11-03-2016 by The Phuket News

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

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NAVY SEAL NABBED FOR BANK HOLDUP > PAGE 3

BOOKED OUT

Tax laws lined up to target Airbnb rentals, unregistered hotels Officials are targeting the slew of lowkey illlegal accommodation venues in Phuket. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

huket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada has assembled a task force to investigate the scourge of illegal hotels on the island, with more than three of every four hotels in Phuket believed to be operating illegally. “Non-registered hotels offering rooms for rent is a worrying issue, and for this I am not working with

the Phuket office of Tourism Authority Thailand,” Gov Chomroen told The Phuket News this week. “Only the Revenue Department, the Tourism Business and Guide Registration and some other officials are involved,” Gov Chamroen said, though declined to identify specifically which officials. “The committee is to conduct indepth investigations. They will report their findings directly to me by the end of March, and we will consider

what action to take then,” he added. Confirmation that the Revenue Department will be among those spearheading the purge concurs with the strategy proposed by Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul in Bangkok last Friday (Mar 4). In response to the Thai Hotels Association (THA) calling for legal action to be taken against operators offering accommodation on the global rental portal Airbnb, Minister Kobkarn said that those profiting by

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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illegally renting out accommodation to tourists would be brought to heel by enforcement of tax laws. “Tax payment is a key issue to consider in the Airbnb situation because the website, accommodation owners and tenants should pay the same tax as hotel operators in Thailand,” she said. THA President Surapong Techaruvichit said that owners who rent their condo units, resort homes and shared rooms on a daily basis using the Airbnb website should be considered...

NEWS

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Tsunami hotel safe zones urged

LIFE

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Busting out from boyhood

SPORT

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Leicester City’s popularity starts to grow

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Chinese tourist SIMs linked to botched fatal gun heist > page 5

Beach Watch soon to launch in Phuket The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

Police were called to the Patong Hill Shooting Range at 1:45pm on March 9. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

each Watch Associations to enforce the beach rules are “coming soon” to Phuket, Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada has announced. Each local administration will form its own Beach Watch Association and report directly to the provincial Beach Management Committee, Governor Chamroen told a meeting at Provincial Hall last Thursday (Mar 3). Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat, who heads the provincial Beach Management Committee, will report his findings directly to the Governor’s Office, he added. “These associations will be named according to the beach they take care of, such as Kata Beach Watch Association or Patong Beach Watch Association,” Gov Chamroen said. “Each association will be responsible for posting signs at the beaches to let people and tourists know the rules,” he added. “This will be done soon,”

Tourist kills self at shooting range

Tourists blanket the sand at Patong Beach early last month. Photo: Suthicha Sirirat Gov Chamroen said. “Small signs marking where umbrellas are permitted – and places where they are not permitted – will be posted where needed,” he added. “And soon new brochures will be produced to let tourists know of the beach rules and regulations.” Gov Chamroen said that so far the beach rules were generally being observed at most beaches, but added, “Only some areas still face

the issue of tourists refusing to follow the rules and regulations. “I was also told that in some areas beach vendors still break the rules, so this must be taken care of,” he added. The “beach rules” were introduced little more than a year ago after the controversial clearing of all beach vendors from the sands by the military at the behest of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

However, jet-ski operators were allowed to stay and the enforcement of the beach rules at many of Phuket’s beaches still remain lax, with vendors returning time and again in areas outside the “10-per-cent zones” where they may legally operate. Surin, Kamala and Bang Tao beaches in particular have seen unabashed repeated breaches of the beach rules, all evidenced by photographs but with no reaction by officials.

POLICE ARE INVESTIGA-ting the death of an Estonian man who shot himself in the head at the Patong Hill Shooting Range in Kathu on Wednesday afternoon (Mar 9). Officers were called to the Patong Hill Shooting Range at 1:54pm. At the scene was the body of Andres Podra, 38, on the floor near the shooting booths with the .45 STI Eagle handgun he had rented still in his right hand. Mr Podra apparently looked stressed leading up to the incident. “He smoked several cigarettes before he went into the shooting range and fired seven consecutive rounds into the target then shot the eighth round into his head,” one staffer told The Phuket News. Mr Podra’s minder at the

range said that Mr Podra fired seven shots at a target before firing the eighth round into his right temple. At the scene, Mr Podra had left two handwritten notes: one for police to contact his Thai wife, Ratchaneewan Punkoon, at a hotel on Sainamyen Rd in Patong and the other to his sister written in Estonian. Police said they will call in Ms Ratchanee for questioning. A police investigation had found a Facebook page of Mr Podra showing that he resided in the US, reported the Bangkok Post. Last year, 21-year-old British national Liam Colven, from Scotland, shot himself in the head at a shooting range in Thalang. Eakkapop Thongtub

Task force to target illegal tourist rooms Continued from page 1 ...in violation of the Hotel Act, as they rent their accommodations for less than 30 days and lack a hotel licence. Ms Kobkarn agreed. “We don’t want to set any barrier to doing business, as long as it is fair and legitimate,” she said, but added that offering a daily rental without a hotel licence is illegal. However, Ms Kobkarn made it clear that the Airbnb problem would be a focus after the ministry resolved existing problems surrounding tour agent nominees (see page 13). As of Wednesday (Mar 9), Airbnb boasted more than 300 listings for Phuket alone, from B300 to B35,000 or more per night, while travel giant Agoda listed 2,413 venues in Phuket offering accommodation. TAT Phuket chief Anoma

Vongyai last year recognised the problem, when she revealed that her office knew of 93,750 rooms available in 1,800 hotels in Phuket – but that only 376 venues were registered. Speaking to The Phuket News from the global travel trade show ITB in Berlin, Ms Anoma on Wednesday said she was aware that Governor Chamroen was tackling the issue, but declined to comment further. “I can talk more about this after March 14, when I get back,” she said. Bhuritt Maswongssa, also speaking to The Phuket News from ITB Berlin, supported the move to bring unregistered hotels into the fold. “Phuket has an oversupply of accommodation, and this is adding extra pressure on the legal hotels,” he said. thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Navy SEAL charged for armed robbery Eakkapop Thongtub editor@classactmedia.co.th

PMBC officers tested the water quality at several areas along Kamala Beach. Photo: PMBC

Sea slug mass death ‘natural’, say experts

Royal Thai Nav y servicemen under training as a Navy SEAL has been arrested for the armed robbery of the Krungthai Bank on Sakdidet Rd on February 26, in which he escaped with B470,760 in cash. Police named the accused as 29-year-old Sahapracha Chadawong, a Petty Officer 1st Class from the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command based in Cape Panwa. The Royal Thai Police issued a statement to announce the arrest on Thursday last week (Mar 3). Unlike common practice in high-profile cases and even with petty criminals, no press conference was held to announce the arrest and Sahapracha was not presented to the press. The statement noted that Wichit Police and an investigation team from Region 8 Provincial Police discovered CCTV footage that led to the arrest of Sahapracha.

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Petty Officer Sahapracha Chadawong will face court martial for the armed robbery of the Krungthai Bank on Sakdidet Rd south of Phuket Town on February 26. Region 8 Police Chief Pol Maj Gen Tesa Siriwato and Royal Thai Navy Third Area Rear Commander Adm Sayan Prasongsomrit were informed of the finding, which led to an arrest warrant being issued Wednesday last week (Mar 2). Sahapracha was arrested later that same day at Navy

accommodation near the base. According to the statement, Sahapracha has confessed to all allegations against him and police have also seized a red Honda Wave and a helmet used in the robbery. Sahapracha was held at Phuket City Police Station on charges of armed robbery

using a getaway vehicle, illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, carrying them in public without a permit and firing a gun in a public place without reasonable reason. He is to be handed over to a military court in Nakhon Sri Thammarat to face charges, The Phuket News was told.

MARINE LIFE EXPERTS have concluded that the mass death of sea slugs that washed ashore at Phuket’s Kamala Beach on Monday (Mar 7) was a natural phenomenon, and not the result of toxic shock brought on by pollution. “The creatures, known as ‘sea hares’ or Stylocheilus striatus, died naturally. It is part of their lifecycle before their colony can bloom and thrive again,” said Somkiat Khokiattiwong, Chief of the Phuket Marine Biological Centre (PMBC). “We took samples and tested the water for pollutants, but the test results were within normal parameters,” he added, but declined to provide to The Phuket News a copy of the water test results. Local marine life expert Suphasit Boonpienpon, also

of the PMBC, confirmed that water samples taken covered the area that would have affected the sea hares. “Our sample area covered 500 metres along the beach, whereas the sea hares washed up along only 350m,” he said. However, Mr Suphasit also declined to provide to The Phuket News a copy of the water test results. Yet he added, “I have records marking similar incidents in Prachuap Khiri Khan province (in 2009) and Bangsaen, Chonburi province. “It has been hot in Phuket, and heat is a catalyst for accelerating their lifecycle,” Mr Suphasit said. “They are not dangerous to people on the beach, and they’re not dangerous to people in water,” he added. Tanyaluk Sakoot

Tsunami scare prompts hotel safe zones FOLLOW I NG TH E 7.9 ear thquake off Sumatra last week, Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada is calling on all beachfront hotels to voluntarily provide emergency evacuation safe zones for all people in danger areas along Phuket’s coast. “Before the end of this month, officials in all three districts will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with beachfront hotels of four storeys or higher to use as emergency evacuation areas

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for tourists and residents in case of a tsunami.” Governor Chamroen said on Thursday (Mar 3). “We must be ready to handle natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis at all times, not just when they happen,” Gov Chamroen said. “The recent quake near Indonesia was about 1,463 kilometres from Phuket, which puts us at risk for any possible tsunami, so I want all our emergency stations to be on alert and examine

their emergency equipment, especially the emergency warning system,” he added. Governor Chamroen also called for a performance review of the internal communications system among disaster officials in Phuket. “The system in Phuket still has problems. It suffers lost signals and communications speeds, and the announcement of the emergency advisory was slow,” he said. “If this problem is not fixed, there will be a great

loss of life and property if a tsunami strikes,” he added. Global earthquake monitoring agency USGS originally categorised the Sumatra quake, which struck at 7:49pm Phuket time, as a magnitude 8.2, and later an 8.1, before lowering it to a 7.9. Indonesia issued a tsunami warning for West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh, but soon retracted the warning after there were no reports of damage or casualties. The Phuket News

A stern Governor Chamroen ordered officials to ink MoUs with Phuket beachfront hotels to provide evacuation safe zones by the end of the month. Photo: PR Dept

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Phuket man was taken to hospital after he launched into a vio lent episode in Phuket Town on Wednesday morning (Mar 9) because a roadside lottery ticket vendor would not sell him any lottery tickets – which the man claimed the “solar eclipse god” had told him would be lucky. Lt Sontaya Lukkleang of the Phuket City Police at 10am was called to investigate a crazed man who was smashing a lottery stand and destroying items at the Buddhist supplies shop on Ong Sim Pai Rd. Police arrived with Kusol harm rescue workers to find a shirtless man running amok, punching motorists driving past the scene. “Rescue workers attempt ed to stop him when he ran out into the middle of the road and hit people. We got him while he was engaged in a fist fight with one motorist who had punched him back and injured his left cheek,” Lt Sontaya said. “The man said that the

Any ticket he bought from the vendor would be the winning ticket, said Sukthiporn. solar eclipse god had told him to buy a winning lottery here. The man got upset when the vendor refused to sell the man any lottery tickets, so the two got into argument then a fight broke out,” he added. The “solar eclipse god” apparently told the man that he could not lose. “He said that

the solar eclipse god told him that any lottery ticket that he bought from this particular vendor would be the winning ticket,” explained Lt Sontaya. “We later identified the man as 45-year-old Sukthip orn Onsuwan. We were told that he was admitted to a lo cal hospital for epilepsy last

month, and had been acting very strange since,” he said. Mr Sukthiporn was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for treatment to his facial injury. “We have to discuss with the parties involved whether they want to press charges. So far, no charges have been filed,” Lt Sontaya said.

Work begins at Chalong Underpass PEOPLE TR AVELLI NG around the area of the new Chalong Underpass can expect to encounter delays in their travelling time as preparations are made for construction of the underpass to commence. Project Engineer Chal ermpon Wongkietkun told The Phuket News this week, “We are about to begin phase one of our preparations for the underpass construction… The first phase will see water pipes and electricity pylons moved,” he said. “Whilst work is being carried out drivers should be careful as large trucks and cranes will be in the road, and this will also have an impact on traffic heading towards Chalong Circle, especially in front of HomePro Village. Workers were to start mov ing electricity pylons this week. Motorists should avoid the area if possible as traffic jams are likely, Mr Chalerm pon warned. The Phuket News

Six people nabbed with drugs in sting operation SIX PEOPLE WERE AR rested over the space of two days when Phuket City car ried out a sting operation to rid the area of drugs and crimes last week. Anti Narcotics Police led by Phuket City Police’s Maj Rittichai Chumchuy arrested four men and two women who were all found to be in possession of ei ther methamphetamine (ya bah) or crystal meth ( ya ice) or both during a sting operation which started on March 2. Officers arrested Somchok Waroros, 37, at 6:45pm at a rented home on Sri Sena Rd on the east side of Phuket

Town with one gram of ya ice. At 10pm the same day, police arrested Nattapong Somrak, 23, with 660mg of ya ice and two ya bah pills and Ms Cheinkamon Kon grein, 25, with 13.48 grams of ya ice, 50 ya bah pills and drug-taking paraphernalia at a home in Moo Baan Phuket Gardenville in Rassada. Then on March 4, police arrested 19-year-old Kanta phon Chaiyakul at 1:45pm with 1.01 grams of ya ice at the car park of Big C on Thepkrasattri Rd in Rassada. Police seized from him a Honda Wave motorbike they suspect he used for delivering his drugs.

Just 15 minutes later, po lice arrested Atchara Aroon, 31, and Theeraphon Sukkrai, 32, with the total of 6.67 grams of ya ice and five ya bah pills at a rented room in Soi Wison off Thepkrasat tri Rd. “The arrest of Somchok came after we received a tip-off from undercover of ficers that he had been selling drugs in Talad Yai, Rassada and Phuket Town areas. Of ficers set him up in a sting operation which led to the arrest of other five people,” revealed Maj Rittichai. All six were taken to Phuket City Police Station where Nattapong was charged

The arrest of Somchok Waroros, 39, led to the arrest of another five dealers. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub with illegal possession of a Category 1 drug, while the other five were charged with

illegal possession of Category 1 drugs with intent to sell. Eakkapop Thongtub thephuketnews

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

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Police chief stumped over Chinese tourist SIM cards Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th

he arrest of a Chinese national in Phuket last Saturday (Mar 5) for providing a Thai SIM card to a suspect in a botched gun heist in Bangkok has left the Phuket Police chief floundering about what to do with tour operators handing out Thai SIM cards to tourists. Col Teeraphol Thipjaroen, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Police, admitted to The Phuket News this week that he had no authority to force operators to have tourists register their SIM cards – despite the mandatory requirement for all users to register their SIM cards with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC). The Thai Cabinet last year made the registration of prepaid Thai SIM cards a legal requirement, citing national security concerns. In particular, in order to register a Thai prepaid SIM card the actual user must present him or herself at an official mobile phone company branch in person, and provide

French tourist Martine Delaloy, 70, suffered minor injuries in the bag snatch. Photo: Eakkapop Tongtub

French tourist, 70, injured in bag snatch

Chinese national Su Su (right) was arrested in Phuket. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub a photo of the SIM user’s face and present his or her passport. The issue reared its ugly head after the arrest of Chinese national Su Su, 29, in Pa Khlok last Saturday for providing a SIM card to one of the suspects in the fatal botched gun heist in Bangkok on March 4 (See page 10.) “Mr Su openly told police that he bought about 100 SIM cards at a time using only his passport for identification, and then distributed those SIM cards to tour companies

to hand out to tourists,” Col Teeraphol said. “I know there are many people in Phuket who provide SIM cards to tour companies like this, but we never know what SIM cards – and hence mobile phone numbers – any of these tourists are using. “And there’s nothing police can do about this,” a flummoxed Col Teeraphol said. “I cannot ban these SIM dealers from buying the cards and I cannot prevent the mobile phone companies from selling

Truck driver Tiradech Chanalim, 35, said the brakes on the 10-wheeler had failed. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Juggernaut rams Chinese tour bus CHINESE TOURISTS WHO had only just landed on the island were welcomed to Phuket early Monday morning (Mar 7) by a 10-wheeled truck slamming into the back of their bus while they were heading from Phuket International Airport to their hotel in Patong. The accident occurred at the main intersection on Thepkrasattri Rd in Koh Kaew at about 3:45am. The driver of the truck, Tiradech Chanalim, 35, was taken to hospital for minor injuries sustained in the impact, @thephuketnews

said Sen Sgt Maj Sompong Chanchatri of the Phuket City Police. “None of the 14 Chinese tourists were reported to have suffered any injuries in the accident,” said Sen Sgt Maj Sompong said, adding that all 14 tourists had already been taken to their hotel in Patong by alternative transport. Truck driver Mr Tiradech told police that he was transporting goods from Bangkok to Phuket Town when the accident happened.

“He said that the truck’s brakes failed and he could not avoid hitting the back of the bus, which was waiting at the traffic lights,” Sen Sgt Maj Compong said. However, Mr Tiradech might yet face charges over the accident. “We have yet to conclude our investigation, and at this stage we are investigating the possibility that the truck driver might have fallen asleep at the wheel,” Sen Sgt Maj Sompong said. Eakkapop Thongtub

them. This is up to the NBTC to enforce.” Ironically, Mr Su has since been blacklisted by the Immigration Bureau, which operates as part of the Royal Thai Police, and has been deported to China on the grounds of jeopardising national security. Col Teeraphol told The Phuket News that while he was powerless to address the issue, he had faith authorities in Bangkok would see the danger the situation presented and take necessary action.

A 70-YEAR-OLD FREnch woman is recovering from injuries after she was dragged to the ground during a bag-snatch in Cherng Talay on Monday (Mar 7). Ms Martine Delaloy told Cherng Talay Police that the attack happened while she was cycling on the road between Bang Tao Beach and Leypang Beach. Two men approached from the opposite direction and stopped by the side of the road. “It looked like one of them got off to have a pee, but after I passed by, they turned around and followed me,” Ms Delaloy said. “One of them got off

the motorbike and snatched my bag, which dragged me down onto the road,” she said. The thieves made off with B500, a mobile phone and a cloth, Ms Martine added. Ms Delaloy suffered scratches and bruises to her nose and the right side of her face, as well as her left knee and foot. The only description of her assailants that Ms Delaloy could provide was that the man driving the motorbike was wearing a grey shirt. Police are investigating further in the hope of apprehending the two men. Eakkapop Thongtub

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Sea gypsies’ path to peace Darawan Naknakhon editor@classactmedia.co.th

ore than 50 officers from the Chalong Police, Royal Thai Navy and defence volunteers were once again called in to keep the peace between villagers and construction workers at the sea gypsy village in Rawai last week as a mass sit-in prevented the workers from building a wall at the site. More than 150 villagers, mostly women and children, gathered near their ceremonial Balai shrine, located on land claimed by Baron World Trade Co Ltd, after workers moved into the area with a backhoe last Friday (Mar 4). The workers began moving large rocks into place that would have prevented the villagers direct access across the land that Baron World Trade

The workers, avoiding confrontation, ceased work. is trying to build 33 villas on, but would have left the sea gypsies unfettered access via the two-meter-wide walkway along the beachfront as ordered by Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada. But by 12:40pm, the workers ceased their efforts after

the mass sit-in began. Leading members of the sea gypsy community told The Phuket News that the walkway was not wide enough. “At high tide, we would be unable to use the walkway to reach the Balai shrine,” one villager said. A delegation of officials

More than 150 villagers, mostly women and children, gathered near the Balai shrine. led by Capt Sathaporn Wajrat of the Royal Thai Navy, who also serves as Deputy Director of Phuket Provincial Office of Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc), arrived at 2pm to resolve the dispute. Joining Capt Sathaporn were Phuket Vice Governor

Chokdee Amornwat, Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Col Saman Chainarong and Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos. “By March 16, a 3.4m-wide walkway will be marked out so villagers can freely access their worship place and the beach,” Capt Sathaporn said.

“By this same date, a proper legal document affirming that the walkway is on public land will be issued,” he added. In the meantime, Baron World Trade has instructed the contractor to cease work at the site and remove the backhoe, Capt Sathaporn assured.

‘Pocket-knife’ pharmacy Unidentified body found in robber caught via CCTV canal, police suspect murder POLICE HAVE ARRESTED a 22-year-old man for the robbery of two pharmacies in Phuket during the past week. Both holdups were carried out by threatening staff with a pocket knife. Armed with a warrant, officers arrested Wiwat Homhwan, from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, at a rented room in Soi Kraisart in Rassada at 10:45pm last Friday night (Mar 4). Police seized a Honda Scoopy motorbike, B10,140 cash, a pocket knife, his motorbike helmet and items of clothing that matched those worn by the robber during the robberies. Lt Col Krisana Yadkam of the Phuket City Police explained that his officers picked up the suspect’s trail after Chalong Pharmacy on Chao Fa West Rd was robbed just before 10pm last Thursday (Mar 3). The robber made off with B7,820 cash. Staff told police the robber was 20-25 years old and gave a description of him. “The robber was last seen speeding away on a blue-white

The ‘pocket knife robber’ was caught on CCTV robbing the Samkong Pharmacy. Image: Courtesy of Phuket City Police Honda Scoopy, heading toward Chao Fa East Rd,” said Col Krisana. The description of the motorbike was critical to the police getting their breakthrough. “We were sure then that the robber was the same wanted suspect that robbed Samkong Pharmacy in Phuket Town on February 28, who got away on a Honda Scoopy with a Trang licence plate,” Col Krisana said. The officers then tracked

down the suspect by checking CCTV and questioning people. “Which led us to a where we found Wiwat and confronted him with the CCTV footage,” Col Krisana explained. “Wiwat confessed to us that he robbed both places,” Col Krisana added. Wiwat was taken to Phuket City Police Station to be charged with armed robbery after dark using a getaway vehicle. Darawan Naknakhon

POLICE ARE TRYING TO identify the body of a man found floating in Klong Tha Chin in Rassada on Tuesday morning (Mar 8). Lt Col Chaleaw Taihu from Phuket City Police was called to the canal at 7:15am and arrived at the Seong Jern pier in Rassada with Kusoldharm rescue workers to find the body of a man floating there. Local fishermen had found the body. “The body is that of a male aged between 25-30 and is about 160-170cm tall. There was no identification on him, but in his pocket we discovered betel and rice. This is quite odd, as for those who believe in superstition betel leaves, betel nuts and rice are used in rituals to suppress the soul,” Lt Col Chaleaw said. “The badly decomposed body had tiny wounds believed to be bites from marine animals, but there are no prominent wounds. However, we discovered bruises around his neck which was broken. “We have questioned local people but no one knows the

The body was found floating in klong Tha Chin in Rassada early Tuesday morning (Mar 8). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub man and they do not think he is Thai,” he added. Lt Col Chaleaw explained that they assume the body belongs to a migrant worker but are not sure of his nationality. “This area is near the main fishing pier which also has many small piers which are flooded with migrants. The fishing industry has many migrant workers from Myanmar, Indonesia, Taiwan and

the Philippines just to name a few,” he said. “We think that the man was murdered because it looks like he was hit on the neck with a blunt object. However, we will wait for doctors to confirm the cause of death while we continue to investigate to find out who he is and what happened to him,” Lt Col Chaleaw concluded. Eakkapop Thongtub

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

It’s okay to have a beer

Patong police chief says drinks on the beach are fine The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th

athu Police Chief Col Chaiwat Uikum has confirmed to The Phuket News that drinking beer on Patong Beach is okay by his officers, despite reports by beachgoers on Monday (Mar 7) that alcohol had been banned by the military. One beachgoer raised the issue with The Phuket News, saying, “Two vendors on the beach told us that they were not allowed to sell alcohol anymore. “They said the military had ordered the ban and that anyone found drinking alcohol on the beach would be arrested and fined.” However, that understanding was news to Col Chaiwat, who on Monday afternoon told The Phuket News, “Selling alcohol on public land – including the beach – is illegal, but we will not take any action against people

Police investigate the scene where the motorbike was set on fire and left destroyed.

Hunt on for teen flamers

It’s okay to have a beer on Patong Beach, says the local police chief. Photo: Suthicha Sirirat drinking alcohol (in moderation) on Patong Beach.” The Phuket News has yet to confirm the military’s latest understanding of the policy

in Phuket. The beachgoer noted his concern about the unclear state of the beach rules, as some rules are forced strong-

ly, while enforcement of other rules – and depending on the beach where the rules are being enforced – vary. “Tourists are not sure

what we can do – and cannot do – anymore. It’s terrible, as this can stop a lot of people from coming to Phuket,” he said.

Residents, businesses Heroines festival brings battle alive oppose Koh Kaew flyover CONSTRUCTION OF A flyover in Koh Kaew, which is part of the contract for the Bang Khu Underpass project, has been put to a stop and officials will have to seek a new location for it after local residents and businesses opposed the construction. The decision was made at a meeting held on March 1 chaired by Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat. Also present were Phuket Highways Office Director Samak Lueduanghad, Koh Kaew Tambon Administration Or-

ganisation (OrBorTor) Deputy Chief Monkul Kumbaan, Koh Kaew Moo 5 Village Headman Wattana Thinkohkaew and others. Speaking about the halt on the construction of the flyover, Mr Samak said, “Despite us getting more than 118 signatures in support of the project, there are a number of people and businesses in the area who do not want it. “In view of this, the Koh Kaew OrBorTor wants to move the original construction area, which is in front of the M Plus

V/Gov Chokdee said the flyover would be of great benefit to the Koh Kaew community. @thephuketnews

Outlet, to another location. Therefore, we have asked Ital-Thai Development Co, who were contracted to carry out the work, not to proceed until a new location has been found,” he said. “The flyover will be of great benefit to the Koh Kaew community and will also help with traffic congestion. However, for us to build the flyover we need full support from local residents, businesses and all departments involved,” he added. The Phuket News

THE ANNUAL FESTIVAL marking Phuket’s victory over an army of Burmese marauders in 1785 is being celebrated this week, with the popular on-stage re-enactment of the battle to be performed for three consecutive nights, from March 13-15. The staged re-enactment, including the light-and-soundshow, will begin at 7pm on each of the three nights. The Thao Thepkrasattri and Thao Srisoonthorn Festival got underway on March 5 at its traditional home, Thalang Historical Park in Baan Riang, to the

west of Thalang, where the legendary stand took place more than two centuries ago. The festival will include the traditional re-enactment of the legendary defence of Phuket led by the famed heroine sisters Thao Thepkrasattri and Thao Srisoonthorn. A special family reunion of the descendants of the island’s two famed heroines is to be held tonight (Mar 11). Titled “Descendants Day”, the reunion will see descendants of Phuket’s famed heroines gathering to honour Phuket’s “first ladies”. The Phuket News

POLICE ARE HUNTING for a group of teenagers who they believe are responsible for setting fire to a motorbike in Phuket Town last week leaving the motorbike destroyed. Lt Col Chana Suthimas from Phuket City Police was called at 11:30pm on March 2 to investigate a motorbike on fire in Soi Sangdamrong, behind the fresh market on Ranong Rd. Police arrived at the scene with one fire truck to find fire consuming a white Honda Click. Firefighters were able to put out the blaze in 15 minutes before it spread to nearby homes. Lt Col Chana explained, “The motorbike was so burnt that we could not even make out the licence plate number so we are not sure who the owner is, and nobody has reported a bike of this description as stolen. “However, residents in the area said that prior to the incident they saw four or five teenagers hanging out in the area. One of the boys set the motorbike on fire then they all ran away. Residents came to try to put the fire out but it was out of control so they called the police,” he said. “Forensic police are gathering evidence from the scene and we will check CCTV footage from throughout the area to find the suspects and bring them in for questioning,” he added. Eakkapop Thongtub

Opinion 8

OPINION

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MATTHEW POND

eople should take heart in the move by Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada to assign priority to the complaint by foreign tenants at The Aspasia Phuket in Kata against their property management company. Governor Chamroen quickly identified the dispute as a primarily civil one, one that would disappear if the tenants and the management company came to an agreement. (See lead story on page 13) The tenants’ reports of electricity supply to some units being shut off and of at least one tenant receiving a termination of lease notice quickly gained perspective with the company’s counter-claim that such tenants had failed to pay their management fund fees. This may be Thailand, but this version of “no money, no honey” is found worldwide.

Also right to defer deep investigations were the Karon Police and the Phuket Consumer Protection Office, as there will be nothing to investigate if mediation wins and a successful agreement is hammered out. The allegations of fraud from a distance seem more like a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. However, Vice Governor Prajiad Aksornthammakul’s assertion that authorities cannot investigate a company’s financial records for alleged fraud simply because he deems the issue to be a matter for lawyers is paper thin, as the ongoing Ace Condo case has shown. That said, the Aspasia case differs markedly from that of the Ace 1 condominium project in Phuket, where both Amphol Wongsiri, Secretarygeneral to the Office of the Consumer Protection Board, and Col Angkul Klaikueng of Royal Thai Police Consumer

Protection Division become specifically involved. When crime-fighters with no vested interest get involved, the writing is on the wall for the accused. Mediation is the right course, and the legal counsel for disgruntled tenants – if they have one – should by now have informed his or her clients that this will be the first course of action directed by Phuket Provincial Court before their plaint is presented before a judge. This is standard practice in Phuket, and the rooms at the courthouse have been dedicated for such deliberations. Whether readers will admit it or not, both the Aspasia case and the Ace Condo are good news for Phuket. This is what people need to see to help them decide whether or not to put their money where their new home will be on this fair isle.

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It’s okay to have a beer on the beach, says Patong police chief Tsunami scare prompts call for Phuket beachfront hotels to provide evacuation safe zones Foreign renters in Phuket ask officials to investigate alleged fraud Phuket Chinese tour bus rammed by ‘unstoppable’ 10-wheeler Police confirm arrest of Phuket armed bank robber, say he’s a navy SEAL Phuket French tourist, 70, injured in bag snatch Five Frenchmen arrested for Phuket ATM skimming fraud ‘in the millions’

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HAVE YOUR SAY Seeing through the sugar debate noise Re: Another spoonful of sweet death: refined white sugar If I need info about making an omelet I'll ask a chef...for health issues I ask qualified doctors, not former cartoon animators who did some research! I am just sick of the misinformation bulls**t of these quacks. Here, some scientific facts about that: http://junkfoodscience.blogspot. co.uk … And do you even know what ‘refined sugar’ is? It should more precisely be called purified sugar. It is absolutely the same substance and only slightly worse in large amounts as the sugar in fruits because it is not mixed with fibers or other substances so the body gets a bigger sugar spike. Kay Schibulsky Dear Kay, you are entitled to your opinion; however, your comments can also be deemed as misinformation. Refined sugar, is not ‘absolutely the same substance … as sugar in fruits’. Refined white sugar, the common, processed dietary sugar which is referred to in the respective columns by Chef Barry, is sucrose

synthesized from sugar cane or sugar beet, neither of which are fruits. And while the author behind the blogspot blog link you shared, Sandy Szwarc, appears to have a rich background in journalism, food and medical sciences, she is also a freelance marketing consultant, according to her own archived bio. Looking beyond opinions, and the debates surrounding them, there are a number of scientific studies that have linked excess consumption of refined white sugar to cancer, obesity and heart disease, among other health complications. A quick search on Google uncovers one recent study by Peiying Yang, accepted by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in August 2015, which is entitled “Sucrose-Enriched Diet Promotes Tumorigenesis in Mammary Gland in Part through the 12-Lipoxygenase Pathway”. If you have the time to search, and research, you will find many more studies published in scientific journals that have similar conclusions about the detrimental effects of a diet high in synthesized sucrose. Chef

Barry's Holistic Happiness column includes his own opinions and research he has conducted, related to 'eating healthy' and one thing he, or we do not do is make claims that can't be substantiated by science or logical reasoning. You are welcome to challenge any specific claim you feel is unsubstantiated, but please provide scientific substance to support your counter-claim (we don't consider blogspot links scientifically substantial on their own), and please try to refrain from slanderous, ad hominem attacks and insults, which can be deemed in violation of Thai media and defamation laws. Steven Layne, Editor MDs are not specifically trained in nutrition and neither are they the oldest, healthiest people in the world. For those [oldest, healthiest] people live in one of five communities around the world known as “Blue Zones”. These people are all the “quacks” who never take medical drugs or even go to gyms. They out-live the general population of the world by decades by following their ancestral way of living intimate

with nature. Please visit bluezones.com to find out more. Chef Barry Anderson

Unstoppable like a race car

Re: Phuket Chinese tour bus rammed by ‘unstoppable’ 10-wheeler Modern truck brakes do not fail they are dual system. The air pressure actually holds the brakes off so a catastrophic failure puts the brakes on. The only time trucks or coaches lose braking power is when they get too hot due to the idiot drivers riding the brakes down hills and rushing up to bends like ‘last of the late brakers’ Lewis Hamilton does in an F1 car. Trucks and coaches are not designed to do this hence the regular results on Patong Hill. I don't know what is wrong with so many drivers here, why do they drive as if on a race track? Small manhood? I have done a great deal of motor racing and it is more exciting than sex but racing on the road is not exciting it is just plain dumb. In this case it is likely inattentiveness, it looks like he had slowed somewhat, he has not hit the coach at high speed. Andy

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

THAILAND NEWS

Target: 6,000 ‘top villains’ BANGKOK

he government has targeted more than 6,000 “influential criminal figures” in a nationwide crackdown, sparking concerns about possible human rights violations and political motivation. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said a blacklist of more than 6,000 suspected criminal figures has been sent to authorities nationwide. He stressed that action must be taken against these individuals, no matter who they are and no matter what political affiliations they have. State officials, police and military officers found to be involved with “dark influences” must also be dealt with, said Gen Prawit, who chairs a government committee responsible for suppressing influential criminal figures. Gen Prawit denied claims that individuals targeted by the operation oppose the military regime. He insisted that no specific groups have been singled out in the operation, and anyone harming the public must be apprehended. He said that these influential figures fall into 16 categories, adding that efforts had been made to compile the list for four months. Intelligence units gathered the names for the lists through field work, submitting them to the committee for consideration, Gen Prawit said. Asked to comment on allegation that former army specialist Gen Trairong Intaratat, better known as Seh Ice, and Capt Thammanat Prompao, a former close aide to Gen Trairong, are among those on the blacklist, Gen Prawit said police will explain the offences they have allegedly committed. They might have done nothing wrong, but their aides might have, he said. Gen Trairong, said to have close ties to ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was among four people mentioned in a leaked document from the 1st Division, King’s Guard. The three others named in the document are Karun Hosakul, a former Pheu Thai Party MP for Bangkok’s Don Muang district; Capt Thammanat Prompao, said to be involved in several enterprises including lottery ticket distribution; and Chaisit Ngamsap, alleged to be connected to illegal activities in the Mor Chit area of Bangkok. Both Gen Trairong and Capt Thammarat have denied @thephuketnews

The junta has ordered raids to arrest some 6,000 “influential criminal figures” and dark influences but critics fear it’s a list of political opponents. Photo: AFP the allegations. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha insisted that the crackdown on inf luential figures is not politically motivated. He stressed that those who break the law must be punished. “In the future, these people may support politicians. They must not be allowed to break the law and use weapons against people. Today, we must help to clear up the mess to make our country safe,” Gen Prayut said. Justice Ministry deputy permanent secretary Dusadee Arayawut revealed on Tuesday (Mar 8) that the ministry has also compiled a blacklist of several thousand people. Individuals on the ministry’s list are allegedly involved

in forest encroachment and destruction of natural resources, drug trade in prisons, tax evasion, loan sharking and gangs duping foreign tourists, Pol Col Dusadee said. The number of those involved in illegal loan sharking alone is as high as 3,000, most of whom are based in Pathum Thani and Uthai Thani provinces. Col Sirichan Ngathong, National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) deputy spokesperson, said army chief Gen Theerachai Nakvanich, who serves as the NCPO’s secretary-general, ordered NCPO units in each region to join forces with provincial governors, police and local officials to crack down on influential criminal groups.

State agencies have also been instructed to find out if any of their officials are part of the networks of influential figures and ordered to take legal action against those involved, she said. Meanwhile, Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, raised concerns over the lists, warning the

government must ensure the crackdown “will not violate human rights or be used as a tool to destroy political rivals”. She added that the government must clearly define the term “influential figures” as it could mean those who have an influence on people’s thoughts. Police spokesman Pol Col Krissana Pattanacharoen said inf luential figures on

the lists include local politicians and “those in uniform” who make life miserable for people. Police on Tuesday raided eight locations in Nakhon Pathom as part of the crackdown. A large haul of firearms, ammunition and B2 million in cash were confiscated during the raids. Bangkok Post

10 THAILAND NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Police to act on resort crime BANGKOK

he rape and assault of French tourists on Koh Kut, Trat, late last month has prompted police to devise stricter measures against increasing crime on island resorts. The case, in which two females were raped and two males injured by five members of a Cambodian fishing crew, is a major concern for police, following the Koh Tao tragedy in which two British tourists were murdered in 2014. The latest incident prompted deputy national police chief Pol Gen Wut Liptapanlop to call a meeting with police in 18 tourist provinces to find better ways of preventing such crimes. They agreed on a move to provide additional information to foreigners, increasing police patrols and adding more warning signs. Tourists must be alerted to the potential threats and possible dangers that can occur in tourist areas, Pol Gen Wut said. “An increase in the number of police alone cannot solve the problem,” he said. Pol Gen Wut said a warning sign posted near the resort might have helped, as it could have warned the

Police have arrested the five Cambodians believed responsible for last month’s horrific assault and rape of four French tourists at Koh Kut, seen here re-enacting the crime, but now are concerned with taking steps to provide better security at such remote spots. Photo: Jakkrit Waewklaihong tourists against walking to the quiet area, located one kilometre away, where they were attacked. He added the route taken by the victims is one rarely used by tourists. Trat police chief Pol Maj Gen Nopparat Rintapon described the area, which is located behind the resort, as “desolate and dark”. The victims walked into this area on Feb 27 on their way to dinner, when they came across their attackers,

who are believed to have swum to Koh Kut from their fishing vessel which was anchored at Ao Phrao. Investigators suspect the fishermen wanted to take a break on the island and buy some alcohol. According to the investigation, the victims tried in vain to escape from the attackers, who were armed with knives and sticks. Two male tourists, Thomas Buriron, 30, and Edbri

Ronain Rene, 29, were injured and the two women, one aged 57 and the other 28, were raped and seriously assaulted, according to the investigation. One of the male victims managed to escape and asked resort staff for help, Pol Maj Gen Nopparat said. The staff, together with villagers, quickly went to the area prompting the suspects, some without clothes, to flee, according to the investigation.

While the four victims were taken to Koh Kut hospital, police began their search for the attackers. Their operation led to the rapid arrest of the three suspects, who were hiding in a nearby forest, less than two hours after their alleged assault. With the help of officers from the Royal Thai Marine Corps, the authorities arrested another two suspects on the same day, as they were about to escape to Cambodia’s

south-western province of Koh Kong. The f ive suspects are identified as Yim, 25, Pai, 22 , Goen, 25, and Tee and Boad Mar, both of whom are 20. All worked on the Chok Kamolwan fishing boat. The investigation into the case has yet to wrap up. Besides adding warning signs, authorities will strictly enforce Section 38 of the Immigration Act, demanding hotel and apartment operators provide information on their guests to police for security purposes. Information on foreign fishing crews is also needed to help increase safety measures, he said. At present, fishing boats are not allowed to anchor near tourist areas, Tourist Police deputy chief Pol Col Rungrot Sayanprasoet said, citing a law that prohibits foreign fishermen from going ashore. Properly enforcing these measures, together with police patrols, would provide enhanced protection for tourists. Patrols also need to be strengthened while officers may require assistance from civilian lookouts. “We’re always training both Thai and foreign volunteers, hoping they can help police look out for any irregularities,”Pol Col Rungrot said. Bangkopk Post

Suspect unravels gun shop heist plot A CHINESE MAN WHO allegedly masterminded a

botched gun shop heist in Bangkok last Friday (Mar

4) was taken to Pattaya on Tuesday (Mar 8) to pinpoint shops which sold fake weapons and vehicles used in the robbery. Police on Tuesday escorted Zheng Yang, 30, from the temporary military prison at the 11th Military Circle to Pattaya in Chonburi province to point out the outlets which provided BB guns and rental motorcycles used in the heist. Metropolitan Police Bureau acting commissioner Sanit Mahathaworn said the shops will be checked against

the account which Mr Zheng gave during questioning. Mr Zheng was caught last Saturday (Mar 5) at Nakhon Sawan railway station on a train heading from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. At least five men carrying BB guns and knives attempted to rob the Interarms gunshop in the Wang Burapha area on Charoen Krung Road in Phra Nakhon district last Friday (Mar 4). As the robbers tried to flee, a police officer fired at them after they pointed their

Zheng Yang (right), was taken from the temporary military prison at the 11th Military Circle in Bangkok to help to unravel the botched BB-gun raid that turned deadly. Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya BB guns at him. The officer’s shots killed Wu Xingjun, 40, and injured Sun Junwei, 27, Li Kunpeng, 26, and Ma Geng, 34. Pol Lt Gen Sanit said the motive for the robbery could be gun trafficking. However, the probe will also be widened to find other possibilities. He said police were also waiting for information from Chinese authorities to check whether the suspects had criminal records in their home country. Meanwhile, Mr Sun, who has been discharged from

Police General Hospital, was also taken to the gun shop to re-enact the crime on Tuesday. Police also asked the court to move the three other suspects to the temporary military prison to help the investigation. Officers also revoked the visa of Su Su, 29, a Chinese man arrested in Phuket on Saturday, after investigators found he supplied a telephone SIM card to one of the suspects. It was one of many cards found in his possession. (See page 5) Bangkok Post thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

ASIA NEWS 11

Hopeless and broke Afghan migrants start to return home from Europe AFGHANISTAN

fter risking death on the migrant trail and two months in “nightmarish” refugee centres in Germany, Mohammed Asif bought a one-way ticket back to Afghanistan, relinquishing his lifelong dream of asylum in Europe. Afghans are the secondlargest migrant group – behind Syrians – arriving in Europe, where authorities are struggling to cope with the continent’s worst refugee crisis since World War II. A small but growing number, like 26-year-old Asif, are now returning to their country torn by war and gripped by economic malaise, as overcrowded refugee centres, a lack of jobs and the rise of anti-immigrant fervour in Europe leave them disillusioned. “I thought Europe would offer me a comfortable life, but I found only hostility and pain,” said Asif, who has a graduate degree in economics

People from Afghanistan go about their daily lives in a migrant and refugee makeshift camp at Piraeus harbour in Athens. Photo: Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP and left for Germany with a people-smuggler last year. “The refugee camps were nightmarish and Europeans kept humiliating. Many say refugees will destroy the culture of their country,” he said, after returning to Kabul. A chartered plane last month brought 135 Afghan refugees back from Germany, in what is likely to be the first of many such flights organised by Kabul, Berlin and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Afghanistan is witnessing what local officials call an “unprecedented” migration towards European nations as tens of thousands of civilians flee decades of turmoil and war tearing their country apart. Smuggling networks are flourishing, making money from desperate migrants undertaking dangerous journeys on well-trodden Mediterranean trails via Iran, Turkey and Greece. But many realise, rather

‘India’s cleanest village’ clings on to its serenity INDIA IN THE TINY HAMLET of Mawlynnong in India’s far north east, plastic is banned and spotless paths are lined with flowers – but its reputation as Asia’s cleanest village has proved a mixed blessing. Until 2003 no tourists visited the remote community of 500 inhabitants high in the mountains of Meghalaya state, which had no roads and was accessible only by foot. Home to the Khasi tribal people, Mawlynnong is famous for being a rare matrilineal society, where property and wealth are passed on from the mother to her youngest daughter and children take their mother’s surname. In recent years the village has become known for another reason – its exceptional cleanliness, far removed from the noise and dirt of India’s big cities. Bamboo dustbins stand at every corner, volunteers sweep the streets at regular intervals and large signs order visitors to throw away plastic @thephuketnews

In Mawlynnong, bamboo bins stand at every corner. Photo: Biju Boro/AFP packaging: littering is sternly frowned upon. “We clean every day because our grandparents and our ancestors have taught us how to clean the village and the surrounding area, because it’s good for our health,” said Baniar Mawroh, a teenager sitting at the entrance of her small but gleaming family home. After the village built its first road 12 years ago, a journalist from Discover India travel magazine wrote a now-infamous article naming it the cleanest village in Asia. The trickle of tourists became a flood, with visitors now reaching 250 a day

in high season, swelling the village’s population by 50 per cent. But the accolades have brought several downsides. “Now there is noise pollution. I’ve talked to the village council which has written to the government to build a new parking lot further away,” said Rishot Khongthohrem, 51, a guesthouse owner. Deepak Laloo, a former official of the Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum, advised the village in the early stages of its tourism development but fears for the impact of the visitor influx. “There’s no more privacy. A woman is washing her clothes, she’s being photographed,” he said. “That social bond which binds the village together is disintegrating,” he said. While the pristine village is proud of its achievements, some believe it must limit visitor numbers to protect the well-being of its inhabitants. “They must learn to regulate the number of tourists and to say no at some point,” tourism expert Laloo said. AFP

belatedly, that most smugglers sell them a pack of lies about big mansions, lucrative jobs and a cosy life in Europe. “The most dangerous part of my journey to Europe was from Iran to Turkey,” Asif recalled. “There was an overweight Afghan boy in our group who struggled to walk through the mountains. The smuggler was cruel – he gave him a kick and he went tumbling down the slopes. We never found his body.”

Europe faces what politicians call an existential threat from the migrant crisis. Figures show 1.25 million asylum seekers poured into Europe in 2015 – twice as many as 2014 – fleeing war and poverty in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa. Many European nations launched slick media campaigns and dire warnings to dissuade would-be migrants from making the trip, but that did not slow the influx. Afghan officials are keen to reassure the returnees that they have a future in the country, even though pessimism abounds about the deteriorating war and a slumping economy. Those who returned on the chartered plane were greeted at the airport with signs saying: “Welcome home. Afghanistan needs you.” Abdul Ghafoor, 24, said he paid a smuggler $7,500 (B265,916) to take him to Europe, a sum well beyond his

means, but after three miserable months near the central German city of Frankfurt, he longed for home. “The refugee camps were uninhabitable, the toilets were filthy and every meal comprised of just jam and butter,” said Ghafoor, who is downbeat about employment prospects following his return. “We were treated like second-class refugees compared to Syrians, who were offered a lot more facilities. Afghans deserve as much as Syrians.” Many are also leaving as countries such as Germany tighten rules that allow refugees to send for their family members. “Leaving their country is especially difficult for young male migrants because of the family separation,” said Jochen Oltmer, a migration expert at Germany’s Osnabruck University. “Some start returning home once they realise that it will be years before they can bring their families.” AFP

12 WORLD NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Survivors of Boko Haram

Familiar sights of Maiduguri in northeast Nigeria NIGERIA

toddler not yet out of nappies lies motionless in a hospital ward, her skin seared red raw by burns. A 12-year-old boy opposite her nurses the bandaged stump where his right hand used to be. On other beds, metal rods pierce through the skin of atrophied limbs, holding together shattered bones underneath. Arms and legs bound in plaster casts are suspended in traction. Such cases have become a familiar sight in the hospitals of Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria, since Boko Haram Islamists began their deadly insurgency nearly seven years ago. Some 17,000, if not more, are estimated to have been killed since then. At least as many have been injured. Tesfaye Makonnen and his team deal with many of the so-called “weapon-wounded” at the Borno State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri and as they recover in a newly opened 33-bed ward. On any given day the senior trauma surgeon with the International Red Cross (ICRC) can be found in the operating theatre, repairing the damage caused by bullets and bombs. But the fact the severely wounded are alive at all is a positive sign and testament to the increasing skills in “battlefield surgery” of doctors

A man undergoes surgery in a hospital ward following injuries from a Boko Haram attack in Maiduguri, capital of northeast Nigerian Borno State. Photo: Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP working in the much-targeted city, he said. “Most of these patients whom you have seen on the ward who have been here for a couple of months, they would have died,” he said as he prepared to operate on a gunshot wound. “Either they would have died from the primary injury, from bleeding, or they would have died from sepsis, infection.” Baba Ali Bukar, a 34-yearold food trader, has been in hospital since June last year when both his legs were badly damaged by a bomb blast in

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Proud to be the appointed supplier of windows and doors to: The British Ambassador to Thailand Bangkok. The German Honorary Consul, Phuket. The Australian Honorary Consul, Koh Samui

are still in plaster five months after an explosion at a mosque. Daniel Auta stumbled across a group of militants in December last year and was shot. Falmata Mustapha is at the start of her journey to recovery after being injured in an attack just outside Maiduguri last month that also killed her two-year-old daughter. Getting better and back to work unites them all. “I have people I take care of,” said Isyaku, a 30-year-old builder, from his bed on the male orthopaedic ward at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).

“I have a wife and four kids and of course I’m the breadwinner. Now this has happened to me, I’m just praying that I will recover and continue with my job.” For the injured, the cost of care is at least free. The hospitals, state government or international agencies such as ICRC and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) pick up the tab. Additional finance comes from various support funds but the burden of repeated attacks has been heavy, stretching overworked staff and meagre resources. Behind the iron gates and

Israeli police pull a fast one

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the Borno town of Monguno. “They [the doctors] had lost hope in the right leg. I had three surgeries. Some of the bones were shattered,” he said. “They had to remove them to allow the bones to form again before finally they put it in a cast. If it wasn’t for the ICRC my leg would have had to be amputated... I would have been finished.” Bukar’s fears aren’t unusual among patients. Earning a living is everything in Nigeria, where the only financial safety net is the generosity of family and friends. Usman Bukar Isyaku’s legs

security guards in the UMTH accident and emergency unit, mattresses have been put on the floor on one side of the 30-bed ward to allow more people to be treated. All are occupied by patients, their sleeping children and families, surrounded by overflowing bins of bloodied bandages, dressings, discarded surgical gloves and empty medicine boxes. Staff describe the influx of newly wounded into such a situation as “mayhem” after a fresh attack. Helping those affected requires longer term, specialist attention in an impoverished region that was lacking basic medical care, equipment and doctors even before the insurgency. Even if the conflict ends tomorrow, its physical and psychological legacy will last a lifetime. Children like 12-yearold Isa Lawan, who lost his right hand, not only fear for a future with a disability but appear to have little or no understanding of why it happened to them. “It was after evening prayers,” he said quietly from his bed on the ICRC ward, trying hard to fight back tears. “A woman came in. There was a sort of laser light beeping on her chest. “When my father asked her to leave she kept advancing towards him. My father stepped back and she exploded… She killed 19 people.” AFP

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Police changed settings on cameras to drastically increase speed limits, even quadrupling it in at least one case. Photo: Krembo1/Flickr

ISRAEL ISRAELI POLICE INu ndated with speeding tickets decided to limit their workload by tampering with the cameras that catch drivers in the act, a recent government report said . Police changed settings on cameras to drastically increase speed limits, even quadrupling it in at least one case, according to the report by the state comptroller, cited by Israeli media. On Jerusalem’s Hebron Road, a major thoroughfare, radars were changed to allow for speeds of 150 kilometres per hour (95 miles an hour) instead of 80. Along Tel Aviv’s Namir Boulevard, drivers were allowed in theory to floor it,

with the limit raised to 250 kilometres per hour instead of 60. Police tampered with the cameras because they were unable to cope with the influx of speeding tickets that resulted from a new network of cameras, said the report by the comptroller, which tracks the activities and spending of government departments. The government decided in 2005 to install 300 radars at a cost of 100 million shekels (B905.3 million). According to the report, police also regularly cancel speeding tickets for members of the force even when they receive them while off-duty. Some 1,400 tickets were cancelled, amounting to more than half of those given to officers between 2012 and 2015, it said. AFP thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

BUSINESS NEWS 13

Fraud claim goes to mediation Officials vow to ‘do their best’ to resolve foreign tenants’ property dispute Darawan Naknakhon

oreign tenants who have accused their property management company of failing to provide agreed services will have their case investigated by the Phuket branch of the Consumer Protection Office, Vice Governor Prajiad Aksornthammakul assured this week. V/Gov Prajiad gave the assurance after a one-hour meeting attempting to mediate a solution for the disgruntled tenants at The Aspasia Phuket in Kata and the legal representative property management company at Provincial Hall on Monday (Mar 7). The meeting was ordered by Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada after a group of 17 foreign tenants filed a complaint at the Damrongdhama Centre (Omubudsman’s office) on March 3 and asked the Governor to help resolve the issue.

V/Gov Prajiad (left) assured that officials would do their best to resolve the dispute. Photo: Darawan Naknakhon The group, led by Dutch national Jan Cornelis van Zuilekom, said that they have been treated unfairly recently as a consumer and suspected the company of misusing central funds that they paid every year. At 2pm, after the one-hour

meeting on Monday, V/Gov Prajiad said, “The foreign tenants wanted the company to turn the utilities back on for them as soon as possible, while the legal representative of the company told them that she would have to consult with the company first.”

The lawyer said she expected to be able to give the tenants the company’s reply by Tuesday (Mar 8), said V/ Gov Prajiad. “The tenants also asked us to examine the financial records regarding the alleged misuse of funds, but we cannot

intervene because this issue is between the property management company and tenants. They have to seek legal action to resolve this on their own,” V/Gov added. “To investigate whether the company broke the Consumer Protection Act 1979, we will do our best to help and seek justice for them,” Vice Governor Prajiad said. V/Gov Prajiad made no mention on whether or not he would task officers with checking on any progress made by the Consumer Protection Office in Phuket in investigating the claims by tenants. Also, no mention was made of any investigation by the Karon Police for alleged fraud. Governor Chamroen called for the mediation meeting to resolve the dispute after meeting with the tenants on March 3. “Every year, we have to pay a fee to the company so they can use that money to pay for maintenance. However,

we want to be sure that the management team did not mismanage the fund,” said Mr Zuilekom. “We asked the company to explain to us how they spend the central fund, but we have never received an answer. In addition, recently some of us have received a notice about lease termination, while others have had their unit utilities cut off. This means they cannot stay in their units as they have no electric or water even though money has been paid to cover the bills,” he added. “We are speaking out today in the hope that our actions will pressure the company to solve our problems as soon as possible because most of us have limited time in Thailand and are not often in Thailand at the same time,” he added. “We need to resolve this as soon as possible,” said Gov Chamroen. “I’d like to see this issue resolved within the coming week.”

Plateno sets sights on Patong

Minister of Tourism and Sports Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul speaks at the meeting on Monday. Photo: PR Dept

Nominee crackdown targets legal counsel, accounting firms THE MINISTER OF TOURism and Sports has warned that accounting and law firms will be investigated as the latest targets in the crackdown on companies using illegal nominees. Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul delivered the warning on Monday (Mar 7) at a meeting at Phuket Airport. Also at the meeting were Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada, Vice Governor Prajiad Aksornthammakul, Tourism and Sports Phuket Chief Santi Pawai, Phuket City Police Chief Col Saman Chainarong, among others. Ms Kobkarn said, “We are holding this meeting because on February 23 the Council of Ministries ordered my department, the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Tourism @thephuketnews

and Sports and other agencies to crack down on illegal nominees. “We had a meeting about this at the beginning of February to evaluate our procedures and regulations, which included investigating businesses,” she said. “We want to prevent foreign investors/businessmen from working illegally in Thailand without paying taxes,” she added. Ms Kobkarn pointed out that a crackdown was also needed on the accounting and law offices that such illegal tourism businesses hire, and that these companies must follow the law strictly. “The most important thing is that businesses pay taxes as required by law,” she said. “In the future we may have to adjust laws and regulations

so businesses can operate legally because there are now so many forms of businesses. We want better regulations and our laws strictly enforced. Our aim is to eliminate any loophole and decrease chances for illegal nominees to exist. “When I last met with the Phuket Governor and other officials about this, we discussed several solutions to deal with illegal nominees. First, we must be strict when enforcing rules and regulations for businesses that are already open. “Second, when it comes to registering new businesses, it is wise to seek help from non-tourism private-sector businesses and get them to join the tourism registrar committee to help them crack down on this issue,” Ms Kobkarn concluded. The Phuket News

CHINESE HOSPITALITY group Plateno has inked their first hotel deal in Phuket for a 110-room property in Patong, reports Bill Barnett, CEO and founder of the Phuket-based hospitality consultancy C9Hotelworks. “Tagged as the 7 Days Premium Patong Beach, the new-build hotel is being developed by Kiri Resort and Spa Ltd,” said Mr Barnett. “An opening in June 2017 is planned and the property is located next to the upcoming Premier Inn Nanai,” he added. Plateno is now one of the largest hotel chains in the world and they are expecting to announce a number of new

Phuket projects shortly, said Mr Barnett. In October last year, Plateno Group and Jin Jiang International officially merged, becoming China’s largest hotel group and in the world’s top five. The partnership was made official following the signing ceremony in Shanghai on September 18 with Jin Jiang’s parent company, publicly listed as Jin Jiang International (Holdings) Co Ltd, acquiring an 81% stake in Plateno. Jin Jiang is well estab-

lished in China’s upscale, midscale and economy hotel segments and earlier last year the company acquired France’s Louvre Hotels Group (LHG) from Starwood Holdings incorporating the brands, Golden Tulip, Première Classe and Campanile. The partnership of Jin Jiang, LHG and Plateno forms a combined portfolio of over 6,000 hotels with more than 640,000 guest rooms in 55 countries. Plateno is to open the Portofino Chiang Mai Business Park this month. The hotel is the brand’s second property in Thailand after the 7 Days Inn in Chiang Mai. The Phuket News

14 BUSINESS NEWS

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

The Dream, driven by design HOSPITALITY

Chris Husted editor@classactmedia.co.th

hen a brand-new resor t opens in Phuket that is so stylish and well-designed that it blends into the landscape so eloquently that you drive right past it, you know times have changed. Enter, The Dream Phuket Hotel & Spa, the Singapore-based Castlewood Group’s flagship luxury development located in Cherng Talay. The “wow” factor on entering the The Dream is undeniable, as the levels of futuristically styled units rise up on either side, divided at the far end by a five-story wall covered in green vines. “When I designed this with the architects the brief that was given to them was that we wanted this to be the biggest secret never told,” said Chris Comer, CEO of Castlewood Group. “The idea being is, with the [The Dream] beach club just a few minutes down the road here, we wanted to have a property that fed the beach club and a beach club (at Bang Tao) that fed the property. And a lot

The Dream Phuket marks a new era of style-dominated design for hotels on the island. of people who enjoy that kind of F&B offering want privacy, they want to enjoy their time whatever that enjoyment may be,” he said. The dual service target market is part of the business model The Dream is pursuing. “The days of being able to buy land and create the former standard hotel with expanded room at 900 square feet that you would see in a lot of properties is not financially viable anymore with the cost of land and the cost of construction,” Mr Comer admits. “We had to build something very carefully that wasn’t another sprawling dark-woodstyle resort and that stood out

because of its concept, with a very carefully managed use of what is a quite compact space. I think it had to lend itself to something more contemporary and I think it does it well,” he said. Although the entire complex seems modest from the outside, the design, as if by magic, offers 174 rooms, suites and villas, including Deluxe rooms of 35sqm, Sky Suites of 82sqm up to 4-room Executive Pool Villas of 185sqm with a 40sqm private pool and 120sqm garden. That’s not including the VU rooftop pool bar, Trilogy restaurant, Indulge bar and Sanctuary spa. The debut of The Dream

Phuket also cements Castlewood’s strategic partnership with upscale lifestyle brand Dream Hotels and its parent brand, the Début Hotel Group; part of renowned New York-based Hampshire Hotels Management. With The Dream Phuket open, team are now focusing on the Indonesian isle of Bintan as their next locale, said Mr Comer. “Bintan is a very unique offering. It’s an uncommon tourist destination, but it’s also consistently fed by the citizens of Singapore… It’s got three international golf courses, which is a pull in itself, and Riau Bintan could be in Hawaii,” he added. The Bintan development will also allow more opportunities for the design team to continue their creative flair, noted Laurence LlewelynBowen, the renowned British homestyle consultant and television personality who oversaw the finishing flourishes to The Dream Phuket. “As Chris (Comer) says, it’s an amazing opportunity to do this right from the get-go, right from a blank page. The whole thing can be configured to be original. We can really come up with some extraordinary solutions throughout the entire development,” he said. But the opening of The Dream Phuket is only the beginning, as it marks the

British homestyle personality Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen (left) with Chris Comer, CEO of Castlewood Group. launch of a new brand that will open in selected locales around the globe, explained Jay Stein, Chief Executive Officer at Dream Hotel Group LLC. Before heading up the Dream Hotel Group, Mr Stein amassed 18 years of experience as Chief Operating Officer of Hampshire Hotels Management LLC. “We’ve been around almost 30 years as Hampshire Hotels & Resorts and as Hampshire Group, and recently we dissolved that name and called the group Dream Hotel Group,” he explained. “We’ve got four brands within The Dream – The Dream brand concept, another brand called Time, one called Unscripted, and our luxury offering called The Chatwal, which is the family name of the group founders. “Our range offers great high-end luxury, but soaked in lifestyle – and The Dream Phuket gives us a closer con-

nection to Asia” he added. The next Dream to open will be Stateside. “Dream Hollywood (in Los Angeles) will open in July to August this year,” said Mr Stein. “Another one in the Uptown area in Dallas will start construction by the end of this year and about two years after that it should be open. And with Dream Chicago, we’re pretty close to bringing that deal to contract,” he said. Dream already has two venues in New York and as this article went to print, a press launch in London was to be held within days to announce the signing for a venture on the Arabian Peninsular. As the brand moves forward, two properties will be left behind. “We will be taking the Dream flag off our property in Bangkok and one in India, as these properties were built before our specifications were set for the new brand,” Mr Stein explained.

thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

SV Delos to return to the Indian Ocean

One show, one genius: William Shakespeare

SURGICAL MIRACLES Swiss fashion pro showcases feminine beauty with Phuket transgender photo shoot > Page 19

Valentino amd Nana during Phuket shoot

@thephuketnews

16 TRAVEL

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Madagascar bound! The SV Delos crew will be heading back past Nosy Hara, off the northwest coast of Madagascar.

World’s most followed boat, crew to return to Asia for another year SAILING

THE WORLD SV Delos

Sailing towards Cocos Keeling.

Delos is a 53-foot Amel Super Marmu ketch. She is home to young adventurous souls and has been exploring the world’s oceans since 2007. Like sailing, diving, cruising and sun? Come on board and follow along at www. svdelos.com

t was this time just about a year ago. Delos was in Phuket and we were preparing to cross the Indian Ocean. There are lots of stories about this immense body of water floating in the cruising community. Did you hear about so and so who lost their rudder rounding Madagascar? How about that couple that abandoned ship off the south coast and was rescued by a cargo ship? Did you hear about the Volvo Ocean Race boat that ran aground north of Mauritius? Did you know that there are 60-foot standing waves off the coast of South Africa? In the northern Indian Ocean there are seasonal monsoons that blow one way, then switch 180 degrees the next month. The Southern Indian Ocean bumps right up to the Southern Ocean and has massive low-pressure systems rolling through that would make any sailor wee their foulies. Oh yeah, and then there are the tropical storms that come ripping through in both the north and south. Not to the mention the pirates! If rounding the Cape of Good Hope and massive low-pressure systems are not your cup of tea, you can head north. But then you run the gauntlet of Somalia pirates and Yemeni militia men who would just as soon shoot or kidnap you as wave to say hello. Not fun! So because of this you see a lot of cruising boats hang out in Asia. They meander back and forth from Thailand to Malaysia to Indonesia and back in an endless visa-extending loop. Maybe up to the Philippines for a bit if you’re feeling adventurous. It’s a warm, comfortable, and extremely easy way to spend a few years. I think there is a definite mental block when it comes to leaving this paradise. I know because I experienced it firsthand with sweaty palms while we dreamt up the easiest way to sail across to Africa. Even if you put the crazy weather and triggerhappy pirates out of the picture, leaving Asia and heading towards Africa is a big cruising commitment, especially if you take the southern route. Doing so commits you to sailing either to Europe or to the Caribbean, which can easily add a year or two to

any cruise. Once you leave and head west, it’s pretty damn hard to come back so you just keep on going and going and going until you get somewhere you can chill for a while. All that said the Indian Ocean has a lot of things to offer. It is incredibly remote, barely traversed and has some of the best sailing we’ve ever seen. I’d venture to say that the Southeast trades in the southern Indian Ocean rival the South Pacific. Maybe even better. And the South Pacific is kind of the yardstick that we measure trade winds by. The small specks of land – of which there are few – are spectacular and incredibly isolated. For many weeks on end we found ourselves with an entire island, atoll or anchorage all to ourselves, which is a pretty special experience. We mention this because last season as our time in Madagascar was coming to an end we came up with a crazy idea. What if instead of sailing across the Atlantic on the normal “safe” route we try to stay in South Africa longer? What if we stayed so long that the cyclone season ended and instead of sailing west we’d sail east again and hit some of our favourite spots again? So we pondered and pondered our options, all the pros and cons. It meant another year of cruising before we’d see the Caribbean and also our family in Florida. It meant another season with our eyes glued to the weather as we dodged low-pressure systems and ran from port to port down the Wild Coast of South Africa. But it also meant returning to some very special places

Planning to cross Indian Ocean. that are incredibly hard to get to. You either have to sail from Asia or from South Africa to the Indian Ocean, and it would be a very long time, if ever, that Delos would be in Asia again. So over a delicious sushi lunch one day we sat down and made our decision. We all blurted out the same thing at the exact same time. Let’s do it! Let’s spend another year exploring the Indian Ocean and Africa. We’ve always talked about returning to someplace we fell in love with. Like going back to Vanuatu, or New Zealand, or the Philippines. But the seasons and winds have always pushed us west. And now this is our chance to spend more time in some of the places we loved the most. Particularly Madagascar which absolutely blew us away. So we’re gonna do it! We’re gonna leave Cape Town after the cyclones are over and turn left instead of right. It will be a crazy cool sail skirting the Southern Ocean to make enough easting before bearing off north to make for Le Reunion. But from there we will have sweet sailing for the next six or so months then return to South Africa which we also love very much for another incredible summer. So it’s a win, win, win for us. And the Caribbean isn’t going anywhere right?

Delos anchored at Cocos Keeling. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

TECHNOLOGY 17

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Charging forward in design

Local student aims to make working-out work out for sustainability Steven Layne editor@classactmedia.co.th

ritish International School, Phuket (BISP) Year 12 student Cynthia Richardin, 17, is a budding engineer working on a self-sustaining, self-powering fitness gym as part of her ongoing IB (International Baccalaureate) studies at the school. Inspired from an early age by her father, a mechanical and software engineer, Cynthia learned the value of getting “hands on” by helping him with various projects around the family home – building dog houses, plant stands and fixing water systems, to name a few. A personal love for cars led her to the idea of re-purposing an alternator. “I’ve always been interested in cars and how they work. Fortunately [BISP Design and Technology Teacher] Mr Craigen had an alternator, which I decided to put to use for my project. Since I like physics and electricity, it all just clicked together,” says Cynthia. Spun by a car engine belt, an alternator is what supplies electricity to charge a car’s battery, and in turn powers the vehicle’s lights, the stereo and other electrical systems. But in order to have output, the alternator needs input. “We were talking about gyms, and the amount of sweating people at the gym. We call it ‘sandwich to pie power’,” laughs Mr Craigen. Cynthia explains: “A sandwich goes in one end, but nothing comes out the other end. People are getting fit, but think of all that energy they’re putting into the machine that we could actually be using as a resource... certainly for lighting the gym.” The theory was a no-brainer: recover the otherwise wasted energy from a typical work-out, and use it to generate electricity using a car alternator, which are abundant in Phuket. However, Cynthia’s first pilot bicycle generator was unsuccessful, and she had to face and overcome the most important step in the design and technology process: failure. “I could barely get any charge out of it, no matter how hard I peddled. Something wasn’t right,” she says. Reviewing the mechanics of an alternator, Cynthia and Mr Craigen realised that the reason why the alternator wasn’t producing any useful current was due its electro-magnetic nature, which requires an initial trickle current to start spin@thephuketnews

Cynthia and Mr Craigen have made an effective team, with the department’s technicians, in getting the generator to function. ning the alternator to a certain speed. The simple solution, therefore, was to add a second starting battery to the circuit. Voila, the final output of Cynthia’s new-and-improved bicycle generator proved to be productive enough to justify the additional battery, and with the clever welding and electrical circuitry work of BISP’s two design technology technicians,

Jaroon Boriboon and Teerasak Yaodum, the bicycle generator proved to not only be able to keep the two batteries topped up, but power lights and an inverter for real-time mains power. The next step for Cynthia is calculating exactly how much power her generator can generate, and converting this data into laymen’s terms, perhaps the second

most important step in the design and technology process – defining your product and justifying it commercially. Mr Craigen has been at BISP since 2009, joining from Dubai where he had set up design technology in a new build school on the outskirts of the emirate. In the seven years since, he has – working in the last year closely with Design Technology Coordinator Mal-

Mr Craigen has drawn the line on making ordinary boxes. Here, he explains how one of his student’s solar water boiler will work.

The sun is a powerful source of energy, as Mr Craigen and BISP Marketing Manager Simon Ostheimer (left) demonstrate.

colm Perry – developed a new way of looking at the subject in a school environment. “What we’ve done is taken the old, traditional ‘shop’ class concept, and made it more practical and integrated with the other core subjects,” says Mr Craigen. “We apply the knowledge from all the students’ other courses, while also adding electronics, technical drawing, metal, wood and plastics work. “Before, kids in shop or woodwork class were just taught to make boxes, pretty much to the point that it was all a pointless exercise. “Now the focus is all moving towards sustainability, and our goal is to combine all these disciplines and skills to create something useful in the end. Here, I’ve drawn the line – we don’t make boxes, we produce products, useful products.” Indeed, Mr Craigen and his colleague Mr Perry are currently leading BISP students in developing a range of useful products and sustainability solutions, including passive solar stills, bio-filters, solar water boilers, and condo-friendly hydroponics pods. The next great innovation may just be a bike ride away. For more information about the Design and Technology programme at British International School, Phuket (BISP), please visit www.bisphuket.ac.th or contact Malcolm Perry (mperry@ bisphuket.ac.th) or Jeff Craigen (jcraigen@bisphuket.ac.th).

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FASHION 19

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Better than the real thing Swiss entrepreneur showcases Thai transgender beauty in Phuket shoot

adyboys are the nicest women, says Swiss star coiffeur Valentino, who recently produced an elaborate beauty campaign showcasing the beauty of Thai transgenders, or as they are commonly known here in Thailand, kathoeys.

A famous beauty entrepreneur in Switzerland and Europe, Valentino has been behind a number of fashion and beauty photoshoots, and in his latest shoot of kathoeys in Phuket, was producer and art director, working with a team of European stylists and local photographer, Ming Ming Zaw Tun. Valentino spent three years dreaming of this photo shoot. He developed a network in the world of the ladyboys and waited for the right moment to embark on the project. In the end, fourteen of these beautiful surgical miracles, in whom any woman would find something to envy, were photographed at various exotic locations in Phuket. It was a production just like what one might expect in Miami, London or Paris. Photographer Ming Ming Zaw Tun, stylists, video crews, assistants and many more were kept very busy for three weeks, in order to realise a very special production starring these unknown beauties. The producers and the ladyboys were totally fascinated with each other. Kati, Ant, Belle, Cherry and the other girls posed for the camera like true professionals, and enjoyed it. They not only enjoyed being women – they also relished the attention and being pampered and directed by Valentino and his crew as models in a beauty campaign. Like Angels from Victoria’s Secret, they flaunted their immaculate bodies, gorgeous hair and sparkling eyes, wearing the outfits of well-known Asian fashion designers. They looked so perfect that no macho heterosexual man on the production team doubted for a second that they were really women. Their perfume was intoxicating, their movements were graceful – and their breasts and lovely long legs were very sexy. Designers of women is what Valentino would call the beauty surgeons who model these perfect transgender creations.

Kati at the Phuket fruit market. Here, The Phuket News had a chance to speak with Valentino about the project. Who is your primary audience with this project, and what is the key message? The main audience are people working in beauty. The key message is to showcase the fascination and unbelievable fact that these beautiful models, beautiful women, were born as men. I was not influenced by the stories behind these people, it was mainly the aesthetic way that impressed me. How many models were involved, and where are they all from? We realised the shoot with more than 14 models, coming from all over Thailand. None were from Phuket originally. After an initial casting in Phuket, the networking took off naturally, through the girls themselves, because they saw from the casting that we were preparing something big and professional, and putting them in the right and respectful light. What separates Thai transgenders from others? The main difference is for sure the genetics. The Thais are different in that they are generally more smooth and more feminine. And of course the social acceptance in

Valentino on the set. @thephuketnews

Thailand, which is much larger and goes back a lot longer when compared to other countries. Was there any aspect that you found challenging to work with ladyboys compared to a ‘real woman’? No. this is the exact reason why we were really impressed, because there was no difference between working with them or ‘real

Cherry, Ant, Icecy and many more belong to a new generation of ladyboys who come from the upper echelons of society. women’. From one of our last shootings in London, I would say it was even more professional to work with transgenders; they are very professional, very on time, very motivated to bring a great result. I would say that they have a bigger motivation with a project like this, as it must be for them a great recognition to be presented as beautiful women on a campaign for an international cosmetic company.

20 HEALTH

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Uplifting for the body, soul Kim White kim@mindbodyyogasystem.com

Kim White is the owner of Sala Samadhi. She offers authentic Hatha yoga instruction for private and group sessions. Contact: www. mindbodyyogasystem. com or 086 276 9174. The opinions and advice contained in this column are those of the author only. The Phuket News is not responsible for the outcome or results of following any advice in any situation.

his month we are working on a beautiful uplifting asana called upward salute halfmoon bend or urdhva hastasana ardha chandrasana. We spend so much of our time folding onto ourselves; when we sit, we slouch and when we stand, we hunch. All of this downward attention is creating a lot of compression around the spine and the midsection, resulting in tight, short muscles and a stuffy circulation. This stuffy circulation around the midsection can create those dreaded love handles and muffin tops. The uplifting side bend does just that, it uplifts. A great asana to practise fat any part of the day but this stretch always feels amazing after a long sleep. This asana is an immediate energy booster and you can literally feel the energy build from the feet up! So lets look at the benefits of practising this helpful asana. • Stretches both sides of the entire body; including the torso, waist, thighs and shins, as well as the belly Stretches and strengthens side waist and oblique muscles • Stretches and strengthens lower back and psoas muscles • Great Spinal movement and stretch • Tones the thighs • Improves digestion • Stretches the shoulders and armpits • Helps relieve mild anxiety • Therapeutic for asthma and congestion • Creates space between vertebrae, improving posture • Improves posture • Stimulates spinal nerves • Tones upper arms • Strengthens hips, legs and ankles

The urdhva ‘hastasana ardha chandrasana’ will help improve your posture, among other benefits. 1. To enter the pose, begin standing with your feet together. Root the feet down into the ground like you are growing roots. 2. Inhale and raise the arms overhead. Interlock the fingers, with pointer fingers extended. (beginners may find it easier to rest one hand on the thigh for support and extend one arm over head, See photo above, left) 3. On another inhalation pull your stomach back to the spine and up to the chest and lift the chest. Extend through the arms and torso. 4. Exhale and bend to the right

from the side waist. Hold with steady breath for 10-20 seconds then 5. inhale and lift the torso back to the upright position. 6. Exhale bend to the left side. Hold for 10 – 20 seconds then 7. inhale and lift torso back to upright position. To exit the pose, release the arms to the sides. Repeat 5-10 times. I am honoured once again to share yoga with you, have a great month of March and happy stretching Metta Kim oxo

Thai FDA hails education, ICT campaigns successful

he Thailand Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is due to launch its latest version of the “OrYor Smart Application,” which allows consumers to check whether certain dietary supplements and drugs are FDA approved. FDA Deputy Secretary-General Paisarn Dunkum said the first version of the application was introduced in 2013 for both iOS and Android phone users and has since been downloaded more than 200,000 times. As a result, the FDA was recognized with an award from the Thai Public Relations Association in 2014. The application’s updated version contains nine menus, which include FDA updates, product registration numbers, and health information tips, to name a few. Oryor Smart Application is available for free for iOS and Android devices. In related news, the FDA has hailed its own consumer development campaign, “Mama Uses Smart, Papa Buys Smart”, a success, citing improved buying practices by Myanmar laborers in the Kingdom. FDA Secretary-General Dr. Boonchai Somboonsuk explained that the “Mama Uses Smart, Papa Buys Smart” campaign was one of several FDA projects to develop the consumer potential of ASEAN Community laborers working in Thailand. The effort, which is seeking to en-

The OrYor or Thai FDA logo for their new app, which is available on Samsung and iPhone. sure safe and healthy consumption by foreign laborers, was piloted in four areas of Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakan provinces, which have large Myanmar labourer communities. Following the conclusion of the campaign, a survey found that 90 percent of those targeted in the areas had an understanding of FDA marks and symbols that indicate expiration dates and buying tips for consumer goods. The campaign involved training sessions for laborers where they were taught how to select appropriate goods. The training also included knowledge on birth control to prevent unwanted pregnancy. NNT thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

ENTERTAINMENT 21

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Billy in a nutshell

To be there, or to be there, there is no question – Mar 21 Shakespeare special

oel Adams’ Theatrix team is back by popular demand with a repeat performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare! (Abridged) written by the Reduced Shakespeare Company. It was so well received at The Green Man in October that now it will be a featured performance at HeadStart’s creative arts week, Monday, March 21, at 4:30pm. Tickets can be purchased at the HeadStart administrative office. Don’t miss it! Did you know that this year, 2016, marks the 400-year anniversary since William Shakespeare passed away? So it is all the more fitting that his marvelous contribution to the world of theatre and literature is honoured with a theatrical event unprecedented in world history, all 37 of his plays condensed into an exciting, rollicking, hilarious

evening of 97 minutes (more or less) of quality entertainment and uncontrolled laughter. Among the comments at Theatrix’ first performance were: “Amazing invention, wit and energy! Well done!” – Patrick Campbell; “Well done, we were in stitches!” – Craig O’Nions, math teacher at HeadStart. See you there! The Complete Works is only the first offering of the Theatrix’ project Outta the Box Classics. The troupe is planning to present two to three plays a year to introduce international school students, English-speaking Thai students and a general audience of all ages to the classics of literature and theatre in a fun, engaging, accessible way. They are now working on their second play, an abridged version of Romeo and Juliet, for which dates have yet to be announced. And there’s more to come

each year. You’d be a fool to miss any of them. The show is recommended for kids from the age of 9 to 90 as a great introduction to the work of the world’s most popular playwright; many people who have seen it have said that it made them interested in exploring more of the works of this remarkable author, and that’s exactly what Theatrix wanted to happen. The troupe aims to see quality live theatre performed in Phuket regularly and are so thankful for all those who have helped make it possible, namely HeadStart International School, The Phuket News and Live 89.5, Two Chefs restaurant, Oasis Ed., and the Green Man Pub and Restaurant. Central Festival and the Book Café have also been very instrumental in helping the team get started and established in Phuket.

The ‘Complete Works’ delivers an evening of quality entertainment and uncontrolled laughter. Contact for details. Email: theatrixphuket@gmail.com; Tel. 093-6490066; Facebook: Facebook.com/TheatrixGroup The Phuket News and Live 89.5 are proud sponsors of this event.

Enlightened Canadian star to ignite Phuket in Asia April tour

et ready to ignite your inner light with the upcoming hit single “I Am Light” by rising Canadian artist Parvati. “I Am Light” will be going live on Asia Pop 40 on March 19 across Asia and March 20 on global airwaves. Rising to #1 on the Canadian Electronica charts and voted Canada’s best new musical artist, the Canadian musician, yogi, activist and author Parvati is touring Asia and Oceania in April to promote her new single “I Am Light”, debuting on radio March 15 and featuring on “Asia Pop 40” across Asia. Parvati has performed in stadiums, festivals and clubs throughout North America and Europe and is the first performer to ever sing at the North Pole, where she went for climate change awareness. “I Am Light” is a sparkling, catchy self-produced feel-great pop song. Parvati spearheads a revolutionary new music genre that reaches the pop and New Age markets alike. Her work has been likened to “New New Age” or CEDM (Conscious Electronic Dance Music). The sonic sunshine of “I Am Light”, radiant with electronic sounds and Parvati’s angelic voice, is simultaneously reminiscent of both Madonna and Enya at their best. “I Am Light” incorporates the Buddhist mantra “gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi swaha” (Gone, gone beyond, gone utterly beyond. Oh, what awaken-

Parvati will lighten up Phuket with her new EP. @thephuketnews

ing! So be it), said to be the exclamation of a monk at the moment of their enlightenment. Parvati says, “The mantra speaks to me about the reality that everything in life is made of light and we are part of this gorgeous interconnected fabric of light. Light is what we really are. It is our true nature.” The luminous music video, weaving together city street scenes with a concert hall and moments in an enchanted forest, introduces Parvati’s fantastical character Natamba, a goddess from Avalon who manifests as a being of liquid gold light who brings light to Earth, where she is discovered by forest fairies and a child who passes the light to the rest of the world. This joy-filled video will be released March 15 along with the single. Adding to the illumination is an upcoming “I Am Light” game app for iOS and Android. The “I Am Light” EP, demonstrating the breadth of Parvati’s musical mastery and spiritual understanding, will be released in April. It will feature dance, radio and acoustic versions of this song, as well as a guided chakra meditation to ambient electronic music. “Parvati is as radical and creative as David Bowie, and as beautiful and pure as an angel,” commented Rishi Deva, gold record music manager, music columnist and record label CEO. “Parvati is a unique phenomenon in the music

industry. She is someone who brings together music, spirituality, physical and mental health and a social conscience! Her commitment is total and she deserves to be a huge success,” adds Chris Porter, David Bowie producer. Learn more about the song, view the teaser video and more: https://parvati.tv/i-am-light/ Find out more about the tour: https://parvati.tv/eventsi-am-light-asia-tour/ Stay tuned for exact Phuket and Bangkok concert and venue dates, which will be announced when confirmed.

22 ISLAND SCENE

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

The Banyan Tree team.

ISLAND FLAVOURS AT BANYAN TREE PHUKET During the month of March 2016, Banyan Tree Phuket is celebrating Phuket cuisine being recognised by UNESCO as a city of Gastronomy for its unique cusine, a combination of Thai, Chinese, Portuguese and Malaysian flavours. A preview dinner was held on March 2 for local government officials and media.

From left: Gwenael Tessier, Yohan Cardinal, Thuy Diep and Florian Collin.

ALL THAT HYPE & LUXURY From left: Nuchie, Nikki & Fon

For its first birthday, HYPE Luxury Boat Club held a big party featuring a special flyboard demonstration by Suksan Tongthai (World Champion) as well as some drinks and a big cake by Phuket Catering. The Party was epic and stunning.

Esteemed guests enjoying the evening. From left: Guest chef Degan Septoadji; Bhatara 'Mio' Amornrattanakij, Senior Marketing Communications Manager at JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa and the north Phuket property's Executive Chef Dietmar Spitzer.

ALL ABOUT INDONESIAN Last Friday (March 4), JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa invited special guest chef Degan Septoadji, who put on a special Indonesian meal for media and other VIP guests. The diners were introduced to unknown Indonesian cuisine and were delighted with a delectable mix of dishes prepared from the heart and presented with a distinguished level of craftsmanship.

LIVIO FELLUGA WINE DINNER AT THE NAI HARN The Nai Harn was pleased to welcome esteemed guests to a special dinner on Friday, February 26 for an unforgettable evening of food, wine and good company.

Some 60 students at HeadStart Intl School got the low-down on the media profession in Phuket

MEDIA MATTERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

English and writing students at local international schools were given the scoop on producing an English language newspaper in 2016. On Wednesday, March 2, Kajonkiet International School Year 6 students, aged 10-12, visited the Class Act Media offices for a tour and first hand look at 'deadline day' at the paper. Then, on Thursday, March 3, The Phuket News' Managing Editor Steven W. Layne spoke to some 60 students, aged 12-14, at HeadStart International School as part of the school's English & Humanities Faculty Week.

Year 6 students thank The Phuket News' Steven Layne

KIS students visited the editorial, TV and radio departments at CAM.

HOTELS, CHARITY IN 'SOAP FOR HOPE' Seen at the launch of the Soap for Hope charitable initiative in Phuket, from left, are Sealed Air Director of CSR Stefan Phan; Cindy Ratcliffe, Manager of the Phuket Community Foundation; Siwaporn Pornrattanasoron, GM of the Hotel All Seasons Nai Harn; Sebastien Tronchet, GM of the Grand Mercure in Patong and Pawat Supsawan, President of the Kaeharassada Credit Union. Accor hotels are now supplying used guest soap for recycling, giving local people jobs and free soap for local communities, as well as saving large amounts of soap from being dumped in landfills in Phuket. thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

ISLAND SCENE 23

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Mono Loft Home from Japan are one of many real estate companies represented at the show.

Pretty girls are always a treat at PREA shows.

PHUKET REAL ESTATE SHOW 2016 The biggest home and condo show on Phuket, unofficially launched last Friday (Mar 4), at Central Festival East. The show will be held until March 13, and opens from 10am to 9pm.

From left: Jason Beavan, General Manager of Class Act Media; Thanusak Phungdet, President of show organiser Phuket Real Estate Association (PREA) and Nipat Pacharapha, Assistant Managing Director of J.D. Pools. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

GET READY TO RIDE PHUKET

Wilaiporn Pitimanaaree (3rd left), Chalermluck Kepsap (4th left); Santi Pawai; Saranyu Sema; Anoma Wongyai; Meechai Nawin and Khun Wittaya Singkalah (2nd right) were among the VIPs who took to the stage on March 4.

Scotty, Craig, Brendan and Brent of the Wasted Seamen team More sponsors of the PGFC 2016 Classic included Lady Andaman and Gotcha Big Game Fishing.

Last Friday (Mar 4), a press conference was held at Central Festival Phuket’s Tablespoon Restaurant to announce details about the upcoming Phuket Bike Week 2016 ‘ASEAN Ride Together’, which will be held from Friday, April 8 untill Saturday, April 16, with activities planned from 8am until 11:30pm on each of the days. Stay tuned for more coverage from Class Act Media, who are proud continuing sponsors of the event.

The PGFC 2016 Classic featured, for the first time ever, a female’s category with a team from Australia pictured.

PHUKET GAME FISHING It was a fun-filled 57 hours of non-stop fishing at the Phuket Game Fishing Club’s 2016 “Classic” Sport Fishing Tournament held off the Similan Islands last week. The tournament took place March 1-3 with the awards ceremony a day after on March 4 at Kan Eang @Pier. Contestants from as far as Australia took part, with cash prizes and big trophies given out for the longest marlins, heaviest wahoo’s and more.

From left: Dr Peter Tschudi, Doctors Association of Zurich; Dr Sirichai; Walter Wyler, RCoPB President; Andy Philips and Alastair Carthew.

ROTARY PATONG, ZURICH DOCS HELP HOSPITAL Left & right Daniel and Bruno Hasulyo with Tim Campbell. Photo: Brian Stamm

SUP PHUKET INVITATIONAL

Around 300 people gathered at Bliss Beach Club in Bang Tao last Sunday (Mar 6) to either take part in or spectate the SUP Thailand Invitational 2016. It was a very hot but really awesome day. @thephuketnews

The Rotary Club of Patong Beach this week donated B365,000 worth of monitoring equipment and a defibrillator for use in an ambulance at Patong Hospital. The ambulance was originally donated by the Club, along with the Doctors Association of Zurich and the Rotary club Uetliberg, Switzerland after the tsunami 11 years ago, but has lacked this necessary equipment. RCoPB President Walter Wyler and Doctors Association of Zurich representative Dr Peter Tschudi handed over the equipment to Patong Hospital’s Director, Dr Sirichai Silparcha and staff on Monday, 7 March. Dr Sirichai said the equipment would add great value to the hospital’s ability to treat patients quickly. Mr Wyler said RCoPB saw donating the funds for the equipment as an ongoing commitment toward the Phuket community in the medical area.

24 EVENTS

FRI

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

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

to Phuket’s expat residents from the east to the west of the island, will be found at Phuket International Hospital’s ‘Live Sabai in Phuket’, to enhance your living experience. Schools, restaurants, banking, real estate and telecommunications services, shopping, expat communities and sports clubs will all be offering their services and facilities in one place, on one day. Pop down to Phuket International Hospital’s ‘Live Sabai in Phuket’ on March 12th, enhance your standard of living and become part of Phuket’s vibrant expat community. Free entrance for everyone. Proudly supported by The Phuket News. Jenny Wei, Phuket International Hospital, 44 Chalermprakiat Ror 9, Muang, Phuket, jenny.w@siriroj. com, 076 249 400, jenny.w@siriroj.com.

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

will start and finish in Thanyapura Phuket. Supersports 10 Mile International Run 2016 presented by Thanyapura, will be held on Sunday -March 13, 2016 from 6.00am-9.00am. The running route is specially designed around beautiful sceneries of the Khao Phra Taew National Park and the rubber plantations. Distances/entry fee: 10 mile / 550 THB, 5 mile / 500 THB, 2 mile/ 450 THB, Kids distance 500M / 450 THB. Register now by 6 March at www.thanyapura.com/events, www.supersports.co.th or call 076-336 000. Proudly supported by Live 89.5 radio. Contact Nathaphat, Thanyapura Sports & Leisure Club Phuket, nathaphat.a@ thanyapura.com, 076 336 000 Ext. 5063.

Phuket Real Estate Show 2016

Join us for Phuket Real Estate Show 2016. The biggest home and condo show on Phuket. Every day from 4 - 13 March 2016 at HomeWorks Phuket from 10:00 am - 09:00 pm. Phuket properties at the lowest price and special promotion from more than 30 booths. Secure a purchase get a chance to win rewards up to THB300,000!! Register for daily lucky draw and win the gold prize. Proudly supported by The Phuket News. Contact Phuket Real Estate Association, prea. news@gmail.com, 086 471 4874.

Mussels night @ Shakers

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

SAT

12 MAR

Weekends Special Lunch Menu at TEXTURE Café & Restaurant

Lazy Sunday Brunch

We are a Western & fusion café & restaurant in the heart of Old Phuket Town, offering fine dining experiences in the relaxing contemporary Peranakan café atmosphere. The restaurant opens daily from 4:00–11:00 pm, closed every Wednesday. From November 2015 onwards, we are open for lunch during weekends from 11:00 am–11:00 pm with variety of new mouthwatering lunch menu. info@texturephuket. com, 081 916 1430.

Indulge yourself in a culinary experience like no other at DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Phuket Surin Beach; a wide selection of Thai delicacies alongside sushi platter, pasta, pizza, meat carving station and a variety of desserts you can’t miss! It also includes free flow of soft drinks! Only THB 399++ per person. Children aged 4-12 receive 50% discount off. This includes free access to our swimming pools, water slides and Kids Club.” RSVP 076 303 300.

Bollywood Phuket’s Weekend Special Indian Lunch Set

Beef, Pork & Lamb – Cauliflower, Broccoli, Peas, Carrots, Fried mushrooms, Grilled Tomatoes – Yorkshire pudding – Roasted Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes – Gravey, Mushroom sauce, Mint Sauce. Reservation Recommended 350 baht P.P., shakersphuket@gmail.com, 081 891 4381.

DJ SODA at XANA Beach Club 4th Anniversary Pink Party

To celebrate 4 years of smashing success in Phuket, XANA Beach Club at Bangtao bay is hosting a sensational Pink Party on Friday, March 11th, featuring a much-anticipated, one -time-only performance by superstar DJ Soda. As headliners for the event, DJ Soda and DJ Roxy June are bringing a rush of sonic energy to rock the crowd long through the night. info@ xanabeachclub.com, 076 358 500.

QSIP Carnival 2016

Come join us for a day of friendly family fun at QSI Phuket, from 11am - 3pm.

Come and enjoy the authentic flavour of India by indulging in our weekend ‘s special lunch set for only B399++ per person between 11am-3pm. Menu includes 3 staters, 4 main course and dessert served with Gulab Jamun/Phirni Vanilla Custard/Ice Cream (choose 1). All for just B399++ per person. For more info please call 076 304 034.

All you can eat Sunday Roast Buffet

Singapore Maths Learning Activities

Friday BBQ Buffet at SKYE Beach Club

Price at 799++, RSVP, SKYE Beach Club at Naiyang Beach, 093 582 7700.

“with one of the Most Successful Mathematics Program” Seriously Addictive Mathematics, or S.A.M is a mathematics learning and enrichment program from Singapore will arrange the free Maths activity through tool, props and games for preschool and primary school students from 4 to 12 years of age. The event will be held on March 12th from 9am to 5pm at Phuket International Hospital, “Live Sabai in Phuket” in the lobby of the new hospital building. www.facebook.com/samsingaporemathsphuket. 076 682 920, 062 050 1003.

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

SUN

13 MAR

Live Sabai in Phuket

Relocating to a new place can be daunting, especially when the culture and lifestyle are so different. A treasure hunt of local services available

Every Sunday from 12pm and all-day brunch and dinner every day from 7am-10pm. 0891037000 FB : Gallerycafe by Pinky, thegallerycafe@yahoo.com, 089 103 7000.

DAILY EVENT UPDATES ON

Indian Curry Night on Fridays

Come to Navrang Mahal in Karon Sea Sands Resort & Spa for an authentic Indian Feast every Friday in Karon Beach. Try out our delicious Aloo Tikki, Samosas, Chicken Tandoori, Aloo Gobi, Navrang Korma, Butter Chicken, Lamb Vindaloo, Naan, Rice, Salads, Chutneys / Achars, Pistachio Ice Cream, Gulah Jamun, Fruits. For only 499/- nett and special reduced prices on drinks. Contact: : 076 286 464 Ext 4.

Sunday roast at Gallery Cafe By Pinky @ new Chalong branch

Supersports 10 Mile International Run 2016 This is the second year that this unique race

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THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

SUN

13 MAR

SAT

EVENTS 25 19 MAR

SAT

2 APR

Adoption Event - Soi Dog Traditional Sunday Roast Angus O’Tool’s Karon Beach

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

MON

14 MAR

Dogs & Cats Free to a good home. All animals are sterilised and vaccinated. For more info, please contact thaiadoptions@soidog-foundation.org or teresa@soidog.org. Soidog.org.

MON

21 MAR

Miss Hooters Swimsuit Pageant - 2016

Hooters Asia invites all to this FREE ENTRY event, to discover which one of the beautiful Hooters girls will win the opportunity to represent Thailand at the Miss Hooters International Pageant. For more information please call Hooters on 076 349 850.

THU

7 APR

EVERY DAY

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare All you can eat BBQ night

6pm – 11pm: beef, pork, chicken, burgers, sausages, prawns & squids, salad buffet, choice of potatoes & sauces, bread, buns & garlic bread Reservation recommended 350 baht P.P., shakersphuket@gmail.com, 081 891 4381.

WED

16 MAR

400 years ago this year William Shakespeare passed on, but his plays live on, as funny, exciting and spell-binding as ever! Theatrix and HeadStart are presenting The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) at HeadStart on Mon., Mar. 21 at 4:30 p.m.! By popular demand this rollicking ride through all 37 plays in 97 minutes is back! Tickets are available at the HeadStart office or at the door. Don’t miss it! Recommended for all, 9 to 90. This first play in the Outta the Box Classics series is proudly sponsored by Phuket News, Live 89.5, Two Chefs, Oasis Ed. and Green Man. Theatrix, theatrixphuket@gmail.com.

SUN

27 MAR

Every Wednesday! All-you-can-eat Pasta and Pizza

Every Wednesday! All-you-can-eat Pasta and Pizza from special menu for only B450 per person, B990 with free flow beverages of all kinds. Wednesdays 6pm to 11pm, with live music. info@pastabellini.com. Located at Chalong Circle, Chao-Fa East.

All you can eat BBQ Ribs night

6pm – 11pm: All you can eat BBQ ribs served with salad buffet, potato salad & choice of sauces. Reservations recommended THB295 P.P., shakersphuket@gmail.com, 081 891 4381.

@thephuketnews

2nd Laguna Phuket Junior Golf Tournament 2016 Laguna Golf Phuket and the British International School Phuket are teaming up again to organize the 2nd Laguna Phuket Junior Golf Tournament! Aimed at getting juniors to have fun while enjoying the game of golf, the event will be held on 27th March 2016 including an exciting 18 holes golf competition around the award winning golf course, plus goodie bags, on-course refreshments and prize giving presentation following play. Entry is just THB 1,750. Open to juniors aged 6 – 18. For more information please contact 076 270 991 or golf@lagunaphuket.com. Proudly supported by Live 89.5.

Great Mexican, Thai and Flamegrilled Burgers in a beautiful setting!

8th Phuket Oilfield Classic Charity Golf Tournament This is an ideal opportunity for local companies to tap into a market segment (Oil and Gas Executives) not really catered for in Phuket. Now that this is a yearly fixture it is intended that a Phuket based Charity will be supported on an annual basis, for 2016 the children’s charity chosen is Barnhem. If you want to participate in this year’s event, please visit asiangolfevents. com. Proudly supported by The Phuket News, Live 89.5 and Phuket News TV.

FRI

29 APR

InterBike Hash #4 Phuket Mountain Bike Hash will be hosting the InterBike Hash #4 between 29 April & 1 May, drawing Hashers from all over SEA and beyond. Enjoy the lush tropics of the Andaman Sea, with 3 days of guided off-road rides for strong-willed and meeker hearts. Indulge in Phuket’s history, folklore, and hash festivities. We promise COLD drinks, wet water, and hot weather….along with your favorite ‘forget-me-not’ souvenirs. Registration required and limited to 200. Special lodging arrangements, find all details on our website - http://phuketinterbikehash.com.

If you have time this month get down to Sea Breeze located in Royal Phuket Marina. Open 9am to 10pm everyday serving home-made mexican specialties, flame grilled burgers and Thai specials! All sport available shown live, Contact: Reservations, info@seabreezerpm.com, 076 360 806.

Filipino faith healing and psychic surgery A unique opportunity to get medical treatment from one of the leading Filipino faith healers and psychic surgeons visiting Phuket from 8 to 15 of March. Limited spaces available. To get more detail and book and appointment, please call 094 587 1639.

26 TIME OUT

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Crossword by Myles Mellor & Sally York Across 1. Which King’s defeat ended the War of the Roses? 2. What was originally made from white Trebbiano grape juice, and used as a condiment? 3. Most of Russia’s gas exports to Europe are sent by pipeline through which country? 4. What is the name of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in Predator? 5. Who wrote Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots and The Sleeping Beauty? Answers below, centre.

SUDOKU

60. Ecstatic 65. New Delhi salad 1. State in NE India 66. Sprawl 6. Sombrero, e.g. 67. Pittsburgh 9. Table part product 14. Part of an act 68. Composer 15. Bar stock Bruckner 16. Pacific island 69. Bow wood 17. Flowering tropical 70. Robe material shrubs 20. Leader born in Down Georgia 21. Boston suburb 1. Egyptian snakes 22. Four quarters 2. “Beat it!” 23. Taboos 3. Word repeated 24. Kimono tie after “Que,” in 27. First place? song 33. Took 4. Kind of recording 34. Scottish cap 5. City north of 35. Hidden Mecca 36. Become 6. Mins. and mins. accustomed (to) 7. Sailor’s 39. Drops on blades affirmative 41. Butter up? 8. Non-stick 42. Harangue material 44. Adage 9. Before long 46. Junior, e.g. 10. Instrument 47. Bible location 11. French way 51. Landscaper’s 12. Hart Trophy need winner, 1970-72 52. Kind of pedal 13. Fraternity letters 18. Not moving 53. Ill temper 54. Number following 19. Disinfectant brand a Henry 23. Ruin 56. Lounge lizard

24. “Potemkin” setting 25. Determined to 26. Aim 27. Oliver’s family 28. Boss 29. Became used to 30. Family man 31. Groovy 32. Zeta follower 37. Capitol V.I.P.: abbr. 38. Suffix with pamphlet 40. Took place 43. Stray calf 45. Consider 48. For the most part 49. Least interesting 50. Emissary 54. Emphatic no 55. “Terrible” czar 57. Completed 58. Look like a wolf 59. Sole 60. Glass of public radio 61. A Bobbsey twin 62. Canine command 63. Bit of business attire 64. Chop down

Solutions to last week’s puzzles:

Answers to this week’s Pop Quiz: 1) The reign of Richard III; 2. Balsamic vinegar; 3. Ukraine; 4. Dutch; 5. Charles Perrault

GOT YOUR NUMBER

ISLAND VIEW

■■ March 11, 1990

Lithuania declares itself independent from the Soviet Union.

hours of silence per day prompts cell development in the hippocampus region of the brain, where memories are formed.

■■ March 12, 1894

Coca-Cola is bottled and sold for the first time in Vick sbu rg, Mississippi, by local soda fountain operator Joseph Biedenharn.

per cent of the world’s population have six or more tattoos.

170

■■ March 13, 1693

Harvard College is named after clergyman John Harvard.

per cent is the increase in the chance of a second date if you go for sushi on the first date, says a Singles in America survey.

■■ March 14, 1951

Korean War: For the second time, United Nations troops recapture Seoul.

153,000

■■ March 15, 44 BC

Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus and several other Roman senators on the Ides of March.

people on average will die on your birthday.

175 million

16GB iPhones could have been filled by the data streamed by PornHub alone in 2015, which on average streamed 75GB of data a second for the whole year. Source: Uberfacts

This week in history

■■ March 16, 597 BC

Babylonians capture Jerusalem, and replace Jeconiah with Zedekiah as king.

Volleyball on the beach. Photo by Rick Nuffer Got an unusual or particularly beautiful picture of Phuket? Email it to execeditor@classactmedia.co.th

■■ March 17, 1963

Mount Agung erupts on Bali, killing more than 1,100 people. Source: Wikipedia thephuketnews

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STORAGE Reserve Your Storage Space

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or visit mystorageasia.com

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

Secure, Clean & Cost Effective Self Storage Jungceylon Shopping Center, Patong, Phuket

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Buy&Sell BOATS, YACHTS FOR SALE 1 engine speedboat for sale Honda 250 H.P. 15 passengers+3 crew, Length–8.10m, Width–2.40, Depth-1.6. Excellent conditions, sound system Located in Chalong. Vladimir, sales@joydive.asia, 0841828685.

Boston Whaler conquest 255 Immaculate condition, Mercury 150hp x 2 very low hours, Thai registered. This boat comes with full inventory. Lying AoPo marina Phuket. mikehigh1@gmail. com Mike, mikehigh1@gmail.com, 088 768 4701.

40 ft long tail 18 month old, licence to carry 15 passengers. Nissan motor. 170,000 Baht. Call 099 118 8540.

Yacht Chartering and Resort

Big A Swan 55 Yacht Chartering and Resort in Phuket Thailand Sailing : Big A Swan 55, Accommodation: Big A Resort 076-383080 Email: bigasail@samart.co.th.

ACTIVITIES, GROUPS Roof top Patong Mini Golf

The best sea view 18 Holes, roof top Mini Golf. Located on the 4th floor of Banana Walk Plaza in Patong, 091 762 2628, http://patongminigolf.com

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.

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

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PETS

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Unique Stretch Limo Business Only available Stretch Limo in Thailand. 9 meters long 8 pax, in good condition with all documents and green plates. Turn key business incl. website just to take over and start to make money! 2,500,000.-, Patitta Apichotjarus, Patong, phuketstretchlimo@gmail. com, 080 145 0082.

Business for Sale

Horse and Dog Vet Hospital Open from 10am. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8pm.*Service all types of animals. * Experienced professionals.Contact: 076 620 136 /084 210 6868 and contact@horsedogvet.com www.horsedogvet.com

Non tourist/bar related business for sale, yearly turnover of 15MB. Call 087 276 0529 or 081 968 6051 for more details.

Newly renovated hotel for rent

Pets Magic Planet

Newly renovated hotel/guest house in Patongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart for rent from owner. 12 rooms, 2 shops to busy street, many facilities. More details check thephuketnews.com, search Listing ID 55398 or call +66(0)81 538 1399.

Open from 9am. - 7pm. *The best international brands. * The ultimate choice. * Luxury accessries & jewels. Contact: 076 620 106 / 091 040 4000 and contact@petsmagicplanet.com

Restaurant on Main Street Large, tastefully decorated restaurant in Cherngtalay. Fully fitted and equipped kitchen, 100 seats, bar. Walk in and start business. Now only B790,000, 089 400 5907.

German bakery & deli & snack Main road, 8 years clientele, take over + incl. training complete equipment, staff room, 3 or 5 years leasing contract. Yearly volume 4 mio. hansibakery@gmail.com, Price: 3.5 million, Contact Mr. Stark.

Best Deal Rawai business for sale. Area approx 2Rai, can do restaurant or other business.Five mins from beach. Long term lease, yearly rent B200,000. 4 bedrooms house included. Reduce from B980,000 to B520,000. Contact Khun Asoke at 089 646 7176 / big_redchili@yahoo.com

CAR FOR SALE TOYOTA CORALLA ALTIS TRD Sept. 2011. 57000 km. 1 farang owner no accident. Toyota service. Top condition. Tel: 086 043 4315 (English and German). 440,000, Per Dompert, Phuket, perdompert@hotmail.com, 086 043 4315.

TOYOTA ALTIS 1.6G AT

2008. 62K kms. White. Usual G refinements. Insurance, FSH, Lady driver 395K baht ono 395K, Clive Roberts, crob58@gmail.com, 081 087 9237 or 086 270 8727.

Chevy Captiva LT 2008 Chevrolet Captiva LT 2008, 499,000 Baht, 62.000 KM, 1 Owner, 2.0L Turbo Diesel, Full Chevy Service History, No Accidents, 1st Class Insurance. Tel. 082 804 1742.

TOYOTA Fortuner 2009 7 seats, Silver, GPS video, Family car Diesel 2,694cc, Blue book Service history Toyota Pearl 78,000kms. AUTOMATIC transmission, golfguru2005@yahoo.co.uk, 076 615 827.

2012 Toyota Fortuner 24,000km 2012 Pearl white Toyota Fortuna For Sale. 3.0 D4D VN Turbo Great condition- Baht Black leather interior. Tax / insurance till 2016, 900,000, Loch Palm, Kathu, Phuket, glawre123@gmail.com, 0898668825.

Nissan Teana 2.5Lt Model 2014 17,000km. New price 1.7Mln NOW 1,050,000Baht Eng: 081 788 8280 Thai: 090 163 2140, Contact Maurice, maurice.phuket@gmail. com , 090 163 2140.

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Honda Jazz 2009 1500cc Auto

MOTORBIKES FOR SALE Kawasaki Versys 650 ABS 2012 Showroom condition, new from Kawasaki Phuket May 2012, 2,000km, Hepco & Becker Engine Bars & Rear-rack, Kawasaki Handguards and Pyramid Hugger., 220,000 THB, Paul, 084 1 303 234, Plongmore@hotmail.com.

MEMBERSHIPS Blue Canyon Membership Blue Canyon Membership for sale. 1 corporate nominee for sale THB 630,000 inc transfer fee. grahamhaslam@hotmail.com.

PETS FOR ADOPTION

CAR WASH DELIVERY

Two cute Poodles We are 2 cute Poodles, both under 5kgs & the best of friends & wish to find a new loving home together, both of us are sterilized, vaccinated & healthy. Please contact Sherin.peace@gmail. com for adoption enquires.

Tired Of Waiting? We clean your car at your place - at your time. No.1 car wash delivery in Phuket. Call 076-355-042 or go to CleanCar.me for more details.

PUBLIC NOTICES

PERSONAL SERVICES

Notice In June 2016, Bangkok Hospital Phuket will have to destroy patient records being inactive for over 10 years. For assistance & information, call 1719 or e-mail us at info@phukethospital.com.

De Laguna By Dr.JaQ International Clinic English Speaking Doctor By Appointment 095 0851188 FB: DrJaq Warnnissorn Providing Anti-Aging (Botox, Filler, Live Cell Therapy, Alternative Cancer Treatment, Chelation Medical, House Call). Integrative and Advancement in Medicine for individualized treatment programs for patients of all ages and with various disorders, Email: tosawcute@gmail.com.

FURNITURE FOR SALE Swinging Sun Loungers For Sale Swinging, sun loungers, brand new, excellent quality- 6,000 baht only, Contact: Eddy, eddyelan@ yahoo.com, 0899710278.

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.

OTHER For Sale Industrial over locker. Whitehouse Brand. 3 Thread. Brand new never used. Full tool kit. Bargain at 12,000 Baht. Call Sandi 087 264 0778.

RESORT FOR SALE/LEASE

Resort for sale lease any offer consider! I want go sailing again!!, Address : 67/18 Soi Sermsuk Rawai Phuket, bigasail@samart.co.th, Contact +66 (0)86 9401860.

Office Space Laguna

Office Space Laguna - Plaza del Mar Fully Furnished offices 4 Office Suite plus boardroom Rent entire unit or individual office 080 045 4474.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Sea View Land 265 Met. Pub.Rd. Great investment. 3/5 Rai Plots. NSG3 Titles. Price start 4 M/Rai. Full infra. 265 Pub. Rd. Frontage. Located on Koh Yao Yai resort area, just 25 min. speed boat from Phuket. We can make easy half day trip 10am-2pm. Call Charlie /more info, Koh Yao Yai, charlieraines@hotmail.

COMMUNITY com, 062 069 1965.

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 40,000bht, REDUCED to 330,000bht o.n.o, Andy +66846909144, andysmalster@gmail.com.

Patong Tower and Andaman Beach suite for sale Mountains and Sea Views, Call David 080 692 6114, email: patongrealestate@gmail.com.

CARS WANTED Urgent need Toyota hilux vigo

Luxury Apartment hotel in Kata

Want to sell your Toyota hilux vigo Champ ? vigo4u is the best palace to sell your Toyota. Vigo4u now in Phuket, Pataya and Bangkok also. 084 344 3444, 02 810 8117.

MOTORBIKES FOR SALE Stallion Mini Momo for sale

Year 2012. Good condition, one owner, well maintained. Price 18,000 baht. Pls call 082 732 4531.

Luxury Apartment hotel for sale in Kata beach. 356sqm, 3 floors. 12 rooms, all have sea view, kitchen, Thai chanote or 90 years lease. 30 MB., Noi (Thai & EN), Kata Beach, t_senrum@live. com.au, 083 391 5525.

Karon Beach New House For Sale/Rent 80 Sqm. 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom, Terrace carport. Nice Sea view. Sale 5.8 MB. Rent long term 18,000 per month. Gunter Kraus, Phuket, naruchai@gmx.de, 091 040 2471.

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CLASSIFIEDS 33

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Buy&Sell

PROPERTY FOR SALE Villa For Sale / Rent Located at Naiharn beach Soi Naya 3, Mountain view, Swimming pool, Balcony, 2 floor, 4 bed room. Total 92 sq.m. Thai 081 958 0542 ENG 081 956 6813.

Owner Sales Appartment “ The Pearl of Naithon “ Leasehold Total area 226,66 SQM including terrace 41,25 Sqm. 3 bedrooms with 3 bathrooms Price THB 13.5 million. MP: 089 814 1458.

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PROPERTY FOR SALE Land for sale - Mission Height NICE LAND FOR SALE AT MISSION HEIGHT, JUST OVER ONE RAI. Phone 093 629 4400 English, 082 421 4842 Thai.

For Sale or Rent 4 bedroom 3 bath room excellent view Chalong bay 3 storage,Fully furnished all new swimming pool in quiet area Rawai beach. All inquires. Tidarat, 087 466 5635.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Alexander Kolesnikov 3 Bedroom Villa for sale. Building 320 s.m. Land 900 s.m. Nice garden, 2 cars garage, study. Just 3 minutes from BIS. 15 MB, Contact Alexander, alexkolinz@gmail.com, 089 651 3250.

Chalong Villa for sale

Living area 450 sq.m, Land 800 sq.m. 1st floor: Living room, Master bdr with en-suite bth, Kitchen, Seaview terrace, Pool, Carpark. 2nd floor: 4 bdr with bth, 2nd living room, Office. 19.5M, oliver@thurmanngroup.com, 087 877 2320.

House for sale Private pool villa with lovely garden half a rai. Quite and safe area. 3 bedroom 2 bathroom open kitchen. 160 m2 Situated in Ban Pahra. 12 minutes to PIA, Phuket Airport, Nay Yang beach, and Blue Canyon Golf course. 2 min to Mission Hill Golf course.Price 8 million baht, 225 000 euro, bergsstigen@ telia.com, 090 701 4204.

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SPACIOUS 4-BED RAWAI VILLA

Two-story house in Phuket City Land 400 sq. m, living area 344 sq.m, 6 rooms, 3 bathrooms, maid’s room with bath. Fully furnished. Very good for living and business. 15,000,000.-, Pauline Haldemann, haldemwa@ hotmail.com, 081 895 0038.

Beautiful home in 1,038sqm gardens.Three en suite beds, guest house, 9x4m pool, maid’s room. Living space 320sqm. Private access. Reduced to 12,000,000THB, alangath@ gmail.com, 087 273 0141.

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Buy&Sell

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

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PROPERTY FOR SALE

Alexander Kolesnikov

Land & 4 storey Commercial building for sell.Patong. Just 60 m from the beach. Guesthouse 6 luxury rooms + restaurant 40 seats. 17 MB, Contact Alexander, alexkolinz@gmail.com, 089 651 3250.

Fire sale 7 shop houses for sale, 20 meters from Chalong round about. On the way to pier for Sale. 25 Million, kieranpmadden@hotmail.com, 096 924 4661.

Ocean Front Villa Brand new, fully furnished, 3-4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 10-meter infinity swimming pool, beautiful view. For quick sale only 19.5 million baht. Guaranteed rental 8% per year. Montha, 081 343 0777.

Land For Sale 3 Mil Baht

In Thalang area 2.5 Rai beautiful, flat land with access road, Chanote title, only 5 minutes from Thanyapura (PIA International school). sk.thanya@ gmail.com, 081 737 8624.

Brand new 3 bed villa Onyx Living area 160 sq.m. Land 200 sq.m. Fully luxury furnished. Open plan living room with kitchen, Private & Peaceful area, Security gate estate, Gym. 8.9M, oliver@thurmanngroup. com, 087 877 2320.

Villa for sale

Exclusive Villa with Pool and Garden In Phuket, Rawai/Nai Harn, Land size: 1’700 m2, build up area 400m2. Private sale, no agents please. 36 MB, JasminConsulting@gmx.net.

The Base Downtown - Sale/Rent 1 Bed (35sqm) & 2 Bed (60sqm), fully furnished, pool view. Near Central, BIS, Big C, Lotus, Siriroj hospital, Darasamut School, Thai Hua School (Close to new Central Embassy- good investment). Swimming pool, fitness & library. Rent:15,000-25,000 THB/month and 35,000-45,000 THB/month. Panattaporn.c@gmail.com, 093 639 4654.

Make money NOW - Kata Beach House for sale

West coast Phuket Great Location, Spa, 7 Bedroom, 7 Bathroom, all with kitchens. Rent or live with good income. 5 minutes walk to Kata beach. ขายของได้ 9 MB or Offer, Khun Arreerat, kataari@ yahoo.com, 086 595 8512, 081 970 4638.

House for sale

Good location in Chalong area 3 Bedroom 2 Bathroom, 200 sqm House on 800 sqm plot Including furniture, 084 745 5546.

Beachfront House 4-Bedroom house on semiprivate beach available for sale and rent. Can easily be divided into two separate and identical properties. The rental/sale can also include a self-contained 1-bedroom bungalow, Price: 18.2 MB, Rent 110,000 THB, Alex Seago, home@thaivillaboutique.com, 087-8923876.

1-6 months offer. Free stay 2 week on conditions. Fully furnished w washing machine. Mountains view, 5th fl. Bike rental. See room from Mar 12, move in from 15 Mar. Tiya, lodchong77th@yahoo.com, 089 600 0041.

House For Sale Located in Rawai soi Samaki3 2 bedroom 2 bathroom 1 Laundry room 1 storage room Living area 160 sq.m, Chanot title 280 sq.m. 3.2 MB., Rico9963@hotmail.com, 083 640 9041

Phuket Beach Front Land 14 RAI Beach front Phuket,Phungnga Close 5-7*hote,Chanode title,90 meters of water frontage More than 100 m wide beach&small piece of land close to the beach 25MB/RAI, Ms.Pam, phuketmyhouse@gmail.com, 089 868 8668.

D Condo Creek Short term offer

Partner for resort wanted

5 Rai. hillside Maikhao beach. Main buiding finished. Nice sunset seaview, 087 267 1192, Julius_schuster2001@yahoo.de

SMALL RESORT BY LAGUNA

4 Luxury villas, office, 2 pools, 1 Rai - Chanote. Secure investment, price below replacement cost, money maker. Owner 82 retiring. 30 Mil Baht. Lets talk. Owner, 089 594 4067.

PROPERTY FOR RENT

Vassana Residence. Rawai Fully furnished 2 Bedroom 2 Bathroom. Swimming pool on ground. WiFi and cable TV included in price. 160M.S. in size. long term only. 35,000, Art, Rawai / NaiHarn, vassana. residence@gmail.com, Eng.087 882 9604.

Sale. Semi detached house

Living room 2 double bedrooms 1 fitted furniture and en-suite fitted kitchen office bathroom carport garden Land 188sqm, house 75sqm. 2,000,000, Khun Peter, Baan Pleunjan 2, Paklok, Talang, lowprofile@mail.com, 086 905 1406.

For Sale/Rent (5 Days - 6 Months) 4 Floors, 6 Bedrooms, 4 Bathrooms. Fully furnished. Kuku, Phuket Town. Contact Joy, 093 596 2757, joyfulphuket@gmail.com.

Anuphas Golfville House- Kathu

Land 162 sqwa. Large Pool/Jacuzzi-3 Bed-4 Bath-Office-2 Storage Building-Alarm System and much more. Reduced 22MB to 18 MB for Quick Sale. mrgeoffcurry@yahoo.com, Si +6681 970 8896 TH/ENG, Geoff+6681 854 0061 ENG.

LUXURY POOL VILLA BY LAGUNA

Ocean Front Land 3.5 Rai with 90 meter of water frontage, opposite of Yacht Haven marina, 800 meter away on Phangnga side. Public road, electricity, water and ready to build. For sale direct from owner, only 19.5 mill Baht. Montha , 081 343 0777.

Kata Seaview Condo For Sale New 1 bedroom with great sea and sunset views! 44sqm. Leasehold with foriegn freehold available. Swimming pool, sauna and clubhouse. Flexible furniture options. Great management and rental program, 082 254 0760.

Has everything, comfort, security, live in a small resort - lush tropical garden. 35,000 Baht per month. Long lease. Owner, 089 594 4067.

Retail space for rent

Retail space available in the Ocean Plaza Patong for massage, beauty, coffee, souvenir shops etc. Low rent contracts for up to 12 yrs. For info call Natty at 086 281 8883 or 076 343 506. 3632, Nattida Thaboondee, g.cummings@hotmail.com, 086 281 8883.

Chalong Villa for rent Living area 450 sq.m, Land: 800 sq.m. 1st floor: Living room, Master bdr with en-suite bth, Kitchen, Sea view terrace, Pool, 2nd floor: 4 bdr with bth, 2nd living room, Office. 90,000/month/year., oliver@thurmanngroup.

Townhouse for sale. Chalong. Townhouse 150sq.m, 2 storey, 2 bedroom, living room, kitchen, 2 balcony, 2 bathroom, office, parking. Fully furnitured. Chalong circle, Price: 3700000, Contact: Mariya, mvs97@yandex.ru, 0822751146, Fax: 0918053725.

com, 087 877 2320.

Amazing Sea view Penthouse in Rawai

House in Karon for Sale. Hard

to find 3 bed room , 3 bath room house for sale in the perfect location near Kata & Karon beach, well maintained with a salt water pool, Price : 16,000,000, Narrisara (Tic), 7/8 Patak Soi 10, Karon, g-a-coates@ hotmail.com, 0991642991.

Sea view land in Patong The Last Piece of Sea View Land on Prime Location in Patong, just 500 m. from Patong beach, 1.3 KM. to Jungceylon Shopping Mall, Contact: Karuna, kpattarawalee@ gmail.com, 089 967 5373.

Waterfront Condominium The Cleat Condo, residence project in Krabi Boat Lagoon Marina. Price 3-9MB, size 37119 Sq.M., 1 or 2 bedroom, marina view. For rent/sale. marketing@phuketpropertytrip.com

Ocean View Land Kamala Half rai 797sq.m. cleared and leveled, power connected, sealed road, MUST SELL 6.75million. For ENG 090 492 3101 THA 093 768 6694.

Outstanding Villa for sale 3 bed/3 bath, Living area 370 sq.m, Land 600 sq.m. Located at the 4 Star Residence. Spacious living quarters, open plan living, dining areas, gourmet kitchen, private pool. 14.9M, oliver@thurmanngroup.com, +66 (0)87 877 2320.

FOR RENT Amazing Sea view Penthouse in Rawai. 360 p ํ anoramic breathtaking views of Chalong bay, mountain view and big Buddha. Two bedrooms, 310 sq.m of spacious living area and balconies. Please contact Izzy 086-278 8300 or Danai 090 170 0429. propertysales@serenityphuket.com.

Surin Andaman Apt - 2 beds

100 sqm w 2 beds, close to Surin & Bangtao beaches. Common Pool. Fully furnished with AC, fans, internet, cable TV. Short term possible. 24,000 THB, 081 273 1740.

House for rent - Near Pah-klok

Long term, quality furnishings, near Heroines Monument, 3 bed, 2 baths plus office. Good garden. THB35,000 per month. Call 087 878 5804.

PATONG: 1 and 2 Bed Apartments

2-Bed/2-Bath & Studio for rent. Balcony. Full A/C. Western Kitchen. Modern furnished. All Extras. Fast WIFI free. Ouiet Location & well maintained. Email : khunrei@gmail.com, 084 185 8536.

CHALONG BEACH FRONT LAND Direct beach front land for rent. Long and short term. Area 2400 sq meter with beach front of 40 meter, Contact: Mr. Narin, narinpga@gmail.com, 081 826 9390.

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

SPORT 35

Phuket FC net five Dragon sink Dredgers in friendly

Laguna Marathon set for entries sell-out MARATHON IF YOU HAVEN’T ALReady signed-up for this year’s Laguna Phuket Marathon, you might want to sooner rather than later as the entries are filling-up, and filling-up fast! With about 90 days until race days on 4-5 June 2016, entries to all races taking place at the 11th Laguna Phuket Marathon are going quickly. The marathon on 5 June already has over 1,000 registered athletes, taking up more than half of the race’s available slots. The half-marathon, also taking place on 5 June, is also receiving much interest with close to 1,000 runners already registered. The total number of entry slots at this year’s Laguna Phuket Marathon is limited to a total of 8,300 slots, which can be broken down into 2,000 entries each for the marathon, half-marathon, 10.5km run, and the 5km Walk and Run, as well as 300 entries for the Kids’ Run. Last year close to 6,000 athletes participated in the races, making the tenth anniversary of the Laguna Phuket Marathon a record-breaking, sold-out event. “From the number of entries already registered and the growing interest we’ve received, we can say with certainty that this year’s Laguna Phuket Marathon is set to be another sold-out event, perhaps even faster

than last year,” said Roman Floesser, General Manager of Go Adventure Asia, the organisers of the event. Responding to the overwhelming popularity of the event, which is considered to be the largest destination marathon in Asia, race organisers Go Adventure Asia are introducing two days of fun-filled, action-packed days at this year’s edition. The first day, 4 June will see participants in the 2km, 5km and 10.5km events running through the beautiful Laguna Phuket complex as well as winding through surrounding rubber tree plantations and local villages. The second day of events starts early on June 5 when the runners in the half marathon and marathon take to the course. With this new race format, runners can actually participate in more than one race, and, in the process, get two medals that once put next to each other create a stunning visual. Runners only need to register for the 10.5km run on 4 June as well as the half marathon or marathon on 5 June do this. For further information or to register for the 11th Laguna Phuket Marathon races, please visit www.phuketmarathon. com, www.gotorace.com or call +66 2 236-2931-2. Class Act Media are proud media sponsors for this event.

BISP scoop medals at Cruzeiro tourney FOOTBALL BRITISH INTERNATIONal School, Phuket (BISP) held the Asian Cruzeiro Championship last Saturday (Mar 5) and Sunday (Mar 6). A BISP Cruzeiro Football Academy tournament, it featured Phuket and international Under 9, U13 and U19 boys and girls teams.

Full Results

U19 Boys First place – BISP Cruzeiro Second place – Muang Talang Third place – Phuket Wittayalai U19 Girls First place – BISP Cruzeiro @thephuketnews

Second place – Misfits Third place – BISP Cruzeiro Blue U13 Boys First place – Dragon Jr Second place – SCC Third place – Bisp Cruzeiro U13 Girls First place – Banntuwnkha Second place – SCC Third place – BISP Cruzeiro U9 Boys First place – Bang Jo Second place – HeadStart Third place – Dragon Jr Fourth place – BISP Cruzeiro U9 Girls First place – YFH Second place – U7 Cruzeiro Boys Third place – BISP Cruzeiro

FOOTBALL Matt Pond editor@classactmedia.co.th

aving already come home with a 1-0 victory over Phang Nga FC in a pre-season friendly last month, the island’s Phuket FC were looking to seal another win when they took on The Dredgers on home soil last Friday night (Mar 4). Around 1,000 fans turned out at Surakul Stadium to watch the game, and the newlook outfit didn’t disappoint as the Andaman Dragon romped to a 5-0 win and put on a performance which many will hope is the shape of things to come for the coming season. The starting 11 for the Andaman Dragon was much the same as for previous preseason friendlies already played this year, but saw the addition of Sukree Etae who recently rejoined the club following his departure from Chonburi FC, and who was the scorer of two of Phuket’s five goals. Sukree was on a seasonlong loan to Phuket from Chonburi back in 2013. It was an impressive first 45 minutes for the hosts who had much of the possession throughout the half, and the two goals from Sukree, along with the opener by South Korean forward Park Goen Yong, saw the team go in at 3-0 up at half-time. One of Phuket’s stand-out

Super-sub Saroje Jitsanor netted a brace after coming on late in the second half, including this goal from the penalty spot. Photo: Hari Lee Song Tue players of the first half, despite not scoring, was Dosso Mamoudou of the Ivory Coast, who in his attacking midfield position, showed that he is desperate to score his first goal for the side, and, if his performance on Friday is anything to go by, once he does score it could well be the first of many to look forward to from him throughout the season. However, it was Phang Nga who came out from the break the fresher of the two teams, and much of the play in the early stages of the second 45 was in Phuket’s half. The visitors created plenty of chances but were unable to find the final touches to get the ball in the net. In the latter stages of the game, Phuket made some changes on the field, including the introduction of Saroje Jitsanor, who, although only coming on with only around 15 minutes left to play, managed

to score a brace, the second from the penalty spot in the dying minutes of the game, and brought the final score to 5-0. Despite the victory and impressive performance, Phuket FC coach Pittaya “Odd” Phimarnman told The Phuket News after the game that there are still areas where the team need to improve and that two more signings were being sought before season kick-off, a central defender and another striker. “We hope to make two more signings for these positions before the season starts,” Coach Odd said. Meanwhile, in a statement released on the club’s Facebook page on Saturday morning (Mar 5), Phuket FC President MaAnn Samran said: “Thank you to the fans, sponsors, friends, players and coaching staff who are standing with us and giving us support. You are giving us the energy to go on this path in the name

of Phuket FC. “Yesterday we made both positive and negative decisions with regards to the team selection, but the final scoreline was a miracle and left us all with a smile. This result gives us the energy to go on to fight in the coming season,” the statement read. It continued: “We want to keep a good profile and improve on the qualities we lack, we must solve every issue that hinders our success whether it’s in the game itself or in the management team. “I invite all to help us solve any internal problems we have by giving us advice and ideas because Phuket FC is everyone’s team. Thank you.” It is hoped that Phuket can get two or three additional friendlies arranged before season start, however, no dates or teams have yet to be confirmed. The Phuket News is proud media sponsor of Phuket FC.

36 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

PGFC hold another successful Classic FISHING

ow in its sixth year, the Phuket Game Fishing Club’s annual tournament was once again held offshore from the Similan Islands. This year, bearing the title “PGFC Thailand 2016 Classic”, the event ran continuously over three days with non-stop fishing from 8am on March 1 to 4pm on March 3, with teams battling for an impressive array of prizes. With the wind of the previous few days mercifully having abated, conditions were once again excellent for fishing, allowing anglers plenty of opportunity for a variety of techniques, including jigging and bottom fishing as well as daytime trolling. Prize categories were for the largest fish of each of nine eligible species. The Champion Team trophy was awarded to the team securing most points from the species awards, and the prize list ensured plenty of keen competition among the more than 30 anglers taking part. Whilst fishing was challenging, those choosing the

Sergei from runaway winners and champion team for the second year running, PhuketFishing.ru. right techniques and locations showed the quality and quantity of fish to be caught. Although no marlin or sailfish were recorded as caught and released this year, it was not for lack of strikes, with over

10 having been reported, of which at least three marlin were lost within a few feet of the boat, the largest of which was estimated at over 350lbs. After the three hard fought days, over 75 participants and

their families, anglers, boat owners, sponsors and crew members gathered at KanEang@Pier restaurant, Chalong for a splendid dinner followed by presentation of the awards. Congratulations to the runaway winners and Champion Team for the second year running, Phuket-Fishing.ru, with a massive 150 points total. Their winning haul included the heaviest Trevally, 21.8Kg; Tuna, 20.4Kg; Mackerel, 7.0Kg and Barracuda, 4.8KG, as well as the largest “Other Species” fish, a whopping 27.4Kg grouper. In second place, the Slough Sharks with 30 points claimed the best Dorado of 8.4Kg and the runner-up Wahoo of 7.4Kg. The tournament’s only all-ladies team, the Outcasts from Australia claimed third place with the largest Wahoo of 9.0Kg. Sincere thanks go to all sponsors for their generous support of the event, without whom it wouldn’t be possible. Full results and event photographs can be seen on the PGFC website, www.phuketgamefishingclub.com. The Phuket News were proud media sponsors of this event.

Ting Tong Bar stay ahead of the rest DARTS IT WAS WEEK EIGHT OF the Patong Darts League last Tuesday (Mar 3), and the Mouse Hole played a blinder against their arch rivals CrossRoads, but it was a 10-6 win for Mouse House, and the only consolation for Crossroads was their lads winning the beer leg this time around. Meanwhile, Ting Tong flexed their darting muscles at Simon & Oils. They continued

The Ting Tong Bar darts squad are very grateful for having this guy in their team; Big Ronnie is a well known face on the Patong darts scene and few can beat him. their unbeaten run and keep their 5 points lead over the rest of the pack. Starfish Bar took a trip over to Kamala to play the Do Duck Inn, and after an early scare they pulled through to

triumph 11-6, a fine away win over a good side. The team from Harry’s Steak House were quietly confident that they’d win their home game against the Genius Bar, but the opposi-

tion had different ideas and bought along a ‘ringer’ to secure the game; Q, a regular for the Black Prince Bar who stepped in at the last minute on his day off to scuffle the home teams victory plans. The Patong Darts League is always looking for new players, so if you want to get involved; either leave a message on the ‘Patong Darts League’ Facebook page (public group) or phone Rod on 0822718040.

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS

Run #1571: Saturday 12 March, 2016 Run Start Time: 4PM Hares: Nothing, Black Hole Driller, TOTF Location: Chao Fa West Klong Krata Reservoir Directions: From Chalong circle take Chao Fa West north 3.6km (300 metres past Wat Luang Pu Supha) and at the Family Mart turn left into Soi 73 toward Phukuka Golf

driving range. Continue about 1.2km and turn left into the New Dam road. Drive to the very back about 1km then over the bridge turn right up the old potholed road. After approximately 50 metres, turn right onto narrow track road (slightly down hill). Follow track road to laager site. From Central, travel south on Chao Fa West. Beyond Honda City intersection 2.8km, at the Family Mart, turn right into Soi 73 toward Phukuka Golf and continue as above. Hare Advisory: There is parking in the laager site as well as along the side of the track/ road. If you park on the track/ road, it is best to continue up the road and turn around so you are facing out for when the circle closes. Hash Bus Pickup Schedule: Kamala @ Black Cat’s Bar: 2:15pm Patong @ E xpat Hotel: 2:45pm Kathu: @ Little Expat 3:15pm

The extremely tired but really proud prize winners.

Outrigger’s annual tennis tourney raises B60,000 TENNIS

THE OUTRIGGER LAGUNA Phuket Beach Resort’s 3rd annual Charity Tennis Tournament was held last Saturday (Mar 5) and Sunday (Mar 6) at the resort’s Tennis Centre. The tournament brought together 70 players from Phuket, Trang, Songkhla, Phang Nga, Krabi and Surat Thani who all participated to raise money for the Baan Khok Wat Mai School. Three doubles competitions were held for intermediate players, an over 80 combined age event and an open tourna-

ment. The winning teams were as follows: Intermediate Player Tournament: Khun Winya and Khun Wannachai from Trisara. Over 80s combined age Tournament: Khun Woravug and Dr Banyong. Open Tournament: Khun Chanathip and Khun Kongnath from Thanyapura. Outrigger Laguna Phuket would like to thank the support of their sponsors and all who participated in the event which raised over B60,000. These funds will be invested in the Baan Khok Wat Mai School project starting with renovations to the canteen.

Young BISP teams show promise BASKETBALL TWO JUNIOR BASKETball teams from British International School, Phuket (BISP) travelled to Singapore on February 26 to take part in the inaugural Under 14 Peninsula Sports Federation (PSF) basketball tournament. The event featured a high standard of competition, with a total of eight teams participating from around Singapore and Thailand.

Made up of mainly Year 7 and 8 students, BISP’s two sides were the youngest in the tournament. Their aim was to play hard and fair and improve with every game. And the students did just that, proving to themselves and everyone watching that they have good potential for future tournaments. The girls’ team, coached by Mrs Gates, just missed out on a play-off spot in the semi-finals, having surprised a number of larger schools with their aggressive, gritty

defensive play. They finished with a comprehensive victory over St Andrews Bangkok 23-2 in the lower play-offs. Despite being clearly outsized with four Year 7s in the starting line-up, the boys’ team, coached by Mr Blake, showed encouraging progress and a great attitude both on and off the court. For more information about basketball at BISP, please contact Jamie Blake: jblake@ bisphuket.ac.th thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

SPORT 37

Future champs

Laguna Phuket and BISP co-host junior golf tourney GOLF It was Old Sailor’s turn to take on second placed Dirty Nellies in last Thursday’s Patong Pool League.

he award-win ning Laguna Golf Phuket is teaming up again with the British International School, Phuket (BISP) to organize the 2nd Laguna Phuket Junior Golf Tournament. Scheduled for March 27, the event is aimed at growing the game of golf with tomorrow’s future champions. “Both Laguna Golf Phuket and BISP are committed to growing the game of golf in Phuket. The benefits of golf for young people goes far beyond just the physical aspects of the game. Golf also teaches etiquette, manners, respect, responsibility and even mathematics when scoring!” said Paul Wilson, Director of Golf. The exciting event will include an exciting 18 holes golf competition around the thoroughly upgraded golf course, plus goodie bags, on-course refreshments and

Leaders Natalie Bar a no-show in PPL POOL

The benefits of golf for young people goes far beyond just the physical aspects of the game. prize giving presentation following play. “Our idea with this event was to create a fun environment for junior golfers to participate, we wanted to make it more than just a golf competition. The ambition is to grow the event year on year, working together with BISP”.

The BISP Golf Academy, which has just opened its own on-site short game centre by six-time major winner and Laguna Golf ambassador Sir Nick Faldo, is headed by former professional player Oliver Bates from the UK. “The fantastic events like the annual Laguna Phuket

Junior Golf Tournament, helps us give talented kids the opportunity to get to those higher levels of the sport,” said Coach Bates. Entry is just THB 1,750, with age groups from 6 – 18. For more information please contact 076 270 991 or golf@ lagunaphuket.com.

T H ER E W ER E ON LY four games played in last Thursday’s Patong Pool League (PPL) with Natalie and Andaman Sea bars, who were due to take on each other, having to pull out their teams due to a number of the team players reporting in as sick, let’s hope they got doctor’s certificates to prove it! But in the games that were played, second placed Dirty Nellies played at home against Old Sailor. Dirty Nellies finally saw the return of their captain Scott Griffin after a long

absence, and they went on to win the game 8-3 with French man Thierry winning the Killer. Elsewhere, Champs got off to a good start against Martins Swiss winning 5-1 in the singles, but then it all went wrong for Champs who lost every game. It was a great come back from Martins Swiss who finally won 6-5. This result move Champs two places down in the league, while Ting Tong and Genius both moved up a spot with Tbng Tong beating Sports Bar 7- 4 wins and Genius beating Simon & Oils by the same score.

BISP teacher wins golds at Thailand meet ATHLETICS BRITISH INTERNATION- al School Phuket (BISP) teacher Michele Hossack recently

Oilfield Classic returns GOLF IN APRIL 2009 OVER 100 International guests descended on Phuket to take part in the very first Phuket Oilfield Classic, which is primarily for Oil and Gas Golfing executives staged to raise awareness and funds for a Phuket based Children’s Charity; however everyone is welcome to take part. The 8th Annual Phuket Oilfield Classic Charity Golf Tournament will take place in Phuket between the 7th & 10th April 2016, prior to Songkran. Our aim for 2016 onwards is to have more than 100+ people visit the Island, and with the backing of local companies we should achieve our goal. This is an ideal opportunity for local companies to tap into a market segment @thephuketnews

(Oil and Gas Executives) not really catered for in Phuket, and with the possibility of over 100 expats visiting the Island, there is always room for local participation in the event. We would like to thank all of our Sponsors and supporters who have helped us raise over 6 million baht for local charities so far. Now that this is a yearly fixture it is intended that a Phuket based Charity will be chosen on an Annual basis and for 2016 the children’s charity chosen is Barnhem. If you want to participate in this year’s event, please visit the website at www. asiangolfevents.com and contact one of the organizers at Asian Golf Events Co. Ltd. who will be happy to answer any of your questions. The Phuket News is proud media sponsor of this event.

competed in the 21st Thailand Masters Athletic Championships held from the March 4 to 6 in the Northern province of Sakon Nakon. Michele competed in four

events, the maximum number allowed, and won gold in all events. She broke the Thai W55 record in the 200m, 400m and sprint hurdles and broke the

Asian W55 record in both the 200m and the hurdles. Michele’s will next compete in the Australian Masters taking place in Adelaide in April. Congrats Michele!

38 SPORT

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

F1 wanes over qualifiers BOX OF NEUTRALS

Michael Lamonato michael@boxofneutrals.com

he 2016 Formula One season starts in Melbourne, Australia, in little more than a week, but the sport continues to wax and wane over changes to the qualifying format. The sport’s governing body the FIA, the commercial rights holder, and the teams met at the end of February to thrash out a technical regulation package for 2017, but the only agreement reached was on unscheduled changes to the way the grid is decided, blindsiding the paddock and fans alike. Since 2006 Formula One has used a three-part qualifying format. One set of drivers are eliminated after each of the first two sessions, leaving 10 drivers to compete for pole in the third session. Changes proposed late last month were for qualifying to be run over three unequal sessions: a Q1 of 16 minutes, a Q2 of 15 minutes and a Q3 of 14 minutes. All 22 cars will compete in Q1, but after seven minutes the slowest car will be eliminated from the session, and every 90 seconds thereafter the slowest car at

McLaren Honda’s Spanish driver Fernando Alonso speaks during an interview ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix season. Photo: Tofik Babayev/AFP the time will be similarly sent back to its garage until 15 cars remain. Those 15 cars progress to Q2, where the same format prevails after six minutes. Eight cars will then progress to Q3, where drivers are progressively eliminated after five minutes until just two remain to battle for pole position. Bernie Ecclestone – who earlier that week told London’s Daily Mail that the sport he

holds a stake in is “the worst it has ever been” – immediately poured cold water over the changes when he told the FIA that the necessary timing systems and graphics for the television world broadcast feed couldn’t be readied in time. The sport temporarily debated introducing the changes in Spain for the fourth round of the season, but a midyear change in weekend format was widely panned by some

as being unsporting. The proposed changes to be submitted to the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) for approval were then changed again, with the first two sessions running as amended but with Q3 using the format of 2015, with eight cars battling for pole for the entirety of the allotted time. Less than one week later, however, the WMSC rubberstamped the original changes,

apparently despite Ecclestone’s original insistence that he couldn’t be ready in time, but left significant wiggle room for the Australian Grand Prix stewards to make the decision on the day. “The new system should be introduced for the first round of the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship,” read the FIA’s statement. Pre-season testing had barely begun but already the Formula One season had be-

come overshadowed by ugly politics. “I’m sad for the sport because it doesn’t look right from the outside when in one week we change the qualifying format three times,” said two-time world champion Fernando Alonso. “I don’t think it’s right. There are too many changes, and the complexity of the rules for the spectators is quite high.” Alonso’s commentary will resonate with the vast majority of Formula One fans, who are undoubtedly tired of the politicking trespassed in their name and for the sake of “improving the show”, but which inevitably hoists the sport further away from its audience and into the realms of the incomprehensible. Unfortunately it seems the chaos that has reigned behind the scenes is now spilling onto the circuit – just as the 2016 season was beginning to stretch its legs. The Australian Grand Prix, round one of the 2016 F1 season, runs from 18–20 March. Don’t forget to tune in to Live89.5 each and every Saturday from 9am to hear Box of Neutrals talk all there is to talk about F1 and a whole lot more.

Sharapova in doping turmoil TENNIS MARIA SHARAPOVA’S multimillion dollar business empire was in turmoil yesterday (Mar 8) as sponsors distanced themselves from the Russian tennis star a day after she admitted failing a drug test. The world’s richest sportswoman announced Monday (Mar 7) that she had tested positive for Meldonium, a drug she said she had been taking since 2006 which was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list this year. US sportswear giant Nike, German luxury car maker Porsche and Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer all halted their relationship with the former world number one. The 28-year-old, whose ragsto-riches story was the stuff of Hollywood dreams, now risks a ban of up to four years which could see her carefully constructed marketing empire collapse. The holder of five Grand Slams and 35 WTA titles, the Russian who arrived penniless with her family in the United States, is as much a businesswoman as a sportswoman.

Despite winning just two WTA titles in 2015 she was the highest paid sportswoman that year, earning $30 million mostly from advertising, according to American magazine Forbes. Her fortune is estimated at $200 million. Nike was the first sponsor to jump ship, saying Monday night it was “saddened and surprised” by the news. “We have decided to suspend our relationship with Maria while the investigation continues,” the US sportswear giant said. Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer then said they would break off negotiations to renew their contract with Sharapova. “Maria Sharapova was under contract with TAG Heuer until December 31th, 2015. We had been in talks to extend our collaboration,” a company statement said. “In view of the current situation, the Swiss watch brand has suspended negotiations and has decided not to renew the contract with Ms Sharapova.” Porsche followed, stating “until more details are known and we can analyse the situation, we have decided to suspend planned activi-

ties [with Sharapova]”. Sharapova signed a three-year deal to be brand ambassador for Porsche in April 2013. The Russian also won the WTA indoor tournament in Stuttgart, which is sponsored by the car manufacturers, in 2012, 2013 and 2014, with the champion driving off in a brandnew sports car. “I did fail the test and I take full responsibility for it,” Sharapova said at a quickly convened press conference in Los Angeles on Monday. “I made a huge mistake. I let my fans down. I let my sport down that I’ve been playing since the age of four that I love so deeply,” she said. “I know that with this, I face consequences and I don’t want to end my career this way – and I really hope I will be given another chance to play this game.” T he I T F con f i r me d t hat Sharapova had tested positive on January 26 and had accepted the finding when she was notified on March 2. “Ms Sharapova will be provisionally suspended with effect from 12 March, pending determination of the case,” the ITF said.

Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova is the world’s richest sportswoman with an estimated personal fortune of $200 million. Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP Sharapova said she was prescribed the drug, a circulationbooster used to treat heart ailments, because of symptoms including an irregular EKG heart test and a family history of diabetes. Her attorney, John Haggerty, said mitigating circumstances could result in a lesser penalty. Russian officials yesterday threw their backing behind Sharapova. “I feel sorry for Masha. I hope that we will see her back on court and we are prepared to support her,” sports minister Vitaly Mutko told state-run TASS news agency, using the Russian diminutive of Sharapova’s first name.

“The people in her team should be looking out for her.” Sharapova’s great rival Serena Williams applauded the Russian’s candor in confirming the positive test. “I think most people were surprised and shocked by Maria, but at the same time most people were happy that she was just upfront and very honest and showed a lot of courage to admit to what she had done and what she had neglected to look at,” Williams told reporters in New York, as she prepared for an exhibition event. “She’s always showed courage in everything she’s done. And this is no different,” Williams said. AFP thephuketnews

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

SPORT 39

PREMIER PREDICTIONS: ENTER NOW AT THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

Thai fans warm to ‘uncool’ Leicester FOOTBALL

@thephuketnews

MONTHLY SPONSOR

The overall competition winner receives 1 voucher staying 2 nights in a Prestige Suite including breakfast for 2 persons and a 30-minute spa treatment at Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, overall value THB 90,000. The monthly competition winner for March will receive a B3,000 voucher to spend at Walkabout Sports Bar Karon.

eicester City’s rise from relegation scrappers to Premier League table-toppers has won them admirers across the sporting world, including in Thailand – home of their billionaire owner – where the Foxes are creeping into fashion. The club, currently five points clear at the top of the world’s most watched football league, are owned by Thai duty-free magnate Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, whose King Power brand is emblazoned on the club shirt. Their rise is one of the biggest David v Goliath sporting narratives in recent memory – and a success story for Thailand, where they are dubbed the Siamese Foxes. The Thai Leicester City fans’ Facebook page boasts 445,000 “Likes”, a new found popularity that is translating into increased shirt sales. But Leicester’s players are still not household names in the football-mad Southeast Asian kingdom and on match days the club’s deep blue colours are largely absent from Bangkok’s bars. Observers say that is in part down to publicity-shy Vichai, who has averred the usual fanfare of a PR campaign associated with foreign ownership of Premier League clubs. But it also because traditional footballing giants such as Liverpool and Manchester United still draw the loyalty of most Thai fans. Waiting to play during a casual game in central Bangkok on a recent afternoon, Kittideht Jirawattanakan said he was astonished by the Foxes’ rise. But when quizzed on the team, he admitted to being a little unprepared. “I don’t really know much

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English Premier League 2015 - 2016

This file picture taken on August 18, 2010 shows chairman and CEO of Thailand’s King Power duty free retailers group, Vichai Raksriaksorn (left), and his son and assistant Aiyawatt Raksiaksorn holding jerseys of England’s Leicester City football club during a takeover announcement in Bangkok. Photo: AFP about them,” he said. “[I know] the team has Thai owners – they play aggressively and they’re on fire at the moment.” The club was bought by retail mogul Vichai in 2010. After a few false starts, the team gained promotion to the Premier League, piquing interest among Thais in a previously unfashionable outfit. Vichai’s boardroom has won praise for its unflustered approach to running the club and shrewd appointments of players and managers. Now, the swashbuckling exploits of Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and co. are paying dividends and slowly catching the imagination of Thais. “The team is getting more and more fans, as they see their performances and their success,” Bigjah Satit Krikul, Thailand’s most famous television football pundit, said. “It could be a phenomenon

if they win the championship, as they were an average team last season,” he added of the club which staged a remarkable turnaround to stay up in the top flight in 2014/15. In a reflection of that growing fanbase shirt sales are booming. “Everyone is turning to them. The shirt is sold-out – people are still trying to find them, but we don’t have any left,” said Siwat Vasantasingh, CEO of Ari Football Concept Store in Bangkok’s commercial heart. To date, Leicester have not leaned heavily on their potential Thai market. The last tour was remarkable only for the indiscretions of the son of then manager Nigel Pearson, who was caught on a widely circulated sex tape in which a group of Leicester’s young players racially insulted Thai women. But the club may be poised

for a change of gears in the kingdom. Vichai backed the successful bid of a former police chief to run the Thai FA, paving the way for a tie-up with Leicester and the nation’s game. The club are tipped to sponsor a national academy and inject expertise into Thai football. Leicester are 10 games from becoming the Premier League’s most unlikely winners since its inception. If they do win, Leicester’s popularity will likely sky-rocket with Thai fans poised to buy into the minnows-turned-champions narrative. “Once Thai people owned them, they got into the Premier League and got to the top of the table, so I follow and cheer for them,” said 36-yearold Sukhum Kingkhangplu, catching his breath on the sidelines of a kick-around in Bangkok. AFP

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Leicester City Tottenham Hotspur Arsenal Manchester City Manchester United West Ham United Southampton Stoke City Liverpool Watford Chelsea Everton West Brom Crystal Palace Bournemouth Swansea City Norwich City Newcastle United Sunderland Aston Villa

MP W 29 29 29 28 29 29 28 29 29 29 29 28 29 29 29 29 29 29 28 29

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A GD Pts

52 51 46 52 45 37 43 31 36 43 30 51 29 35 32 28 35 31 28 22

31 24 30 31 33 27 37 34 29 39 36 39 30 45 39 37 54 54 53 55

21 27 16 21 12 10 6 -3 7 4 -6 12 -1 -10 -7 -9 -19 -23 -25 -33

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Live Sports TV Schedule *Times may be subject to change

SPORT

START STOP

Friday 11th March

EVENT

TEAMS / INFO

Rugby Union 13:30 18:00 Aussie Rules 13:30 Rugby League 16:00 Cricket 16:30 21:00

15:30 20:00 16:30 18:00 20:30 01:00

Super Rugby Super Rugby AFL NRL ICC World T20 ICC World T20

Blues v. Hurricanes Western Force v. Brumbies Carlton v. Sydney Swans Broncos v. Warriors Netherlands v. Oman Bangladesh v. Ireland

Rugby League 19:30 Aussie Rules 12:00 15:00 Rugby Union 13:40 15:40 17:50 20:00 Rugby Union 20:30 23:00 Soccer 19:45 22:00 22:00 00:30 Cricket 16:30 21:00 Motor Bikes 15:30

21:15 15:00 18:00 15:30 17:30 19:50 22:00 22:30 01:00 21:30 00:00 00:00 02:30 20:30 01:00 17:00

NRL AFL AFL Super Rugby Super Rugby Super Rugby Super Rugby 6 Nations 6 Nations EPL EPL EPL FA Cup – QTR Final ICC World T20 ICC World T20 Superbikes

Panthers v. Raiders Fremantle v. Geelong Cats Hawthorn v. North Melbourne Highlanders v. Lions Rebels v. Reds Sunwolves v. Cheetahs Kings v. Chiefs Ireland v. Italy England v. Wales Norwich v. Man City Stoke v. Southampton Bournemouth v. Swansea Everton v. Chelsea Zimbabwe v. Afghanistan Scotland v. Hong Kong Thailand - Day 1

Aussie Rules 12:00 Rugby League 12:00 14:30 Cricket 16:30 21:00 Soccer 20:25 23:00 23:00 Rugby Union 22:00 Motor Bikes 15:30

15:00 14:00 16:30 20:30 01:00 22:30 01:00 01:00 00:00 17:00

AFL NRL NRL ICC World T20 ICC World T20 FA Cup - QTR Final FA Cup - QTR Final EPL 6 Nations Superbikes

Melbourne v. St Kilda Sharks v. Dragons Storm v. Titans Netherlands v. Ireland Bangladesh v. Oman Arsenal v. Watford Man United v. West Ham Aston Villa v. Tottenham Scotland v. France Thailand - Day 2

Saturday 12th March

Sunday 13th March

Sport

THEPHUKETNEWS.COM

editor3@classactmedia.co.th

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016

Andaman Dragon torches Phang Nga 5-0 > page 35

PODIUM WINNERS

‘Born Free to Run’ Running Club take top age group honours at Powerman Malaysia duathlon.

DUATHLON

icky Ekkarat Phanthip (second from left in photo) announced his return to form with a win at the Powerman Malaysia Asia Duathlon Championships last weekend. The “fastest man in Phuket” sped his way back into action from taking a year off after knee surgery, his patience and discipline in rehabilitation rewarded with a first place

win in his age group. Alongside Phanthip were ‘Born Free To Run’ athletes finishing as podium winners in several Powerman Short Distance categories. Phanthip led his athletes from the ‘Born Free to Run’ grassroots running program to top three age group category finishes over the Powerman Short Distance of 5km first run, 32.5km bike ride and 5km second run. Foofa Songklod Jearanaisil took third place alongside Phanthip in the

men’s 30-34 age category, while Annie Sukanya Chuaywang replicated the same feat on the distaff side. Aoy Suthipa Sae-Heng claimed second place in the 45-49 age group, while Bee-Jackkapong Ramchai placed 10th overall and recorded the fastest bike split in his age group. Thanyapura Phuket’s CSR Program, ‘Born Free to Run’ offers free run training sessions for the local Phuket community, finding and encouraging young talent and building them into future running stars.

These athletes come from rural areas around the region of Phuket who would otherwise not have the means to train and excel in running and multisport. What started with one athlete, Phanthip, being given a pair of running shoes, has now grown into a club with 40 members strong. Thanks to a grant from the Phuket Community Foundation and the corporate support and use of the world-class facilities of Thanyapura Phuket, the ‘Born Free To Run’ ath-

letes train in swimming, cycling, and running alongside famous athletes and world record holders. These athletes race not only locally but also internationally, gaining trophies alongside racing experience and personal growth. Phanthip’s ‘Born Free to Run’ club is now focused on training 10 aspiring young talents, all local students studying in schools not far from Thanyapura. The plan is to coach and develop them to compete at the national level and beyond.

Two Thai footballers ready for QPR coaching clinic FOOTBALL TWO STANDOUT YOUNG football talents from Thailand, Krisawat Kongkot, 16, and Weerapat Kaewwongsa, also 16, continued their journey on the pitch and headed to Loftus Rd last week to take part in a QPR Coaching Clinic. They were part of an entourage of eight young football talents including standout participants selected from the Malaysia, Singapore and China legs of the QPR coaching clinic tour, who got to experience a training clinic at QPR’s Academy, meet the QPR first team as well as witnessing a live match between QPR and Derby County FC at the

Loftus Road Stadium. Krisawat Kongkot and Weerapat Kaewwongsa from Chainat Football Club were selected from a total of 80 young football talents ranging from 15 – 16 years old during the AirAsia-QPR Coaching Clinic which was held at the Chonburi Stadium in December 2015. AirAsia is the official shirt sponsor for QPR, and has been actively conducting outreach programs such as this football coaching clinic across the region to inspire and unearth local Asian football talents at the grassroots level, and to give back to the community it serves. All participants of the coaching clinic tour have the opportunity to enhance their skills and competency

on the pitch, learning useful skills such as ball manipulation, passing and shooting techniques as well as other tactical aspects of the game from QPR’s Community Trust coaches. The AirAsia-QPR Coaching Clinic Tour is a joint effort by AirAsia and QPR in the Community Trust which started in 2013, and has benefited nearly 1,000 youth across Asia; providing the young athletes with opportunities to learn from coaches linked to an English Championship club. The 2015 coaching clinic tour was led by QPR in the Community Trust’s Camp Director, Martino Chevannes; along with four other QPR coaches – Danny Edwards, Alfie Ferguson, Alex Gordon and Stephen McCarthy.

Krisawat Kongkot and Weerapat Kaewwongsa on their way to London.

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