxofneutrals.com

he FIA has confirmed that three long-standing F1 grand prixs are at risk of being left off the schedule after it published the 2017 calendar last Thursday morning (Sept 29). Formula One’s governing body released the provisional list of races after a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council, but the Canadian, German, and Brazilian grand prixs all remain in doubt and are “subject to confirmation” by the commercial rights holder. Both the Canadian and German grand prixs have histories of protracted commercial negotiations, but the announcement that their race was in doubt caught Brazilian Grand Prix organisers off guard. “The Brazilian Grand Prix Organisation took notice with surprise of the 2017 F1 WC

F1 Calendar 2017

MARCH.............................................................. ► 26 Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne APRIL................................................................. ► 9 Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai ► 16 Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir ► 30 Russian Grand Prix, Sochi MAY................................................................... ► 14 Spanish Grand Prix, Barcelona ► 28 Monaco Grand Prix, Monte Carlo JUNE.................................................................. ► 11 Canadian Grand Prix, Montreal* ► 18 European Grand Prix, Baku (Azerbaijan) JULY................................................................... ►2 Austrian Grand Prix, Spielberg ►9 British Grand Prix, Silverstone ► 23 Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest ► 30 German Grand Prix, Hockenheim* AUGUST............................................................. ► 27 Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps SEPTEMBER...................................................... ►3 Italian Grand Prix, Monza ► 17 Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang OCTOBER.......................................................... ►1 Singapore Grand Prix, Marina Bay ►8 Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka ► 22 United States Grand Prix, Austin NOVEMBER....................................................... ►5 Mexican Grand Prix, Mexico City ► 12 Brazilian Grand Prix, Sao Paulo* ► 26 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team's British driver Lewis Hamilton (centre) leads as drivers take the start of the race at the Monaco street circuit in Monte-Carlo on May 24, 2015, during the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix. Photo: Andrej Isakovic [world championship] calendar,” the race promoter said in a statement. “There is a contract in place until 2020, every provision of which will be complied with, as it has been for the past 45 years.” The Brazilian Grand Prix has been held at Interlagos since 1990, with Interlagos and Jacarepaguá sharing hosting duties irregularly between 1972 and 1989.

The announcement comes against a backdrop of political and economic turmoil in Brazil. Former President Dilma Rousseff was stood down in May and impeached last month, and plummeting oil prices have contributed to the country’s worst economic contraction since the Great Depression. Also contributing to Brazil’s woes are ongoing negotiations between Bernie Ecclestone and Brazilian F1

TV broadcaster Globo, with the former arguing for the latter to increase its level of Formula One coverage. Few people expect the problem to be anything more than sabre-rattling, however, and the race is likely to go ahead. The German Grand Prix’s problems have been well known since the 2015, when the event failed to materialise after owners of the Nürburgring circuit backed out of their hosting

contract citing unreasonably high hosting fees. Last year’s race was officially called off in March after Ecclestone was unable to convince Hockenheimring’s managers to pick up the cost. Hockenheim’s economic situation is also precarious, however, and the circuit has thus far been unwilling to commit to an annual loss-making exercise. Rumours at this year’s

German Grand Prix, however, suggested the owners of the Hockenheimring could be poised to split the risk of the additional race between themselves and Formula One Management to ensure the continuation of the race. Finally, the Canadian Grand Prix signed a 10-year contract extension in 2014, but the deal was contingent on a longawaited new pit building, control tower, and medical centre. Work was due to start at the end of this year’s race, but Montreal mayor Denis Coderre was forced to admit the project was behind schedule when Ecclestone first threatened to leave the race off the 2017 calendar in June. Evidence of progress would presumably be enough to satisfy the contract conditions and allow the race to go ahead. Assuming all three races go ahead, the sport will be set for a 21-race season for only the second time in its history. Don’t forget to tune in to Live98.5 each and every Saturday from 9am for the Box of Neutrals show.

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Four things we learnt in the Premier League M anchester City suffered their first defeat under manager Pep Guardiola with a 2-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur that served notice of

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Slick Spurs are title contenders With Jose Mourinho arriving at Manchester United, Manchester City snaring Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte joining Chelsea and bigmoney signings at Arsenal and Liverpool, there was little talk of the challenge Tottenham Hotspur might pose in the Premier League prior to the start of the season. Spurs were Leicester City’s main challengers last season, only to fade away and finish third, but there was a feeling that they, like Leicester, would end up as collateral damage in the arms race between the division’s traditional superpowers. Not so. Tottenham produced a sublime display to beat City 2-0 on Sunday, condemning Guardiola to his first defeat in the job. Guardiola’s men could not handle Spurs’ asphyxiating high press – typified by the industry of Son Heung-Min,

Hotspur’s English midfielder Dele Alli applauds supporters after the match with Manchester City. Photo: AFP goal-scorer Dele Alli and Victor Wanyama – and Mauricio Pochettino’s side would have won more comfortably had Erik Lamela not squandered a second-half penalty. Spurs now possess the last unbeaten record in the division and with City just a slender point above them, the summit is within reach.

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